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(Los Angeles, CA) — Chewing on gum can release hundreds of tiny microplastics into the body. Researchers at UCLA are studying how microscopic plastic shards have been entering the human body. Scientists have discovered microplastics in all parts of the body, including the brain and the bloodstream.
For the UCLA study, a PhD student chewed different brands of gum, and then researchers ran a chemical analysis of her saliva. They found chewing one piece of gum could release an average of 100 particles of microplastics. So far, there is no direct evidence showing that microplastics are harmful to human health.
A recent study finds the average human brain could contain a spoonful of microplastics. The Journal Nature Medicine found that there was about seven grams in the average brain, about as much as you’d find in a plastic disposable spoon. The amount of plastic in brains increased dramatically between 2016 and 2024. Livers and kidneys also showed increases, but the concentrations in brains was 30 times greater. People with dementia had the highest levels. The health implications of microplastics in the brain are as of yet unclear.
