Khaberni - Microplastics may contribute to the exacerbation of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, with a new study highlighting 5 ways these particles cause inflammation and brain damage.
According to "Medical Xpress," estimates suggest that adults consume 250 grams of microplastics annually, enough to cover a dinner plate.
Sources of microplastics
These particles invade the human body from various sources, including contaminated seafood, salt, processed foods, tea bags, plastic cutting boards, beverages bottled in plastic, foods grown in polluted soil, as well as plastic fibers from carpets, dust, and synthetic clothing fabrics.
The common plastics include polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyethylene terephthalate "PET".
Although most of these microplastics are eliminated from the body, studies show that they accumulate in organs, including the human brain.
5 pathways
Researchers at the University of Sydney highlighted 5 main pathways through which microplastics can damage the brain, including:
1. Stimulating immune cell activity.
2. Generating oxidative stress.
3. Disrupting the blood-brain barrier.
4. Weakening mitochondria.
5. Damaging neural cells.
Blood-brain barrier
The researchers said: "Microplastics weaken the blood-brain barrier, making it leaky. Once this occurs, immune cells and inflammatory molecules are activated, causing further damage to the barrier cells."
Oxidative stress
According to the researchers, the body treats microplastics like foreign bodies, prompting immune cells in the brain to attack them. When the brain is stressed by factors such as toxins or environmental pollutants, this also causes oxidative stress.
Microplastics cause oxidative stress in two main ways, they increase the amount of "reactive oxygen species," or unstable molecules that damage cells, and weaken the body's antioxidant systems, which typically help keep them under control. Microplastics also interfere with how mitochondria produce energy, reducing the fuel supply needed for brain cells to function, which can ultimately lead to brain cell damage. According to the research, "All these pathways interact with each other to increase the damage in the brain."
