Microplastics are everywhere \u2014 around us, and inside us. These tiny plastic particles, less than five millimeters in size, are in the water we drink, the food we eat, and the air we breathe. They migrate into the body and have been found in nearly every organ. Although scientists are still evaluating the health effects of microplastics, the general consensus is: This can\u2019t be good. Research so far has suggested potential risks, from inflammation to hormone disruption, and that means threats to sperm health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The good news? You can take easy steps to reduce the microplastics in your body. Let\u2019s take a look at some simple but effective science-backed strategies to limit your exposure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the last few years, studies on microplastics and their health effects have drawn shocked and grossed-out headlines worldwide. In 2019, scientists estimated that we inhale 16.2 bits of microplastics every hour, which can lodge deep in the airways.1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2024, microplastics were found in 100% of human testicles studied.2<\/sup> Using testicular samples from 47 humans and 28 dogs, researchers dissolved the biological tissue and observed the solids that were left. About 75% of what remained was plastic. Ultimately, microplastics were found in every sample studied \u2014 12 types of microplastics total. <\/sup>Another study found that most semen samples examined contained three to five different types of plastic.3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s concerning, because research has found that microplastics impact fertility \u2014 microplastics in semen may lead to a decrease in sperm count and motility, or movement.3<\/sup> These tiny particles seem to cause inflammation and contain endocrine disruptors that interfere with hormones in the body, the kind that govern processes such as metabolism and sperm production. That\u2019s a potential reason sperm counts have declined more than 50% worldwide over the last 40 years.4<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n So how do you neutralize the threat of microplastics? Is it possible to flush microplastics out of your body? Not at this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most ingested microplastics seem to pass through the digestive system and are excreted. But many endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including those in plastics, are \u201cforever chemicals\u201d that never degrade or degrade very slowly. And smaller microplastics (especially nanoplastics) are particularly problematic \u2014 they can cross the gut barrier and enter tissues like the liver, kidneys, the brain, and yes, the testicles. Once microplastics are embedded in these organs, the body doesn\u2019t have an efficient way to flush them out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some early research suggests that certain probiotics may boost the body\u2019s ability to excrete microplastics.5<\/sup> But for now, absent more research, the best strategy is to reduce the amount of plastic in your environment, and therefore the amount you may ingest.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCan you remove microplastics from your body?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to reduce your microplastics consumption<\/h2>\n\n\n\n