12 'Healthy' Foods Containing Microplastics: Smart Swaps to Stay Safe

• EXPLORE FURTHER: Researchers Uncover Microplastics in Isolated Areas of Antarctica

A lot of commonly deemed 'healthy' food items are brimming with microplastics which have been associated with various issues. cancer , DNA damage along with various health problems.

Microplastics are small plastic fragments measuring under five millimeters in length, or about the size of a pencil eraser. .

They are present in nearly every item. Including our atmosphere, water sources, soil, and even the food we consume.

Whenever individuals unavoidably interact with them, They infiltrate the body and create harm. .

Some specific foods have greater quantities of microplastics compared to others, often due to extensive processing, storage in plastic containers, or simply because their source environments are heavily polluted.

However, some of the most significant offenders might shock you, since these are typically lauded as nutritious options.

Even though they are considered essentials for a healthy eating plan, carrots, apples, and salads still topped the list.

Even though it might be extremely difficult to entirely eliminate microplastics from your daily consumption, you can still make some substitutions to lower their presence in what you eat.

1. Carrots

Carrots are loaded with vitamin A, which is crucial for vision, growth, cell division, reproduction, and immune function, as stated by the Mayo Clinic.

But research shows That root vegetables also contain microplastics.

This occurs due to plants absorbing microplastics from water and soil via their roots; most of these particles accumulate primarily in this section of the plant, with just a small fraction moving upwards into the shoots.

Hence, based on a particular study, leafy greens like lettuce and cabbage have lesser quantities of microplastics when contrasted with root veggies such as carrots, radishes, and turnips.

To decrease your consumption of microplastics by cutting down on carrots yet maintain an adequate level of vitamin A in your nutrition, consider replacing them with spinach or red, yellow, and orange bell peppers.

2. Plant-based nuggets

Scientists examined various protein samples for microplastic pollution. , and discovered that plant-based nuggets are among the primary offenders.

Among the four various plant-based protein sources examined, the substitutes for chicken nuggets showed the greatest degree of microplastic contamination with 0.32 particles per gram.

This is because these nuggets undergo extensive processing and usually come wrapped in plastic packaging.

Instead of purchasing prepackaged, processed plant-based nuggets from stores, consider making them yourself at home with tofu or seitan to minimize your use of plastics.

3. Apples

As the adage suggests, an apple daily keeps the physician at bay.

However, this widely loved fruit surprisingly has higher levels of microplastics than any other, containing one study discovering they contain over 100,000 particles per gram.

Similar to carrots, apple trees take in microplastics via their roots, and these eventually end up in the fruits they grow.

If you're looking for a safer option, opt for fruits rich in anthocyanins—a kind of antioxidant that could shield your body from certain adverse impacts caused by microplastics, as suggested by recent studies.

Examples of fruits rich in Anthocyanins encompass blueberries, cranberries, pomegranates, and grapes.

4. Rice

Rice serves as a nutritious provider of carbohydrates, fiber, and B vitamins. However, consuming it also introduces you to plastic pollution.

One study has demonstrated that individuals ingest between three to four milligrams of plastic for every 100 grams of rice consumed.

And when we talk about instant rice, that amount increases to 13 milligrams per serving.

Rice absorbs plastic particles present in the soil where it grows, as well as from the machinery involved in harvesting, storing, and transporting it. These pollutants also come from the various processes of milling, packing, and managing rice until it reaches your dining table.

The research discovered that rinsing rice prior to preparation can decrease plastic pollution by 20 to 40 percent.

5. Bottled water

This won’t be shocking news: water bottled in plastics is brimming with microplastics.

One study discovered that, on average, one liter of bottled water held approximately 240,000 plastic particles, with around 90 percent being nanoplastics.

Nanoplastics are approximately 150 times smaller than a strand of hair, and studies indicate they can be tiny enough to penetrate human cells.

Luckily, removing bottled water from your daily routine can be quite simple just by getting yourself a reusable water bottle.

