Your brain is dying from microplastics! A danger that is close at hand!

Have you ever wondered how we live our lives and what effects it has on our bodies? Recently, there has been shocking news that "microplastics" have been found in the human brain, equivalent to one spoon! Yes, the spoon we use to scoop rice. Does that give you goosebumps? I was shocked too, so I went to find out a lot of information about what it is, where it comes from, and how it can harm us, especially from research conducted in 2023-2024 that they are studying seriously. This article will tell you in a chill way, but full of knowledge, and there are things you can apply in your life. Let's take a look!

What are microplastics? The tiny, microscopic villains all around us

First, let's get to know the bad guys. Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic smaller than 5 millimeters, formed from the decomposition of plastic waste that we use every day, whether it's water bottles, plastic bags, or even polyester clothes we wear. They're so small that we can't see them with the naked eye, but they float in the air, water, food, even the salt we sprinkle on rice! So how do they get into our brains? The answer is through breathing, eating, and drinking, entering the body without us knowing.

A 2024 study published in Nature Medicine found that microplastics can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in the brain. On average, the human brain contains 0.5% of its weight in microplastics, or about 7 grams, which is about a teaspoon. It may not sound like much, but think about it. It’s not something that should be in your brain in the first place!

Thought-provoking questions:

Have you ever noticed how much plastic you use in a day? Just count it. From water bottles to food bags, how much plastic do you think you encounter in a day?

Effects on the brain: Unexpected dangers

Now let’s see what microplastics can do to our brains. The latest research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2024 found that microplastics in the brain may increase the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s, especially in people who are not very old. They studied the brains of 12 people who had died from dementia and found that they had 3-5 times more microplastics than normal people! Scary, right?

Another study from JAMA Network Open in 2024 found that microplastics can enter the brain through the nose, collect in what's called the olfactory bulb, and then move to other parts of the brain. Researchers like Matthew Campen from the University of New Mexico say it can cause oxidative stress, which damages brain cells and increases the chances of developing neurological diseases.

🧠 Lessons that can be applied in Daily life:

Can we reduce the amount of plastic pollution we inhale? For example, wear a mask when going outside where there is a lot of dust, or avoid using plastics that emit toxic fumes when burned.

🧠 Thought-provoking questions:

If our brain starts to accumulate plasticity from the age of 40-50, what will our brain be like in the next 20-30 years? Are you afraid of memory loss?

Body and growth: Microplastics are Harmful to children's growth

It's not just the brain, our entire body is affected. A 2023 study by Environment International found microplastics in the placenta of fetuses! Yes, even before birth, our bodies are exposed to plastic. They predict that chemicals in microplastics, such as Bisphenol A (BPA), may disrupt hormones, causing children to develop slowly, have abnormal brain function, or even be at risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

In experimental animals, they found that microplastics interfered with the growth of embryos, causing organ deformities. If humans are exposed to this long-term, our children may have health problems from birth. It's a clear silent danger.

🧠 Lessons that can be applied in Daily life:

If you have young children or are planning to have one, try reducing the amount of plastic you use in the kitchen. Switch to stainless steel water bottles or glass lunch boxes instead. They can help reduce contamination significantly.

🧠 Thought-provoking questions:

Do you want your children to grow up in a world full of plastic in their bodies? What can we do for them?

Research 2023-2024: Evidence is increasingly clear that plastic is a silent threat to human life.

Let's summarize some great research. In 2023-2024, scientists around the world are very interested in this issue.

Research from the Free University Berlin, Germany (2024) 🇩🇪:

A research team from the Free University Berlin, together with Brazilian scientists, published a work in JAMA Network Open saying that they found microplastics in the human brain, specifically in the part called Olfactory Bulbs (the part of the olfactory receptor). From the autopsies of 15 people, it was found that 8 had microplastics embedded! They suspect that it entered through the nose from breathing because the air in big cities is full of tiny plastic dust. The researchers said that "this may be the main way that it invades the brain." This is considered very scary and dangerous.

