Changes to one’s food handling process can help create a “low plastic” diet, effective in significantly reducing exposure to toxic polymer compounds from our surroundings, a new study finds.
The daily use of plastic products has been associated with several health risks, including hormone fluctuations, reproductive conditions, and several types of cancer.
Recent studies estimate that over 16,000 chemicals are used in plastic products, with many of these, including phthalates and bisphenols, well established as hazardous to human health.
While several countries have implemented measures to limit exposure to hazardous plastic chemicals, regulation of these individual compounds has been challenging.
To address this, researchers in Australia have conducted a comprehensive clinical trial to assess health benefits of minimising all plastic “touchpoints” during the production, handling, processing, packaging, preparation and storage of food products and personal care items.
They found that by minimising these touchpoints, the levels of these chemicals in the human body could be reduced just within seven days.
“This trial has delivered a message of hope that we can actively reduce plastic chemical levels in our bodies but is linked to significant changes in the way we produce and package our food,” said Michaela Lucas, an author of the study published in Nature Medicine.
“Our results showed strictly adhering to a diet of food which has not touched plastic, whether that is during production or packaging, can reduce plastic chemicals in our body in as little as a week,” said Dr Lucas, a biologist from the University of Western Australia.
In the study, an interdisciplinary team of researchers, including dieticians, doctors, nurses, statisticians and biologists analysed urine, blood and nasal samples, as well as behavioural questionnaires and socio-demographic data from 211 healthy adults.
All the participants showed high levels of plastic chemicals in their bodies, with each found to have at least six different chemical types on any given day.
Eating highly processed, packaged and canned foods and beverages were significant contributors to the levels of plastic chemicals found in these participants, researchers say.
Sixty of these participants were selected to be part of a trial involving a low plastic diet and lifestyle intervention.
They were divided into five groups to test the effectiveness of replacing food and beverages, kitchenware and personal care products with low plastic alternatives.
Other plastic chemical sources like silicones and cans were also removed from the participants’ food supply chain.
“Our dieticians worked with over 100 farmers and food producers to educate and transform their food handling processes and packaging to reduce plastic exposure from paddock to plate,” said Amelia Harray, another author of the study from the University of Western Australia.
After the seven-day intervention, all trial groups showed a significant decrease in plastic chemical levels in their urine, compared to the control group.
By changing to low plastic kitchenware personal care products, the levels of phthalates decreased by more than 44 per cent in their urine, and bisphenols by more than 50 per cent, the study found.
“Participants had access to any type of food they would usually consume – pasta, salads, meats, butter, chocolate, fruit and snacks – which allowed energy intake to remain the same,” Dr Harray said.
“By delivering participants low plastic food and providing them with plastic-free kitchenware, such as stainless-steel pots, pans, kettles, toasters and wooden chopping boards, we showed changing what you eat and how you prepare food could reduce plastic chemicals in the body,” she said.
