Every week, the average person ingests the equivalent weight of a credit card in plastic.* While certain preventive measures can significantly reduce your intake of these harmful substances, it’s crucial to acknowledge a more daunting concern: the bioaccumulation of microplastics in the brain, potentially at ten times the rate of other organs. Microplastics and their associated chemicals are alarmingly ubiquitous — they permeate breast milk, sperm, the hippocampus, the prefrontal cortex, the air we breathe, medications, the water supply, and our bloodstream, accumulating in most major organ systems. During this episode, we’ll explore the unsettling realities of microplastics and their associated chemicals, diving into how they infiltrate nearly every facet of our environment and body, and discuss actionable strategies to reduce exposure. Sweating modestly contributes to enhancing microplastic-associated chemical excretion. Get my free sauna report when you sign up for my newsletter: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/newsletter CHAPTERS: 00:00:00 The extent of the problem 00:02:12 Top sources of exposure 00:04:00 Contamination of our water 00:05:04 BPA, phthalates, & PFAS (forever chemicals) 00:07:07 How heating plastic affects BPA exposure 00:09:22 Our unfortunate habit of eating credit cards 00:11:33 Microplastics in major organs 00:14:04 Crossing the blood-brain barrier 00:15:00 How microplastics affect a developing fetus 00:15:54 The bloodstream is a highway for microplastics 00:18:11 Endocrine and hormonal effects 00:23:08 Consequences in pregnant women 00:25:34 How phthalates affect reproductive health 00:26:35 BPA's involvement in autism spectrum disorder 00:29:57 Side effects of prenatal BPA exposure 00:32:17 The brain may be a super-accumulator of plastic 00:34:50 Human brain microplastic levels are rising 00:36:06 Lost fertility in women 00:38:07 Changes in sperm quality 00:39:23 Microplastics in sperm 00:40:59 Why the heart suffers 00:42:51 Microplastics in arterial plaque 00:43:56 How BPA affects blood pressure 00:45:58 Risk of cancer 00:50:31 Topo Chico sparkling water 00:53:02 Reverse osmosis filtration 00:54:56 Food-based strategies for limiting microplastics 00:56:30 The "myth" of BPA-free plastics 00:58:14 Is salt a source of microplastics? 00:59:18 HEPA filters 01:00:52 Choose your clothing wisely 01:01:47 How to prevent release of microplastics (from laundry) 01:02:32 Receipts and thermal paper 01:04:17 Microplastic excretion and breakdown 01:06:28 Sulforaphane for detoxifying 01:08:38 Can dietary fiber increase microplastic excretion? 01:10:15 Are plastic chemicals excreted through sweat? 01:11:22 Do excretion strategies work for "forever chemicals"? EPISODE LINKS: Show notes & transcript: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/microplastics MICROPLASTIC TOPIC ARTICLE: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/topics/microplastics PODCAST INFO: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/095-what-microplastics-are-doing-to-your-brain-body/id818198322?i=1000670188860 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1d7YX8JgREhLT40W9X8d1g SUPPORT MY MISSION: By becoming a FoundMyFitness Premium Member, you help support the free resources we offer through our public podcast. Members also get access to my monthly AMAs and private podcast (The Aliquot). Sign up here: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/crowdsponsor?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=microplastics_podcast SOCIALS: https://twitter.com/foundmyfitness https://facebook.com/foundmyfitness https://instagram.com/foundmyfitness * Some sources suggest this figure may need to be revised downward due to disagreements over the underlying calculations. Nevertheless, despite the lack of consensus, human and animal consumption of microplastics remains substantial and widespread. #microplastics