6. Ready-to-eat salads

Similar to how bottled water gets contaminated with microplastics due to its packaging, ready-to-eat salads also face this issue because of their packaging materials.

Exactly quantifying the amount of microplastics present in these swift, lightweight meals is challenging due to their wide variations in packaging materials, dimensions, and components.

However, it's unavoidable that small bits of plastic from the packaging might end up in your salad. Therefore, if you wish to steer clear of this, it’s advisable to prepare your own salad with freshly washed veggies.

7. Seafood

A recent study indicated that the quantity of microplastics in the sea has doubled every six years throughout the past forty years, and these tiny bits end up in our marine life.

Oysters, clams, crabs, and almost every kind of fish are some instances of sea creatures that have extremely high levels of microplastics within them.

In fact, one study It is estimated that individuals consuming significant quantities of seafood ingest approximately 11,000 microplastic particles annually.

Sadly, there isn’t a simple alternative for seafood since microplastics have been detected in nearly all types of fish and shellfish.

However, you can decrease your ingestion of microplastics by limiting how much seafood you eat and steering clear of heavily processed fish products like frozen fish fillets.

8. Pink Salt from the Himalayas

The Pink Himalayan sea salt is broadly regarded as healthful due to its minimal processing, which means it retains higher levels of essential minerals required by the human body.

However, intriguingly, studies reveal that refined salt has significantly lower levels of microplastics compared to less processed varieties.

For example, one study discovered that highly-processed, typical table salt from the United States had considerably lower levels of microplastics compared to less-refined salts commonly used in Asia.

This occurs due to unprocessed salts absorbing plastic pollutants present in the seas where they're collected; here, refinement helps eliminate many of these tiny plastics.

Pink Himalayan sea salt particularly contains a significant amount of microplastics due to its lack of refinement as well as the extraction techniques employed during mining.

Therefore, heavily refined American table salt is the most secure choice for minimizing exposure to microplastic pollution.

9. Processed dairy

Except for salt, heavily processed foods typically have higher amounts of microplastics, and this certainly applies to traditional dairy items as well.

Research indicates that heavily processed dairy items like powdered cheese and regular milk have considerably higher levels of microplastics compared to less processed options.

To minimize your consumption of microplastics from dairy products, opt for locally sourced, organic milk, cheese, and yogurt rather than the processed varieties when shopping.

10. Tea in mesh bags

A large amount of microplastics leach from nylon teabags into your steaming cup of tea.

One study discovered that immersing one nylon mesh teabag in water heated to 200°F disseminates approximately 11.6 billion microplastic particles and 3.1 billion nanoplastic particles into a cup of tea.

Using tea in paper tea bags, or loose leaf tea and a reusable stainless steel strainer, are much safer options when it comes to limiting microplastic exposure.

11. Seaweed

Similar to how seafood and sea salts contain traces of marine elements, microplastics also find their way into seaweed-based items.

These particles get stuck on the seaweed's surface, adhering to its small cracks and threads. study discovered that traditional cleaning techniques do not effectively eliminate most microplastics from seaweed.

Seaweed is consumed globally, yet it serves as a major component in Asian cuisine. According to the same research, individuals in China ingest over 17,000 microplastics annually just from eating seaweed.

This accounts for 13 percent of their yearly microplastic consumption.

If you enjoy seaweed-wrapped sushi and wish to reduce your intake of microplastics, consider preparing it using rice paper, lettuce leaves, or thin cucumber slices as alternatives.

12. Honey

Scientists have examined honey sourced globally for microplastic presence, revealing that this common food item is extensively polluted.

In this scenario, the microplastic contamination originates not from the processing stage, but directly from the bees themselves.

When honeybees gather pollen from contaminated areas, they end up collecting tiny bits of plastic which can then be found in the resulting honey.

This is probably why one study discovered that honey produced in city areas contains significantly higher levels of microplastics compared to honey created in countryside settings.

Hence, reducing your plastic usage can be achieved by opting for honey sourced from countryside areas.

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