MICROPLASTICS CAUSE BOWEL DISEASE!
INGESTING microplastics via food, water and air can cause big trouble for bowel health, stunned scientists warn!
Researchers in China believe microplastics, minuscule bits of the manmade material that measure less than 0.2 of an inch, may be responsible for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
— a collective term for ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, which can cause chronic pain and swelling in the intestines.
According to a team at Nanjing University, “Human ingestion of microplastics is inevitable due to the ubiquity of microplastics in various foods and drinking water.”
But the scientists say their study discovered people suffering from IBD had 1.5 times more microplastics in their feces than healthy people without gut issues. Among those with IBD, the microplastics discovered were mostly sheets and fibers measuring less than 0.002 of an inch, and the bits consisted of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyamides.
PET plastics are typically used for packaging beverages, including sodas, water and juice. Polyamides are commonly found in clothing — but synthetic materials can give off inhalable particles.
According to the study authors, microplastics are known to cause intestinal inflammation, gut microbiome disturbances and other problems in animals, and the toxins released by the materials can accumulate in fatty tissues.
The researchers theorize the “positive correlation” between fecal microplastics and IBD status suggests microplastic exposure may be related to the disease process. But they add IBD may exacerbate the retention of microplastics and stress more research is needed.