Plastic is everywhere. And many products we use in everyday life can expose people to tiny, micrometer-wide plastic particles called microplastics. Now, chewing gum could be added to the list. In a pilot study, researchers found that chewing gum can release hundreds to thousands of microplastics per piece into saliva and potentially be ingested.
There are hints about them having carcinogen properties and promoting cerebral disorders (they do cross the blood-brain-barrier). But since human health is complex, not much evidence yet.
Correlation vs causation will require more research but it surely can’t be harmful begin to reduce exposure where we can as we didn’t have microplastics resident in our body for most of human history. I’d hazard an educated guess that accumulating any inorganic material inside your body isn’t good for you.
Because… they’re made of microplastics?
… Must be a coincidence.
I’m ignorant. Have micro plastics been proven to be harmful?
There are hints about them having carcinogen properties and promoting cerebral disorders (they do cross the blood-brain-barrier). But since human health is complex, not much evidence yet.
At the very least, significantly more microplastics were found in corpses of people who had dementia and the volume has increased between 2016 and 2024.
Correlation vs causation will require more research but it surely can’t be harmful begin to reduce exposure where we can as we didn’t have microplastics resident in our body for most of human history. I’d hazard an educated guess that accumulating any inorganic material inside your body isn’t good for you.