NEW DATA: MICROPLASTICS in our BODY

Summary

The transcript discusses the alarming presence of microplastics and nanoplastics in the human body, as revealed by scientific studies. A study from Italy found that patients with plastic in their blood had a significantly higher risk of heart attack, stroke, or death. Another study suggested that these tiny plastic particles may be causing inflammation and adverse health effects by interacting with immune system cells. The speaker emphasizes the need to reduce plastic use, citing personal changes to glass bottles and advocating for alternatives to plastic products.

Takeaways

• 🚫 The speaker has stopped using plastic bottles and switched to glass due to concerns about microplastics.
• 🔍 A study in Italy found microplastics in arterial plaque removed from patients during a cardiac procedure.
• 🧬 The research showed a ratio of 1 microgram of plastic per 50 milligrams of plaque, indicating significant accumulation.
• 💔 Patients with microplastics in their blood had a 4.5 times higher risk of heart attack, stroke, or death within 34 months post-surgery.
• 📚 The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine, highlighting the severity of the issue.
• 🔬 A German-Norwegian study suggested that micro- and nanoplastics can bind to immune system cells, causing inflammation and adverse health effects.
• 🌐 Microplastics and nanoplastics are primarily made of PET (used for bottles) and PVC (used in plumbing), which can break down into small particles.
• 🔄 These plastics can enter our water and food supply through exposure to sunlight and are slowly accumulating in our bodies.
• 🌿 The environmental and economic costs of alternatives to plastic are higher, posing challenges for widespread change.
• 🥤 Despite difficulties in completely avoiding plastic, the speaker advocates for reducing plastic use, especially in drinking water containers.
• 🚮 The speaker emphasizes the importance of making a choice to reduce plastic use, even if it's inconvenient or costly.

Q & A

What is the main concern discussed in the transcript regarding microplastics?

The main concern is that microplastics and nanoplastics are accumulating in the human body and may be causing adverse health outcomes, including a higher likelihood of heart attacks, strokes, and death.

What did the Italian scientists find in the plaque removed from patients' arteries?

The Italian scientists found microplastics in the plaque removed from patients' arteries, with a ratio of roughly 1 microgram of plastic per 50 milligrams of plaque.

What was the follow-up finding after 34 months for patients with plastic in their blood?

Patients with plastic in their blood had a four and a half times higher likelihood of having a heart attack, stroke, or death from any cause within 34 months.

What did the German and Norwegian team discover about the interaction between microplastics and the immune system?

The German and Norwegian team found that microplastics bind to dendritic cells and monocytes in the immune system, causing the release of cytokines and triggering a strong inflammatory response.

What types of plastics were mentioned as being a concern in the transcript?

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is used to make plastic bottles, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is used in plumbing and piping, were mentioned as concerning types of plastics.

How did the speaker change their habits in response to the microplastics issue?

The speaker switched to using all-glass items and got rid of plastic bottles in their house, opting to fill glass bottles from their water filter instead.

What is the speaker's recommendation for reducing plastic consumption?

The speaker recommends using glass bottles, cans, and stainless steel containers as alternatives to plastic, despite acknowledging the higher environmental and financial costs of these alternatives.

What is the significance of the finding that nanoplastics may act as a scaffolding for plaque?

The significance is that nanoplastics may contribute to the growth of plaque in the arteries, potentially leading to faster development of cardiovascular issues compared to if the plaque were growing naturally without the presence of microplastics.

What are some everyday items that are difficult to avoid plastic in, as mentioned in the transcript?

Yogurt containers and water bottles were mentioned as everyday items that are often made of plastic and can be difficult to avoid.

How does the speaker address the challenges of switching to alternatives to plastic?

The speaker acknowledges that there are challenges, including the higher costs and potential inconvenience, but emphasizes that making the switch is the right thing to do for health and environmental reasons.

What is the speaker's reaction to the research findings on microplastics?

The speaker is deeply concerned and disturbed by the research findings, leading them to make significant changes in their lifestyle to avoid plastic.

