Executive Summary

Plastic, Our Food, and Our Brains: An Easy Exposure We Can Reduce

Microplastics and nanoplastics are now being found throughout the human body, including in blood vessels, lungs, reproductive tissues, and the brain. One of the easiest exposures to reduce is heating food in plastic.

A 2023 study found that microwaving certain plastic food containers released the highest levels of micro- and nanoplastics among the conditions tested—up to millions of microplastic particles and billions of nanoplastic particles per square centimeter of plastic surface after only a few minutes. These extremely small particles are concerning because they may interact with cells and cross biological barriers more readily than larger plastic fragments.

A major 2025 Nature Medicine study found substantially higher concentrations of micro- and nanoplastics in human brain tissue than in liver or kidney tissue. The researchers also found greater accumulation in brain samples from people who had documented dementia. This does not prove that plastics cause dementia, but it raises a serious question about whether long-term exposure could contribute to neurological problems. Plastic is an insulator. It makes sense that pieces of plastic could interfere with not only electrical brain activity but synaptic transfer anywhere in the body.

Research has also linked micro- and nanoplastic exposure with other areas of concern, including cardiovascular disease, intestinal inflammation, respiratory effects, immune effects, and reproductive health. A 2024 New England Journal of Medicine study found micro- and nanoplastics in carotid artery plaque and reported a higher rate of heart attack, stroke, or death in people whose plaque contained these particles.

The science is still developing, and many questions remain unanswered. But the practical response does not need to be complicated.

The simplest precautions

  • Do not microwave food, water, coffee, tea in plastic.

  • Transfer food to glass or ceramic before heating.

  • Store leftovers in glass rather than plastic whenever possible. Plant based alternatives are now on store shelves.

  • Choose glass or stainless-steel drinking containers.

  • Reduce the use of single-use plastic water bottles.

  • Favor stainless steel and cast iron cookware over plastic-coated or non-stick surfaces.

  • Choose prepared foods packaged in glass, paper, or other alternatives when available.

  • Use stovetop, conventional oven, convection oven, Instapot or other non-plastic heating methods when practical.

The key point is not that every plastic exposure causes disease, or that plastics have been proven to cause dementia. They have not. The point is that plastic particles are getting into our bodies, heating plastic can greatly increase exposure, and reducing that exposure is relatively easy.

Less plastic.
Less bottled water.
More glass.
And never deliberately heating food in plastic.

Sometimes improving health begins with something as simple as changing the container.

For more information: https://www.bodysoulandangels.com/dimentia-microparticles-and-microwaves

Essential References

Hussain, K. A., Romanova, S., Okur, I., & Li, Y. (2023). Assessing the release of microplastics and nanoplastics from plastic containers and reusable food pouches: Implications for human health. Environmental Science & Technology, 57(26), 9782–9792.

Nihart, A. J., Garcia, M. A., El Hayek, E., et al. (2025). Bioaccumulation of microplastics in decedent human brains. Nature Medicine, 31, 1114–1119.

Marfella, R., et al. (2024). Microplastics and nanoplastics in atheromas and cardiovascular events. The New England Journal of Medicine, 390(10), 900–910.

Chartres, N., Cooper, C. B., Bland, G., et al. (2024). Effects of microplastic exposure on human digestive, reproductive, and respiratory health: A rapid systematic review. Environmental Science & Technology, 58(52), 22843–22864.

All Copyrights Lyneah Marks, Body, Soul & Angels Publishing 2026