'Plastic detoxes' are going viral. Is there anything evidence-based docs can actually recommend to patients?
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Even if there were a way to remove plastic from the body, it is so pervasive that within weeks or months, we would be carrying another load from ongoing exposures.
—Lisa Patel, MD
It was a few years ago when Aimee Browne, MD, a triple-board-certified physician (OB/GYN, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, and Lifestyle Medicine) decided to do something about the plastic in her life.
“That year for Lent, I decided I was going to give up single-use plastics. I went all in—bamboo toothbrush, toothpaste tablets, laundry detergent sheets—and I may or may not have gone to a salon to refill my shampoo bottle from their large containers," Dr. Browne, who practices at Aspire Fertility in San Antonio, TX, tells MDLinx. "Although I didn’t make it the entire time, I learned a lot. It made me realize just how embedded plastics are in our everyday lives—and why this is such an important conversation to have."
Dr. Browne is not alone, with more people looking for ways to reduce the harms caused by plastic.
Related: Microplastics appear to create blockages similar to blood clots—like a ‘car crash in the blood vessels’Can you ‘detox’ from microplastics?
But what about when patients want to “detox” from plastic that may already be in their bodies? Dr. Browne says it’s not that simple.
We do not have good evidence that there is a proven medical or wellness-based way to ‘detox’ microplastics that are already in the body. We do not know how long microplastics remain in the body, how efficiently different tissues clear them, or whether some forms are more persistent than others.
—Aimee Browne, MD
“In practical terms, the honest answer is this: We are mostly trying to minimize continued exposure and continued accumulation, not ‘flush out’ plastic that is already there," Dr. Browne continues.
Microplastics have been found in numerous human organ systems, including the respiratory, reproductive, digestive, cardiovascular, endocrine, and urinary systems. []
They have also been detected in breast milk, semen, sputum, and urine.
Reducing microplastics exposure is the best option
Microplastics are so prevalent that experts say even if a person could successfully “detox” them from their body, the potential benefits wouldn’t last long.
“Even if there were a way to remove plastic from the body, it is so pervasive that within weeks or months, we would be carrying another load from ongoing exposures. We do have evidence that microplastics are excreted in stool and urine, so our bodies are eliminating some of them. The best way I think about ‘detox’ is supporting the systems our bodies already use to remove unwanted substances and repair damage. That means staying well hydrated and eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes,” Lisa Patel, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University and Executive Director for the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, tells MDLinx.
She argues that the best way to reduce harm from microplastics is to reduce exposure in the first place.
“Most of our exposure comes from what we eat and drink, and there are many steps we can take to reduce that exposure. We can choose glass and metal over plastic, particularly single-use plastic. We can drink filtered tap water rather than water in plastic bottles. We can also avoid packaged and ultra-processed foods,” she says.
Related: 8 foods that may reduce the health risks of microplastics and other common toxins