Outlines

00:00

😨 Microplastics in Our Bloodstreams: A Growing Concern

This paragraph discusses the alarming discovery of microplastics in human bloodstreams and the potential health risks associated with it. It highlights a study conducted by Italian scientists who found microplastics in arterial plaque samples from 304 patients. The study used advanced techniques like electron microscopy and mass spectrometry to detect the presence of these tiny plastic particles. The findings were alarming, with a plastic to plaque ratio of 1 per 50, indicating accumulation in the body. Even more concerning was the follow-up data showing that patients with microplastics in their blood had a 4.5 times higher risk of heart attack, stroke, or death. The study's publication in the New England Journal of Medicine underscores the seriousness of the issue. The paragraph also mentions a related study from Germany and Norway that explored how microplastics and nanoplastics interact with immune system cells, leading to increased inflammation and adverse health outcomes.

05:00

🚫 The Plastic Problem: Solutions and Personal Choices

The second paragraph delves into the broader implications of plastic use and the challenges of reducing plastic consumption. It emphasizes the personal decision to switch from plastic to glass and other alternatives like stainless steel, despite the higher costs involved. The speaker acknowledges the difficulty of completely avoiding plastic due to its ubiquity in consumer goods but advocates for making conscious choices where possible. The paragraph also touches on the environmental and economic costs of alternatives to plastic and the need for a collective effort to address the pervasive issue of plastic pollution. It concludes with a personal commitment to avoiding plastic and a call to action for others to join in making sustainable choices.

Keywords

💡microplastics

Microplastics are small plastic particles, typically less than 5mm in size, that originate from the breakdown of larger plastic products or are intentionally manufactured for use in cosmetics and other products. In the video, the concern is raised about their presence in our bloodstreams and the potential health risks they pose, such as being found in arterial plaque and contributing to heart attacks, strokes, and other health issues.

💡bloodstream

The bloodstream refers to the circulatory system in the body that carries blood throughout the organs and tissues. In the context of the video, it is alarming to discover that microplastics have been found in this system, suggesting that these particles are not just environmental pollutants but can also infiltrate our bodies and possibly impact our health.

💡plaque

Plaques in a medical context often refer to abnormal deposits of substances, such as cholesterol, on the lining of arteries, which can lead to cardiovascular diseases. In the video, plaque is specifically mentioned as a site where microplastics have been found, indicating that these particles are not just external pollutants but can also become part of the body's internal structures.

💡heart attack

A heart attack, or myocardial infarction, occurs when blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked, usually by a blood clot. In the video, it is noted that the presence of microplastics in the bloodstream is associated with a higher risk of heart attacks, strokes, and death, emphasizing the potential health impacts of microplastic exposure.

💡nanoplastics

Nanoplastics are microscopic plastic particles that are smaller than microplastics, typically less than 1 micron in size. They are of concern because of their ability to penetrate cell walls and enter tissues more deeply than larger microplastics. In the video, nanoplastics are mentioned as being found in the human body and potentially causing inflammation and adverse health effects.

💡inflammation

Inflammation is the body's natural response to injury or infection, characterized by redness, swelling, and pain. In the video, it is suggested that the presence of microplastics and nanoplastics in the body can trigger an inflammatory response, which may lead to chronic health conditions and other serious health outcomes.

💡PET

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a type of plastic commonly used to make bottles for beverages and other consumer goods. In the video, PET is specifically mentioned as a source of microplastics and nanoplastics that end up in our water and food supply, emphasizing the ubiquity of plastic materials in our daily lives and their potential health risks.

💡PVC

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a widely used plastic in various applications, including plumbing and piping. In the video, PVC is identified as another source of microplastics and nanoplastics that can enter our bodies, contributing to the overall concern about the accumulation of plastics in the human body and their potential health effects.

💡cardiac procedure

A cardiac procedure refers to any medical intervention performed to diagnose, monitor, or treat diseases or conditions affecting the heart. In the video, a specific cardiac procedure is mentioned where plaque is removed from the carotid artery, and this plaque is then analyzed for the presence of microplastics.

💡recycling

Recycling is the process of collecting, processing, and converting waste materials into new products. In the video, the mention of recycling plastic bottles highlights the individual actions people can take to reduce plastic waste and the environmental impact of plastics.

