Your Takeout Food Packaging May Raise Heart Failure Risk

Chemicals from disposable plastic containers may leach into your takeout food, potentially raising the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Chinese researchers conducted experiments on rats and found that consuming water contaminated with plastic additives from heated packaging triggered bodily changes, starting with disruptions in gut bacteria.

Heart Tissue Damage Observed in Exposed Rodents After Three Months

After just three months, the exposed rodents exhibited heart tissue damage, including misaligned or broken fibers, inflammatory cell infiltration, and mitochondrial swelling. They also showed signs of internal bleeding between myocardial cells, indicated by black pentagrams in the image below.

It’s unclear whether the same effects occur in humans, but the findings suggest heated plastic containers may not be a safe option for food.

Scientists Advise Against Using Plastic Containers for Hot Food Pending Further Research

Until more research is available, scientists at Ningxia Medical University in China advise against using plastic containers for high-temperature food. Their study was inspired by a survey of 3,179 older adults in China, which found that those with higher reported plastic exposure were more likely to experience congestive heart failure.

Recent research has also detected microplastics in blood clots within the brain, heart, and legs, prompting epidemiologist Yueping Wu and colleagues to further explore potential cardiovascular effects.

For three months, they exposed 24 rats to chemicals leached from plastic containers when heated with boiling tap water. These leachates, which included BPA, phthalates, and plasticizers, were extracted by placing plastic containers in hot water for 1, 5, and 15 minutes.

The exposed rodents showed significant changes in their gut microbiomes compared to the eight control rats, with shifts in intestinal flora linked to inflammation.

Increased Inflammatory Markers in Blood Raise Cardiovascular Concerns

The exposed animals also exhibited elevated levels of inflammatory immune markers in their blood, which are known risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

According to the researchers, “These changes may be associated with plastic product leachates disrupting microbiota and inflammatory factors, ultimately leading to inflammation and myocardial damage.”

Heat accelerates plastic degradation, but even bottled water—typically stored at room temperature or colder—contains microplastics.

Recent studies reveal that microwaving plastic food containers—even those labeled microwave-safe—can release microplastics and nanoplastics into food. In just three minutes, billions of these tiny particles may be released.

The extent to which ingested plastic particles are absorbed by the body remains unclear, as does how long they persist.

Plastic Fragments Found in Arteries Linked to Higher Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

However, studies on clogged arteries have detected plastic fragments in over 50% of plaques. Within about 34 months of surgery, patients with plastic in their arteries were 4.5 times more likely to experience a heart attack, stroke, or death than those without detectable plastic.

Researchers suspect that plastic contaminants may reduce antioxidant enzyme activity and trigger inflammation, increasing the risk of cardiovascular damage.

The health risks of plastic pollution are only starting to come to light, and the growing evidence is far from reassuring.

A study published last year found that using hot, disposable plastic cutlery can reduce the diversity of gut microbiota.

So, the next time you get takeaway, consider both the temperature of your food and the type of packaging it comes in.

Read the original article on: Science Alert

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