Maurice Pierce June 15, 2024
● Microplastics are a ubiquitous pollutant that enter the body mainly from the food and drinking water we consume. They are hazardous to our health and to a healthy ecosystem that we are entirely dependent on for survival. They come from the fragmentation of larger plastic objects like bags, bottles, tableware etc.
Once ingested, microplastics can be removed by your gut microbiota. But, if large enough, they can pass through the digestive system without the aid of our gut microbiota and be excreted naturally in feces. The gut microbiota are helpful microbes (bacteria etc…) in your gut (small and large intestines) that keep toxic substances in check.
But if you have an unhealthy gut, microplastics will be able to move through the intestinal wall and into your bloodstream. Studies suggest microplastics can stay in the body for several months and damage our organs by causing cell death. Once in the bloodstream, microplastics can also break down into even smaller particles known as nanoplastics.
nanoplastics are capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier and cause Alzheimer’s or dementia in people. Most store-bought water filters can remove microplastics, so we can start limiting our exposure by buying a water filter pitcher or installing a water filtration system. Avoid using plastic containers for food storage, use Pyrex glass containers instead.
Avoid drinking from and storing liquids in plastic cups and bottles. Avoid cooking in Teflon coated non-stick pots and pans that are damaged (scratched or peeling). A single surface scratch on a non-stick pan or pot can release thousands of microplastic particles that can leach harmful chemicals into your food.
Avoid plastic utensils; they can also release microplastics that can leach harmful chemicals into your food when distorted by heat. Use glass, ceramic or stainless steel cups and bottles for storing and drinking liquids. Use only wooden utensils when cooking food on non-stick cookware. Stainless steel utensils can be used with stainless steel, cast iron or copper pots and pans.
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Maurice Pierce June 3, 2024
● Bacteria in our gut microbiome can directly influence brain function at a subconscious level through signals sent via the vagus nerve. The subconscious acts as a bridge between awake consciousness and the inaccessible unconscious mind. It’s a storehouse of learned behaviors, operating on autopilot, motivating choices without conscious input.
Okay, the vagus nerve. It is a single, long cranial nerve that is actually a pair of nerves (left and right). The left vagus nerve travels down the left side of your body and the right vagus nerve travels down the right side of your body. It extends from the brain through the neck and chest to the abdominal cavity where your gastrointestinal (GI) tract is located.
Essentially linking the brain and your central nervous system with the enteric nervous system (ENS) in the GI tract. The vagus nerve is sufficient for two-way communication between the brain and gut. Our gut microbiome and our subconscious mind are in constant two-way communication.
This unconscious communication between our gut microbiome and the brain helps to regulate the amount of food and nutrients the body takes in to function at its best. Trillions of bacteria in the gut produce chemical messengers that communicate with the CNS via the ENS. The ENS is a vast, independent network of neurons embedded in the lining of the gastrointestinal tract.
The CNS then sends signals to the brain via the vagus nerve, affecting brain function, such as stress response, emotions, and cognition. The vagus nerve is the primary pathway in the gut-brain axis and provides a faster pathway for gut-brain interaction than hormones in the bloodstream. Eating ultra-processed and quick service restaurant food that often contains toxic chemicals and arsenic, will poison your gut microbiome.
As a result, undermining its ability to communicate with the brain. If this happens, you may begin to suffer from one or more disorders like high or low blood pressure, blood sugar problems and too much body fat to name a few. So, if we are going to help ourselves prevent or reverse current health problems. Awareness of this gut-brain axis is just one more necessary tool we all need knowledge of.
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