More like discomfort food.
Four new studies, published recently in the journal Brain Medicine, have uncovered a troubling association between microplastics, ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and mental health concerns.
UPFs, often deemed unhealthy due to their high content of added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium, encompass items like soft drinks, chips, chocolate, ice cream, processed meats, many ready-to-eat meals, and various mass-produced cereals.
While prior research indicated that individuals consuming UPFs face a significantly elevated risk of depression, anxiety, and poor sleep, the potential contribution of microplastics to these mental health issues has yet to be thoroughly investigated.
UPFs are more susceptible to microplastics than other foods due to their packaging and additives and the equipment used to process them.
As an example, the researchers pointed to chicken nuggets — which reportedly contain 30 times more microplastics per gram than chicken breasts.
“We’re seeing converging evidence that should concern us all,” Dr. Nicholas Fabiano, a psychiatry resident at the University of Ottawa in Canada, said in a statement.
“Ultra-processed foods now comprise more than 50% of energy intake in countries like the United States, and these foods contain significantly higher concentrations of microplastics than whole foods,” he added. “Recent findings show these particles can cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in alarming quantities.”
This could potentially even explain the recent bombshell news that our brains might contain an entire “spoonful” of microplastics.
“This hypothesis is particularly compelling because we see remarkable overlap in biological mechanisms,” said Dr. Wolfgang Marx, a senior research fellow at Deakin University’s Food & Mood Centre in Australia.
“Ultra-processed foods have been linked to adverse mental health through inflammation, oxidative stress, epigenetics, mitochondrial dysfunction and disruptions to neurotransmitter systems,” he continued. “Microplastics appear to operate through remarkably similar pathways.”
While further research is needed on the purported link between microplastics and mental health — the current evidence is alarming.
“As the levels of ultra-processed foods, microplastics and adverse mental health outcomes simultaneously rise, it is imperative that we further investigate this potential association,” Fabiano said. “After all, you are what you eat.”
How to reduce your exposure to microplastics
- Avoid microwaving food in plastic containers: This can release millions of microplastic particles into your food.
- Use glass or metal containers: These are safer for food storage and preparation.
- Limit consumption of UPFs: Opt for whole, unprocessed foods when possible.
- Filter tap water: This can help reduce microplastic ingestion.
