Red meat, butter, smoking, and stress have all been proven to be dangerous causes of heart attacks.

But microplastics could also be added to that list.

L.A. Times environmental reporter Suzanne Rust, with Lisa McCree on L.A. Times Today, explained how plastic is not only harming the environment, but also our health.

Plastic is found everywhere on Earth, from the top of Mount Everest to the bottomless pits of the ocean. Last spoke about new research that found the presence of microplastics in the human body.

“It’s in our blood. We’ve found it in our tissues. We’ve found it in our lung tissue and our brain. But now a team of researchers has come together to find it in patients with heart disease, who have plaque in their arteries. They performed routine procedures on people who had accumulated… They looked at the plaque and found that an unusual number of patients had microplastics in their arterial plaque. found that people with microplastics were about twice as likely to have a nonfatal heart attack, stroke, or death within 18 months after surgery,” Rust explained.

Rust said researchers aren’t entirely sure how the plastic got into patients’ plaques, but they share several theories.

“We know that we breathe this air all the time. When we drink water, we know that it’s in our tap water. Much of it is in bottled water. “It’s in soda bottles. So, while the exact route is unknown, it’s pretty well understood that we ingest, drink, and breathe microplastics all the time,” she says. said.

Rust explained that more research is needed to determine whether plastic causes heart disease or if it’s just a correlation.

As for banning plastics, Last said it was a long-term goal.

“There are very wealthy money interests who don’t want an end to plastic. It makes too much money for them. I mean, you know, I think we can all hope.” .. There may be some kind of ban, but a complete ban on plastics is hard to imagine,” she said.

Rust also shared advice on how to limit your intake of microplastics.

“You can do things like don’t drink bottled water or heat things in plastic containers. As soon as you heat them up, the plastic comes out. Go to the store and buy produce that isn’t wrapped in plastic. “Just try to avoid it as much as possible. But I think most doctors also understand that there’s no way to completely avoid plastic from entering your body,” Rust said.

Watch the full interview above.

As for banning plastics, Last said it was a long-term goal.

“There are very wealthy money interests who don’t want an end to plastic. It makes too much money for them. I mean, you know, I think we can all hope.” .. There may be some kind of ban, but a complete ban on plastics is hard to imagine,” she said.

Rust also shared advice on how to limit your intake of microplastics.

“You can do things like don’t drink bottled water or heat things in plastic containers. As soon as you heat them up, the plastic comes out. Go to the store and buy produce that isn’t wrapped in plastic. “Just try to avoid it as much as possible. But I think most doctors also understand that there’s no way to completely avoid plastic from entering your body,” Rust said.

Watch the full interview above.

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