United States: Consuming food from plastic takeout containers creates a higher possibility for congestive heart failure, and “even short-term exposure” to plastic particles that leach into food or liquid elements can induce changes in cardiac muscle tissue” that may lead to cardiovascular disease, as per new research findings.
More about the news
Researchers examined rat tissues during a period of three months as rats received water that went through exposure to boiling plastic water containers for durations of one, five, and fifteen minutes.
The research published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety showed that changes occurred in the gut biome of rats, which were evaluated from their feces samples, and their heart tissue demonstrated “extensive” damage after three months of examination.
What are the experts stating?
The study states that “The results indicated that ingestion of these leachates altered the intestinal microenvironment, affected gut microbiota composition, and modified gut microbiota metabolites, particularly those linked to inflammation and oxidative stress,” aol.com reported.
“Additionally, this exposure resulted in damage to the heart muscle tissue of the rats, alongside increased markers of myocardial injury, inflammation, and oxidative stress,” it continued.
“The study shows plastic exposure as a significant [cardiovascular disease] CVD risk factor regardless of duration,” indicating that even minimal exposure to heated plastic takeout containers may carry risks,” as the experts added that the rats demonstrated damage despite how long the water they ingested had been boiled for.
“It leads to changes in myocardial tissue, gut microbiota, and metabolites, all closely tied to CVD,” the study added.
Moreover, while citing earlier studies results, it mentioned, “Plastics contain endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) like bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates (PAEs) and plasticizers, which are linked to higher CVD risk,” aol.com reported.
How to prevent the menace?
The experts, although, have not suggested any specific action beyond “further research is necessary.”
The authors did point to the existing data, “to prevent ongoing harm from plastic products to human health, it is essential to avoid using plastic containers for high-temperature food, reduce the use of plastic products in daily life, and implement timely plastic pollution control measures.”