You should avoid eating all these foods, they are full of plastic

Some foods, even before being packaged, contain plastic particles, the health risks of which are increasingly being proven.

Plastic for dessert? We know that food can be contaminated by plastic through containers or utensils, but we're less aware that plastic is sometimes already present in certain foods. This is a little-known fact, but it's far from trivial. A growing body of research suggests that the presence of plastic particles in our bodies—ingested through breathing and food—has adverse effects on our health.

The consumption of ultra-processed foods could contribute to these effects. These foods, which currently constitute about a third of the French population's energy intake, are in fact a significant source of plastic. "High concentrations of microplastics are found in ultra-processed foods, largely due to the processing and packaging process. For example, foods like chicken nuggets contain 30 times more microplastics per gram than chicken breasts," point out the authors of a study recently published in the journal Brain Medicine .

The researchers note that processed foods and "microplastics share similar mechanisms for their adverse health effects: oxidative stress, inflammation, immune dysfunction, carcinogenicity"... More and more studies provide evidence of the health impact of consuming ultra-processed foods. Anses (the French National Agency for Food Safety) has conducted an analysis on the subject, and concluded "that a higher consumption of foods classified as ultra-processed is associated with a higher risk of mortality and chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, overweight, obesity, cardioneurovascular diseases, breast cancer and colorectal cancer."

Specifically on the neurological level, the study published in Brain Medicine "synthesizes the growing evidence that microplastics from ultra-processed foods may be accumulating in human brains and potentially contributing to the global rise in rates of depression, dementia, and other mental health disorders." The researchers note that clinical trials have shown "improved mental health after reducing the consumption of ultra-processed foods."

Ultra-processed foods, such as sodas, industrial cakes, or ready meals, are particularly high in sugar, salt, fats... and also synthetic substances, such as additives or plastic. So what are their harmful effects due to: the plastic, the additives, the combination of their components...? The answer is not clear at the moment. In any case, to limit health risks, it is recommended to favor raw or minimally processed foods as much as possible; and to avoid plastic containers and kitchen utensils. "After all, you are what you eat," the study authors remind us.