On February 3, 2025 the respectable journal Nature Medicine published an article titled “Bioaccumulation of microplastics in decedent human brains.”^[i] When you translate the scientific terms, it means that more and more microscopic plastic particles have been found in the brains of dead people. An alternate title might have been “Plastics: Invasion of the Brain Snatchers.”

Yes, the spread of plastic particles, mostly from human-made compounds called polyethylene (and some additional synthetic polymers) has infiltrated the environment with resulting exposure to our bodies. According to the article, sophisticated technologies identified the presence of teeny tiny microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) in our kidneys, livers and brains. In fact, write the authors, “Brain tissues harbor higher proportions of polytheylene compared to the composition of the plastics in liver or kidney…”

When the brains of dead people were analyzed, it made no difference how old they were, what sex, what race or ethnicity, or the cause of death. However, it was noted that the brains of people with diagnosed dementia had even more MNPs in specific brain areas. These particles are so small they are able to cross the blood-brain barrier so the brain can’t defend itself, nor can the brain get rid of them.

When the article came out, various news sources swiftly pounced on it. According to a next-day report in Smithsonian Magazine, “The human brain may contain up to a spoon’s worth of tiny plastic shards—not a spoonful, but the same weight (about seven grams) as a plastic spoon…” In other words, it’s like having a plastic spoon inside your gray matter.

The journal article points out that experts who research the impact of toxic substances on life forms have a saying from the Renaissance Swiss physician Paracelsus, “Dose makes the poison.” In theory, the body may safely tolerate exposure to very small amounts of potentially deadly substances, but the question is, how much is too much?   Are we rapidly reaching a critical threshold of life-threatening plastic molecules in our brains? The article warns that “total mass concentration of plastics in the brains analyzed in this study increased by approximately 50% in the past 8 years.” Yikes!

MNPs in prostate tissue

A medical news report came out several months prior to the 2025 Nature Medicine study that should send chills down every man’s spine. The title of the article says it all: “High levels of microplastics found in prostate tumors, possibly linked to take-out food”. Here’s how the facts are described:

In a recent study published in the journal eBioMedicine, researchers … found the presence of three types of microplastics in both para-tumor and tumor tissue: polyamide, polyvinyl chloride, and polyethylene terephthalate. Additionally, polystyrene was detected in tumor- but not para-tumor tissue. … However, the study noted that microplastic particle sizes in tumor tissues tended to be larger (between 50 and 100 μm) compared to para-tumor samples, which predominantly had particles between 20 and 30 μm.^[ii]

  … Furthermore, the presence of microplastics in prostate tissue raises questions about the potential role of environmental factors in the onset or progression of prostate cancer.

The study itself lays some blame on the type of food packaging used in fast foods and carry-outs, underscoring the need for safer food containers. That said, my main concern is the role environmental factors play in developing prostate cancer (PCa). More men at younger ages are being diagnosed with PCa—in some cases, aggressive disease—a phenomenon not seen 50 years ago. Back then, PCa was called “an old man’s disease.” That really doesn’t apply any more.

Can you defend against microplastics?

We don’t yet know the long-term health impact of MNPs accumulating in the body and brain, but it can’t be good. They are everywhere in our environment. The primary ways MNPs get into our bodies are eating, drinking, and breathing. Thus, common sense suggests avoiding them as much as possible. A March 2025 article in Brain Medicine offers some helpful tips:

• Switch from water bottled in plastic to glass bottles or tap water
• Do not heat food in plastic containers
• Many tea bags are actually made with plastics, so consider brewing loose tea
• Canned foods like soups may increase exposure because the cans are actually lined with a type of plastic coating. Try switching to foods packaged in non-plastic containers, or packaged foods labeled BPH-free to reduce exposure to MNPs
• Avoid eating highly processed foods because industrial processing often involves use of plastics along the way; for example, the article cites chicken nuggets as having 30 times more MNPs per gram than chicken breasts
• As far as airborne particles, a HEPA filter in your home will capture up to 99.97% of particles, though it’s not clear how much it would reduce your body’s intake.

It seems that MNPs pose a very real threat but it’s not likely their use will diminish any time soon. Meanwhile, make healthy lifestyle choices in your diet, exercise, stress management, and relationships. If our bodies possess mechanisms for cleansing such particles out of us, we can optimize their function by practicing healthy habits. After all, who wants a plastic spoon in their brain?

NOTE: This content is solely for purposes of information and does not substitute for diagnostic or medical advice. Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing pelvic pain, or have any other health concerns or questions of a personal medical nature.

References

[i] Nihart, A.J., Garcia, M.A., El Hayek, E. et al. Bioaccumulation of microplastics in decedent human brains. Nat Med 31, 1114–1119 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03453-1
[ii] de Souza, HF. “High levels of microplastics found in prostate tumors, possibly linked to take-out food.” News-Medical, Oct. 1, 2024. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20241001/High-levels-of-microplastics-found-in-prostate-tumors-possibly-linked-to-take-out-food.aspx