Microplastics have been detected in everything from our hearts to our brains and even some reproductive organs, which raises a lot of questions about the impact these teeny particles have on our health. In case you’re hazy on the details, microplastics are plastic particles that are smaller than five millimeters in size. And a recent study just linked high levels of microplastics in the brain to a higher dementia risk.
Of course, this is quite concerning, and the findings have sparked a conversation about how we can all protect ourselves and our brains.
The study, which was published in the journal Nature Medicine, came out back in February. But a new scientific discussion on the findings just dropped, providing more actionable advice on how you can lower your microplastics exposure.
Here’s the science behind the link between microplastics and dementia, plus what you can do to protect yourself.
Meet the experts: Jasmin Dao, MD, PhD, is a neurologist at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach; Jamie Alan, PhD, is an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University; Andrew West, PhD, is the study co-author and professor in the Department of Neurology at Duke University.
What did the study find?
In the study, researchers analyzed post-mortem brain tissue samples donated by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator between 2016 and 2024. The researchers found 12 different types of microplastics in the brain tissue samples, with polyethylene being the most common.
While the investigators found microplastics in various organs, the microplastics were usually detected at higher levels in the brain. Even scarier, the brain tissue samples from people who had been diagnosed with dementia had up to 10 times more microplastics than people who weren’t diagnosed with the disease.
More On Dementia Risk
How do microplastics play a role in dementia risk?
It’s not clear at this point. The researchers are careful not to say that microplastics in the brain actually cause dementia—and point out that it’s possible that having dementia could actually influence how likely you are to accumulate microplastics in your brain.
But the scientists also stress that there’s a “critical need” to investigate this further. "Larger studies will need to happen that include more subjects at different stages of disease, and then functional studies in models to try and tackle association versus causation," says Andrew West, PhD, study co-author and professor in the Department of Neurology at Duke University.
West isn't aware of any existing research, which means "it will be many years before these basic questions will be explored, unfortunately," he adds.
Jasmin Dao, MD, PhD, a neurologist at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach, agrees. “The relationship the effect of microplastics on brain health is still being understood,” she says.
So, unfortunately, we just don’t know at this point.
How do microplastics get in your brain?
That’s also not clear—but people understandably want to know the answer to this question so they can better protect themselves.
Microplastics in the environment likely first make their way into your blood—which previous research has observed—and then cross the blood-brain barrier due to their small size, says Jamie Alan, PhD, an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University. Still, Alan stresses that we just don’t know how this works right now.
West thinks that a key element in these plastics getting in your brain is the fact that the particles are small enough to fit through "small channels and vesicles that were inaccessible in decades past due to the plastic pieces being larger." In other words, the microplastics in our world today could just be smaller than previously seen. There may also be other biological processes at play that both make your brain more likely to pick up the particles and make it harder to clear the particles through your liver and kidneys, adds West.
“The results of this study emphasize the need to understand mechanisms and pathways for how microplastics are deposited in the brain, as well as their long-term effects on brain health and potential role in neurologic disorders,” Dr. Dao says.
How can I reduce my exposure to microplastics?
The latest scientific discussion broke down a lot of things you can do to lower your exposure to microplastics. Those lifestyle changes include:
Switch from bottled water to tap water. This could drop your microplastics intake from 90,000 to 4,000 particles per year.
Reconsider your alcohol habits. The discussion authors point out that alcohol is a “significant dietary source” of microplastics.
Don’t heat food in plastic containers. This includes tea bags, which tend to be plastic, the authors note.
Limit canned foods. The authors point out that there is a huge spike in bisphenol A (BPA) levels in urine in people who have canned soup for five days in a row. (Many cans have an internal plastic coating.) Instead, try to eat things that are stored in containers that aren’t plastic or are in BPA-free packages.
Lower your intake of highly-processed foods. That includes chicken nuggets, which have 30 times more microplastics per gram than chicken breasts.
While you’re at it, try to minimize how much you cook with plastic utensils and use glass food storage containers whenever you can, Alan says. “Glass has no microplastics,” she points out. Even vacuuming more can help. “Microplastics can accumulate in household dust” that you can accidentally ingest or breathe in, Dr. Dao explains.
Alan points out that it’s hard to totally avoid microplastics, given how they’re in practically everything. Still, you can lower your exposure. “Just do your best,” she says.
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Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.