3 super simple swaps that will lower your microplastic load

You might not be able to eliminate microplastics completely, but these swaps will go a LONG way.

Hello friends!

I don’t know about you, but I was truly blown away by Dr. Vivian Chen of Plateful Health’s insights on the podcast earlier this week. I was honestly so grateful for her extensive knowledge on the topic of microplastics, because the subject is a scary one that we’re still learning so much about.

Dr. Chen (her Substack is incredible BTW), had a lot of amazing insights into this scary subject that I wish we’d had more time for her to expand on. You too? Yeah, I thought so!

If you’re a paid subscriber, I have good news (and if you’re not, there’s no time like the present to make that happen)—Dr Chen was kind enough to do a bonus Q&A with me just for this special group. I honestly think these extra insights go the extra mile when it comes to demystifying this topic and making it less scary, and I know you’ll feel the same way.

Bonus Q&A: Liz and Dr. Chen talk microplastics

Liz Moody: Can you walk me through exactly what happens inside the body when we ingest or inhale microplastics?

Dr. Vivian Chen: We still don’t know exactly what microplastics are doing inside the body yet—but the evidence is building that they CAN accumulate in our tissue and can potentially cause inflammation. Given that they are essentially a vehicle for hundreds of other chemicals like BPA, phthalates, these harmful endocrine disrupters could be leaching into our bodies from these microplastics as well.

Until recently, some scientists hesitated to link internal microplastic exposure to harm. That changed last year with a landmark study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, which found micro- and nanoplastics inside major arteries of people who underwent elective surgery to remove arterial blockages. Those with detectable plastic had more inflammation in the blood vessels, and a 4.5x higher risk of heart attacks, strokes, and all-cause mortality in the 3-year follow-up.