Dr. Kari Nadeau: Microplastics in Our Bodies

Dr. Kari Nadeau: Microplastics in Our Bodies

From Critically Speaking by Therese Markow

February 24, 2026 · 37 min · Season 1 · Episode 227

About this episode

Therese Markow and Dr. Kari Nadeau discuss the health effects and presence of microplastics in our bodies.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Kari Nadeau discuss the presence and health effects of microplastics in our bodies. Microplastics can enter our bodies through various environmental routes, including food, water, and air. They are in everyone's bodies to some degree. Microplastics have been linked to health issues like stroke, cancer, and heart attacks. Simple actions like avoiding single-use plastics and processed foods can reduce microplastic levels in the blood by up to 80% in three months. Dr. Nadeau emphasizes the need for further research and consumer awareness to mitigate plastic pollution. Key Takeaways: A microplastic, scientifically, is anything between 1 micron (the size of a red blood cell or an immune cell) to 5 millimeters (the size of a sesame seed). Anything smaller than that is a nanoplastic. Plastics are chemicals. Plastics, as we know them, did not exist before the 1940s. Now we see them in so many places, from healthcare to food to our clothing. In the US, we are getting about a credit card's worth of plastic per week in what we eat. In Indonesia, it is more like a credit card amount per day. The amount varies around the world. "We really need to think…

People in this episode

Hosts: Therese Markow, Therese

Guest: Dr Kari Nadeau

Topics covered

  • microplastics
  • health effects
  • environmental pollution

Keywords

  • plastic pollution
  • health issues
  • consumer awareness

Mentioned in this episode

Products: single-use plastics, processed foods

Places: US, Indonesia

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