Your coffee habit might be setting you back $6 a cup or more but the impact on your wallet is nothing compared to what it is doing to your health–or more accurately what that takeaway cup is doing to you.
A recent study (Wu et al. 2024) investigated the cardiovascular effects of daily exposure to disposable plastic takeout containers (DPTC). Nearly all takeaway containers designed for drinks are lined with plastic even though the outer shell is made from paper. When exposed to heat microplastics transfer from the lining of DPTCs and enter our system altering gut microbiota and metabolites. Alarmingly the study found that higher plastic exposure is linked to increased cardiovascular disease risk.
Rats were given leachate from DPTCs exposed to boiling water for 1, 5, and 15 minutes over a three-month period. Analysis of faecal samples revealed alterations in gut microbiota diversity and composition. Additionally, myocardial tissue examinations showed inflammatory cell infiltration and mitochondrial swelling, alongside elevated serum markers of oxidative stress and inflammation. These effects were consistent across all exposure durations.
The study concludes that exposure to heated DPTCs is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, leading to changes in myocardial tissue, gut microbiota, and metabolites, all closely linked to cardiovascular health. While we have been investigating the long-term effects of caffeine for decades, the health threat from DPTCs is only just beginning to be understood.
You can take action to reduce these risks – get into the habit of taking your own reusable cup (preferably metal or ceramic) and do our environment a favour as well as your health. There is also a move to introduce disposable cups that avoid the use of plastic but cafes offering these are few and far between – by asking for them you are demonstrating demand. In response to customer demand, Starbucks have started introducing compostable cups lined with a bioplastic in some states across the USA.
Avoid using the microwave to heat food in plastic containers. Another study found that over 4 million microplastic and 2 billion nanoplastic particles are released per square centimetre during just 3 minutes of heating in the microwave (Hussain et al. 2023). That adds up to billions of nanoplastics entering your system with anything consumed out of heated plastic containers. If you are a fan of the convenience of ready-made meals, simply decant them into a ceramic bowl and use a plate to cover them before heating. Your meal will be ready to serve, it might just taste a little less plasticky!
PS: Using plastic containers to store food should also be avoided. The study by Hussain et al. found that refrigeration and room-temperature storage for over six months can also release millions to billions of microplastics and nanoplastics.
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