April is Parkinson’s awareness month, with April 11 marking World Parkinson’s Day. While most of you might know Parkinson’s is a neurological disease affecting movement and coordination, recent research has shown a strange link to an environmental toxin- plastics! Dive into this blog and explore how plastic from your bottle is messing with your brain.
Parkinson’s 101- everything you need to know about the disease
As you all know, it is a neurological disease affecting your movement. It is caused by several reasons including genetics and brain chemistry. For instance, a reduction in dopamine levels is a key indication of Parkinson’s. Diagnosis of the disease isn’t straightforward. Most doctors diagnose the disease by taking a medical history of the patient or analyzing neural activity using a PET scan. Parkinson’s is beyond slowed movement and stooped posture. You can have numerous signs like slurred speech, muscle weakness, tremors at rest, reduced facial expressions, and even mood swings. It is important to look for these signs and act on them immediately as early diagnosis is key. Check out itsbiodiaries on YouTube for a short video that explains the disease in detail. (And don’t forget to subscribe!)
An interesting and alarming report says 0.5% of your brain is plastics. The evidence here is concerning. This shows that plastics and micro-plastics which are unable to break down enter your bloodstream and enter your brain.
Plastic is the new pollution.
Most of my readers must have heard of air, water, and soil pollution. However, in the last few years, there has been yet another dangerous pollution that is doing the rounds- plastics and micro-plastics. This has kept our environmentalists worried. With the increased usage of plastics and it’s non-biodegradability, plastics have not just chocked fishes in the water, but managed to enter our bloodstream too. A recent research has also shown that your plastic bottle messes with your brain!
Nanoplastics and Alpha-synuclein
Microplastics are extremely small plastics measuring around 5mm in diameter and nanoplastics are more tiny spanning less than 1 mm in diameter. These tiny plastics are not just difficult to break down but can enter the brain and interact with certain proteins like alpha-synuclein present in your brain thereby aggravating the disease. Alpha-synuclein normally helps in nerve communication. However, in the case of Parkinson’s, they clump together and accumulate in nerve cells. Nanoplastics promote the clumping of Alpha-synuclein potentially aggravating the progress of the disease. This work has been demonstrated in a test tube (in vitro), in mice, and even in human brain tissue samples known to contain traces of microplastics. Check the full article here.
How did these Nanoplastics enter your bloodstream and brain?
These tiny plastics enter your bloodstream from the Styrofoam cups you drink from. A specific group of nanoplastics- polystyrene can even cross the blood brain barrier to reach your brain.
How to save your brain from micro-plastics?
- Replace bottled water with tap water- it may seem minor, but, your plastic water bottle is the second largest plastic contaminant after the air we breathe. While there is nothing we can do about the air we breathe, making this minor switch in our water sources can have a tremendous impact.
- Tea bags- to all the tea lovers out there, I’m sorry. Your tea bags were originally made of paper. But, that is now history. Current tea bags are made of plastic. When dipped in hot water, releases micro-plastics into your beverage. You certainly don’t have to stop enjoying your cup of tea. But, you can switch to a different method to prepare tea.
- Your home furniture hosts micro-plastics- it may be hard to believe but a lot of your household items including tablecloths, linen, and toys are shedding micro-plastics on a regular basis.
- Avoid heating food in plastic containers- this is one the most classic tip most environmentalists give. Heating or reheating foods in plastic containers (even if it is microwave-safe) may release microplastics into your food. Instead, switch to natural materials like glass, wood, and metal.
- Beauty products- A yet another daily use material that contains micro-plastics is your make-up. They are hidden in the form of phthalates.
As we research more, it’s becoming clear that Parkinson’s isn’t just about aging or genetics—it’s also about what we’re exposed to every single day. The plastic bottle you casually toss or reuse might seem harmless, but science is starting to say otherwise. It not just affects the environment but also our brains!
While more research is needed to draw concrete conclusions, one thing is certain: we must begin questioning the long-term impact of our plastic-filled lives. Reducing plastic use isn’t just about saving the planet—it might also be about protecting our brains.
Because when it comes to health, prevention always starts with awareness.
Stay aware, Stay healthy!
Great read, thanks for sharing.