Microplastics are everywhere, including in your diet. These are the top foods that hide more than you think.
A new study from the University of California, Los Angeles has discovered that there are microplastics in chewing gum. Both natural and synthetic gum releases microplastics into the mouth when chewed, according to a statement published in Chemistry for Life. Out of the 10 brands of chewing gum that were tested, all were found to contain microplastics. According to the statement, "[The lab] measured an average of 100 microplastics released per gram of gum, though some individual gum pieces released as many as 600 microplastics per gram." This isn't the first study of its kind. Microplastics have been under the microscope lately, especially considering it's estimated that people consume between 39,000 and 52,000 microplastic particles yearly. That number goes up to 74,000 to 121,000 particles when you include those we breathe in. To dig deeper into microplastics, we spoke with a family physician about what counts as a "safe" level of microplastics, which foods have the most and things you can do to limit your exposure. How many microplastics are too many? "There is no officially established 'safe' or 'unsafe' level of microplastic intake. It makes sense to want your exposure to be as low as possible," Dr. Joseph Mercola, a board-certified family medicine osteopathic physician, said in an email. Microplastics can enter our food due to contamination where the food was grown, raised or processed. Mercola explained that using plastic mulch and plastic seed coatings in agriculture, and irrigation with contaminated water, are among the various ways microplastics can end up in food. Plastic packaging, utensils and containers are additional sources. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, current evidence doesn't suggest that the levels of microplastics in food are a risk to us. However, you still might want to minimize how much microplastics you passively consume. These are the most common foods that contain microplastics, and the measures you can adopt to…