💡carbon footprint

The carbon footprint refers to the total amount of greenhouse gases produced directly or indirectly by an individual, organization, event, or product. In the video, the carbon footprint is mentioned in the context of the environmental cost associated with alternatives to plastic, suggesting that while reducing plastic use is beneficial, it may also have other environmental considerations.

💡ubiquitous

The term 'ubiquitous' means something that is everywhere or very common. In the context of the video, it is used to describe the prevalence of plastics in our daily lives, emphasizing the challenge of avoiding plastic use entirely due to its widespread presence in consumer goods and packaging.

Highlights

Microplastics are found in human bloodstreams and pose significant health risks.

A study in Italy discovered microplastics in arterial plaque removed from patients during a common cardiac procedure.

304 patients' plaque samples were analyzed for microplastic content.

The study used electron microscopy and mass spectrometry to detect microplastics in the plaque.

A ratio of 1:50 (plastic to plaque) was found, indicating a significant accumulation of microplastics in the human body.

Patients with microplastics in their blood had a 4.5 times higher risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from any cause.

The research was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, emphasizing the seriousness of the findings.

A study from Germany and Norway in May 2022 explored how plastics cause adverse health effects in the body.

Microplastics and nanoplastics were found to bind with immune system cells, causing increased inflammation and pro-inflammatory signals.

Nanoplastics and microplastics may act as a scaffolding for plaque growth, potentially increasing its rate.

The individual's switch to glass bottles and refusal to use plastic has been motivated by these alarming findings.

The use of PET and PVC plastics, common materials in bottles and plumbing, are highlighted as sources of microplastics.

The long-term cumulative effects of microplastics consumption are a concern, with potentially serious health implications.

The environmental and economic costs of alternatives to plastic are acknowledged as challenges in reducing plastic usage.

The ubiquity of plastics in consumer goods and their role in affordability is discussed, emphasizing the complexity of the issue.

The anecdotal experience of switching to glass bottles and the challenges faced, such as increased broken glass, are shared.

The endorsement of reducing plastic usage by influential figures is suggested to have a significant impact on public behavior.

The personal decision to completely stop using plastic is made in response to the severity of the health risks associated with microplastics.

