Eating These 9 Foods? You Might Be Swallowing Microplastics

Think you're not eating microplastics? Think again. Researchers at UCLA have uncovered something unsettling: microplastics are released directly into your mouth every time you chew gum. In a new study published in Chemistry for Life, scientists tested 10 different chewing gum brands and found microplastics in every single one. Both natural and synthetic varieties were shown to shed microscopic plastic particles during chewing. On average, each gram of gum releases around 100 microplastics, with some pieces spiking as high as 600. This adds to growing concern about how much plastic we unknowingly consume. Past research estimates that the average person takes in between 39,000 and 52,000 microplastic particles each year just from food and drink, and that figure climbs to over 120,000 when airborne particles are included. To get a clearer picture of how this affects your health, we spoke with a family physician about what counts as a "safe" level of microplastic intake, which foods are ... Read full article.