Research from the University of New Mexico, USA (2024) 🇺🇸:

A study from the University of New Mexico, published in Nature Medicine, is really cool. They studied the brains of 52 dead people (28 from 2016 and 24 from 2024) and found that microplastics in the brain increased by 50% in just 8 years! In addition, the brains of people with dementia, such as Alzheimer's, had 3-5 times more plastic than normal people. "It's clearly more concentrated in the brain than in the liver and kidneys," said Matthew Campen, the team leader. "We need to urgently find a way to reduce plastic pollution." This gave me goosebumps.

Research team from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden (2023) 🇸🇪:

At the University of Gothenburg, they studied microplastics in animals and compared them to humans. "The blood-brain barrier is not as protective as we thought," says researcher Bethanie Carney Almroth. The work, published in Environment International, suggests that microplastics can indeed lodge themselves in the brain, potentially increasing the risk of future neurological diseases such as Parkinson's and dementia.

Research team from Seoul National University, South Korea (2023) 🇰🇷:

A research team from Seoul National University studied the effects of nanoplastics (smaller than microplastics) on lab mice and found that they interfered with the functioning of the hippocampus, a part of the brain that is related to memory. The results, published in Science of the Total Environment, said that "if humans are exposed to this in the long term, it may affect their memory and learning." It's interesting because we encounter plastic every day.

Research team from Kyoto University, Japan (2024) 🇯🇵:

Researchers at Kyoto University have found that microplastics in the blood of mice can cause chronic inflammation in the brain. The study was published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials. They suspect that if humans accumulate large amounts of plastic, they could increase their chances of developing heart disease and encephalitis. They also say that “in Japan, where plastic is heavily used, this problem is becoming increasingly apparent.”

Research from these countries clearly shows that microplastics are not just floating in the air or water, but are embedded in our bodies, especially our brains! And the amount is increasing continuously in line with the increasing plastic usage worldwide. And this data clearly shows that we are not just eating plastic, but it is embedded in our bodies and it is increasing every day.

🧠 Lessons that can be applied in Daily life:

Reduce the use of plastic in your home a bit. Use cloth bags, avoid disposable items, or separate your trash well for recycling.

🧠 Thought-provoking questions:

If we really change our lifestyle and reduce our plastic usage now, how much better will our bodies be in the next 10 years? And if you still eat food wrapped in plastic regularly now, how short do you think your brain lifespan will be now?

Diseases and silent dangers: It's not just the brain that's broken

Beyond children's brains, microplastics have also been linked to a host of other diseases. A 2024 study from Nature Medicine found that they increase the risk of cardiovascular disease because they can lodge themselves in blood vessels. Another 2023 study from Duke University found that nanoplastics (smaller than microplastics) altered proteins in the brain that are linked to Parkinson's disease. They may also cause cancer in the long run because they carry toxins like PAHs or DDT into the body.

To make matters worse, we don’t know how much of it has built up in our bodies because it’s so difficult to expel. The World Health Organization (WHO) says most of it is excreted in urine and feces, but if it’s so small that it’s a nanoplastic, it’s buried deep in tissues and definitely not excreted completely.

🧠 Lessons that can be applied in Daily life:

Drink clean water. Reduce drinking water from plastic bottles. Switch to drinking water from glass bottles or use a water filter that can filter microplastics. Or avoid eating seafood from dirty water sources because it accumulates a lot.

🧠 Thought-provoking questions:

Have you ever felt sick frequently for no apparent reason? Or could this be the silent danger of microplastics that we are unaware of?

Summary: Start changing today before your brain breaks down without you knowing.

"If you stay with plastic like this, one day your brain and intelligence may not be the same."

Finally, microplastics are a silent threat that is all around us. They enter our brains, bodies, and children’s bodies without our full control. But what we can do is reduce the use of plastic in our daily lives, switch to more sustainable products, and take better care of our health. At least we can reduce the risk somewhat.

I believe that no one wants their brain to be full of plastic or to see their children suffer from strange diseases because of the garbage we throw away today. Let's start with ourselves first, shall we? Reduce the number of plastic bags, drink water from reusable glass bottles. It may seem small, but if everyone does it, it can really change the world.

🧠 Final thought-provoking question:

Are you ready to make lifestyle changes for the health of yourself and your loved ones? Or are you waiting for microplastics to change your brain and body first?

Your brain is dying from microplastics! A danger that is close at hand!