Microplastic Detox: The Billion Dollar Question (Updated)

We finally have a way for anyone to measure the amount of microplastics in the body with PlasticTox. Some of the comments we get about a blood microplastic test revolve around the question of how do we remove them? Many of these remarks bear a tinge of fatalistic resignation to the seemingly intractable reality of microplastics. Our environment is saturated with plastic. We have already addressed the issue of limiting exposure to microplastics, you can read that article here: 28 Ways to Minimize Microplastic Exposure. Yet the question remains. “How do we get rid of microplastics already in the body.”

There are several people currently working on this issue. A recent headline from Yahoo New’s Futurism section reads  Whoever Figures Out How to Remove Microplastics from the Body is Going to Make a Fortune.

How Do We Remove Microplastics From the Body?

There are several protocols that have been posited as potentially effective ways to remove or mitigate damaging microplastics from the body:

• Glutathione: Glutathione seems to be a promising therapy for microplastics. Research suggests a novel mechanism for PET degradation using glutathione .This method has been successfully applied in real human serum samples.
• Nattokinase: Nattokinasa has shown to be effective in reducing the oxidative damage caused by BPA, a common toxic component the leeches from many plastic products.
• Activated Charcoal: Known for its ability to bind with toxins, it might help in removing some microplastics from the digestive system, although it should be used periodically due to its impact on nutrient absorption.

• Probiotics: Lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacterium bifidim have shown promising results for removing microplastics from the gut
• Supplements and Foods:
• Chlorella and Spirulina: These algae have been suggested to help in binding with and eliminating toxins, including possibly microplastics, from the body.
• Mushrooms, Fulvic Acid, and Shilajit: There’s mention of these substances potentially aiding in the disintegration or removal of microplastics, though more research is needed.
• Enhancing the Body’s Natural Detox Pathways: The human body has immense ability to detox if and heal itself. One of the best strategies could be to maximize health and nutrition to maximize the body’s natural ability. Dr. Mark Hyman recommends several superfoods to supercharge the body. These include Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin A, Melatonin, Quercetin, Cercumin, Carotenoides, Flavenoids, Ellagic Acid, Milk Thistle, and Cruciferous Vegetables. Many of these can be found in every day foods to supercharge the body’s natural detox pathways.
• Sweating: Activities like using a sauna or engaging in exercise that induces sweating might help in excreting some toxins, though direct evidence for microplastics is limited.
• Blood and Plasma Donation: A study from Australia showed that plasma and donations can reduce harmful chemicals like PFAS or “forever chemicals” from the body. While not directly removing microplastics, it might reduce the concentration in your body temporarily.
• Mitochondrial Health: Enhancing mitochondrial function through diet, exercise, and possibly supplements might help the body deal with the effects of microplastics, though this is more about health maintenance than direct removal.

Yet the question remains: How do we rid microplastic from our body? What we do have now is a method of measuring interventional strategies: PlasticTox. Both for measuring the impact of microplastic avoidance strategies as well as microplastic detoxification. While microplastic testing with PlasticTox doesn’t fix the problem, it finally gives us meaningful, quantifiable metrics to measure interventions. In the microplastic detox gold rush, we are selling shovels: PlasticTox.