New Research Summary - Do Microplastics Play a Role in IBD?
What are microplastics?
Plastic has a wide variety of uses including building materials, furniture, toys, clothing and packaging. Over the last 30 years the amount of plastic produced has soared, and it is estimated that up to 50% of the plastic produced is used to make single-use products. Single-use plastic products include food packaging such as water and drink bottles, takeaway containers, disposable knife and forks and the packaging found in pre-packed sandwiches and salads. These are designed to be thrown away as soon as the food or drink has been consumed.
Plastic was considered to be a cost-effective medium, however its environmental impact was not considered until the discovery of the great pacific garage patch in 1997 and documentaries such as Blue Planet in 2018 have gone on to highlight the environmental impact of our attitudes to single use plastics.
More recently scientists discovered microplastics and started to study their impact on human health. When we throw away plastic it does not biodegrade and instead breaks down into smaller pieces of plastic. When the size of these pieces is <5mm they are considered to be microplastics.
Where are microplastics found?
These small pieces of plastic are not visible to the naked eye and were first discovered in marine life, where they have been found to cause issues when ingested in large quantities. Microplastics have also been found in table salt (sea salt), honey, sugar, beer, organic fertilizers, dust in our homes, bottled water and tap water. However, the amount of microplastics in various products differs significantly from study to study due to differences in extraction methods and analysis.
What are the health implications of microplastics?
Microplastics have been found to cause injury to marine life when ingested in large quantities.
Chemicals which leach from the microplastics over time or when ingested have been linked to hormone and growth issues in animal studies.
There is some concern that in humans they may cause GI irritation, alteration of the microbiome, disturbances in energy and lipid metabolism, and oxidative stress. However, there is currently no human studies to back up these concerns.
What we do know - it has been proved that we are exposed to microplastics through our environment and our food supply chain. In addition, the quantity of microplastics in our environment has increased rapidly over the years in line with our increase in plastic production.
Study into IBD and Microplastics
This recent study into IBD and microplastics was carried out in China on a sample size of 101 participants. Half of the participants had IBD and half were considered to be healthy controls for comparison. The IBD participants had both Crohn’s disease and Colitis. All participants submitted one stool sample for analysis of microplastics and completed a survey in regards to their typical dietary habits. Their microplastic consumption was then estimated based on the following:-
exposure to microplastics in the environment – e.g. work
consumption of bottled water verses tap water
consumption of take away food verses home cooked foods.
The participants with IBD also completed a survey to access their IBD symptom severity.
Study Findings
the researchers found that everyone taking part in the study had microplastics present in their stools.
the people with IBD on average had more microplastics in their stool sample at 41.8 items/gram in comparison to the people without IBD who had 28 items/gram on average.
the size of the microplastics found ranged from 1.7um to 393um, but the people with IBD had a significantly higher quantity of smaller microplastics (<50um) in their stool than the people without IBD.
the researchers found that on average the people with IBD consumed significantly more food containing microplastics than those without IBD
there was a correlation between those with IBD who consumed the most microplastics and the severity of their IBD symptoms
From this study the researchers concluded that people with IBD either consumed or retained more microplastics in their guts than people without IBD.
So, what does this mean?
This study does not show that consuming microplastics causes IBD or a worsening of IBD symptoms. The results were based on averages, which means that there were people taking part in the study who were exposed to a low number of microplastics and also had IBD. It could be a co-incidence that some of the people with IBD had high microplastic exposure. It could also be the case that living with IBD resulted in an increase in microplastic exposure, for example choosing to drink bottled water over tap water may be considered a safer option for someone with a sensitive stomach, or choosing more convenience foods may be an easier option if you don’t have the energy to cook.
As this was the first study in this area, it will be interesting to see if future studies show similar findings.
Reducing microplastic exposure.
Although we do not know if microplastics are harmful to our health, we do know that plastic waste is an issue for our environment and therefore choosing more sustainable options is something we should all be considering. If you want to reduce your plastic usage and ultimately your exposure to microplastics, then you could consider some of the following:
Switch from bottled water to tap water. If you are concerned about the quality of the tap water then boiling the water and allowing it to cool will remove any potential pathogens, whilst a water filter will remove any non-pathogenic contaminants.
Carry a non-plastic water bottle with you to ensure you stay hydrated throughout the day, without having to purchase drinks in single-use plastic containers
Likewise, take a re-useable coffee cup to coffee shops. Some chains now offer a discount on your purchase to encourage you not to take a single use coffee cup which will also save you money.
Switch from takeaway pre-packaged foods to home made foods or takeaway foods.
Switch from clingfilm to more sustainable food wrapping such as beeswax or cotton-based food wrap
Use glass instead of plastic food storage containers.
If you would like help and support with your IBD and what dietary and lifestyle changes would be appropriate for you, please get in touch. You can book a free call, where I can get to know you, your journey, your struggles, your life, and we can chat about the best route forward for you. You can also ask any questions you have about working with me.
I have also written a free e-book to help you find a way forward for your everyday life with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Whether you are right at the beginning of your journey with IBD or have been living with your condition for years and feel like you have tried almost everything, there are things you can do everyday, beyond the medication you are taking, to help you take back control.
Reference
Analysis of Microplastics in Human Feces Reveals a Correlation between Fecal Microplastics and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Status. Zehua Yan, Yafei Liu, Ting Zhang, Faming Zhang, Hongqiang Ren, and Yan Zhang. Environmental Science & Technology 2022 56 (1), 414-421. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c03924
This article was written by Helen Morris (MSc, ANutr) who is our wonderful intern at The NALM Clinic. She's passionate about IBD nutrition research and sharing evidence based IBD nutrition information having lived with Crohn's Disease since 2018.
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