Research shows rates of microplastics higher in brains of dementia patients

New research shows dementia patients have higher levels of microplastics in their brains

What you probably already know: A new study published in the journal Nature Medicine this week found that human brains contain higher levels of microplastics than other organs, and that people with suffered from dementia had as much as 10 times more plastic in their brains than others. The University of New Mexico Health Sciences researchers who did the study said that the rate of microplastics accumulation in human brains mirrors the increasing amount of plastic waste on the planet.

Why? The study’s authors said that because microplastics are so small, they can cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain. The most common polymer they found was polyethylene, which is generally used in plastic containers like bottles and cups. They suspect most people are getting the microplastics through the food they eat, and cited meat as the largest contributors to the issue because animals eat plastic-contaminated water and it accumulates in their bodies. The researchers stated that the study was not aimed at proving the connection between dementia and microplastics, and that the disease itself could allow more plastics to accumulate.

What it means: While it’s too soon to draw definitive conclusions about the connection between microplastics and dementia, it’s safe to say that having more plastic in your brain is probably not something anyone wants. The rates of microplastics in human brains has increased exponentially over the last 50 years, the study found, and the rates of plastic weren’t influenced by the person’s age, race or cause of death.

What happens now? Additional studies are needed to better understand the connection between dementia and microplastics in the brain, as the disease itself impedes the brain’s ability to clean out toxins. Right now, there is no way to remove microplastics from the body but there are many ways to avoid exposure to the plastics that end up inside us. Don’t microwave your food in plastic, use glass or metal water bottles, don’t eat a lot of red meat and when you do, buy it from organic farms that use fewer plastic-laden pesticides.