Transcripts

freyberg this microplastics thing we

talked about it on the show and uh since

that time I refused to open plastic

bottles I'm doing all glass I'm getting

rid of all this goddamn plastic I I

already did glass bottles in my house

because I'm cheap and I like to fill it

from my water filter

but we're uncovering more information

and then I saw this headline this week

that microplastics are in our blood

streams in some cases and what the heck

does that mean it's worse than that team

of scientists in Italy collected

samples from patients that had plaque

removed from the kateed artery it's a

kind of common cardiac procedure where

you get plaque that blocks up in your

kateed they go in they remove the plaque

so a total of 304 patients agreed to

have the plaque that was removed from

their artery submitted for analysis and

then what this team did is they took

that plaque and they studied it to

see how much plastic was found in that

plaque and they used a bunch of

measurement techniques to do this

including electron microscopy and mass

spec so they because it's really hard to

find these molecules and microplastics

or nanoplastics remember are less than 5

mm in size with a mean level of 21

microG per millgram of plaque roughly 1

per 50 is the ratio of plastic to plaque

that they found which is really

incredible because it shows that

Plastics these little Nano and

microplastics are accumulating good or

incredible bad incredible bad that these

microplastics These nanoplastics are

accumulating in the human body now

here's the the scary part they then did

a followup 34 months later the patients

that had plastic in their blood had a

four and a half times higher Ratio or

likelihood of having heart attack stroke

or death from any cause so all of these

major health effects were four and a

half times elevated in patients that had

plastic in their blood this was

published in the New England Journal of

Medicine if I didn't say it it really

indicates that there is this kind of

cumulative problem and that the

cumulative problem is likely leading to

really adverse Health outcomes and I'll

just highlight one other paper from a

team in Germany and Norway back in May

of 2022 and this team tried to figure

out how Plastics are causing adverse

health effects in the body and they had

a theory like let's put little

microplastics or nanoplastics together

with all the human cells that we know

shake it up and see what happens and

what they found was that these little

plastic fragments were binding to

dendritic cells and monocytes key cells

in the immune system and when those

cells were um Bound by plastic they

release these cyto cans and the

pro-inflammatory signals go through the

roof it causes the immune system to go

Highwire increases inflammation and the

cascading effects of that obviously can

ultimately lead to many of the events

that we mentioning were measured in this

set of patients in Italy so um again

we're just starting to uncover these

effects this concept that microplastics

and nanoplastics that are accumulating

let me just say these Plastics are

mostly pet which is what we use to make

plastic bottles that we drink water and

drinks out of and PVC or polyvinyl

chloride which is what a lot of our

plastic plumbing and piping is made from

and so as little tiny bits of these

plastic materials either are exposed to

sunlight and break off and end up in our

water and food supply and we consume

them

they are slowly accumulating in in

bodies and they may be driving

inflammatory response they may be

driving adverse Health outcomes we're

really kind of tip of the iceberg and

really studying this understanding and

analyzing it but here's another really

interesting empirical data set that

highlights that this really is um pretty

significant half the patients had it and

of that half they had a four and a half

times higher chance of dying or having a

heart attack or a stroke in the 34

months that followed yeah the scary data

the thing that that study said which was

nuts is it looked like the the nanop

particles the nanoplastics and

microplastics were effectively acting a

scaffolding for plaque so in in almost

like it was a it was a shim that allowed

it to grow the question is what it have

grown faster than it would have

otherwise that's even scarier

so I did not like reading that paper

that really freaked me

up really really freaked me up I was

drinking water from plastic water

bottles this week and every time I drink

water out of a plastic bottle now I'm

like like nervous every time I take a Si

you're not supposed to double your the

risk of all cause mortality by drinking

yeah aiji water you know what I mean

four and a half x four and a half X it's

crazy in 34 months think about the

cumulative effect over time a longer

period imagine drinking water out of a

plastic bottle thinking you're doing the

right thing and then trotting over to

the recycling bin you know yeah and you

do that for 20 years

you may be killing

yourself well there it is so wait what's

the if you if you if the water glass

bottles yeah you must use you cannot use

plastic you just can it's over no

plastic no plastic you got to stop it's

over we're drinking it's done glass cans

good plastic stainless steel stainless

steel is fine just like I mentioned when

we talked about this a few weeks ago the

carbon footprint the environmental cost

the cash cost is much higher with all

these alternatives to plastic so there

are big challenges with respect to

having some big massive response to

Plastics used in our supply but you know

living in the luxury world that we all

get to live in we get to have that

choice and we'll make that choice but

it's a real problem for Humanity because

Plastics are so ubiquitous in so many

things and they've they've enabled

they've enabled affordability of

consumer goods this is such [ __ ]

honestly like all you have to do is have

glass bottles or carry a water bottle

with you like I have a ego one I like I

carry it with me I empty it I it and I

have I have a water filter in my house

and we fill water bottles and put them

in the fridge no but what if you like

yogurt yogurt comes in a plastic

container there's all kinds of stuff you

can't avoid plastic that's so scary we

try to that's what so scary we we do

have the French yogurt that comes in

glass bottles but yes it is hard yes we

do the French yogurt in glass

bot wait where do you get it from

there's a French that comes

inass called like le le Leo or something

Leo no water water you just install a

filter system which you have at the mum

and just fill huge glass bottles just

have your staff fill glass bottles and

put them in the fridge and don't throw

them away and give your kids like some

of these thermoses or whatever but don't

have the water bottles like you know so

funny it's been a disaster in the poker

game in some ways we got rid of it and

there's been way more broken glass

people knock over the you know the the

side tables I get it it's been a huge

pain but I will not go back no it's the

right thing to do absolutely the right

thing to do well if if Jam is endorsing

this I guess I'm gonna take it seriously

I think you got to do it my opinion

doesn't matter with sex I'm not saying

you're wrong I'm just saying that your

threshold for becoming concerned is

lower and then if Cham if it hits Chamas

threshold Which is higher I'm going to

take it more seriously as your besti I

would like you to stop using plastic for

the rest of your life okay you're in a

position to do it I would ask you to not

do it