Microplastics Could Be Weakening Your Bones, New Study Finds

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Briana Mercola

Health & Fitness, Alternative Health

4.6 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 24 December 2025

⏱️ 8 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A recent Osteoporosis International review summarized multiple studies showing that microplastics have been detected in human bone tissue, where they disrupt bone cell activity, trigger inflammation, and weaken structural integrity
Laboratory and animal studies show microplastics accelerate osteoclast activity and alter bone microarchitecture, linking environmental plastic exposure to rising rates of bone fragility and dysplasia
Microplastics are not limited to bone; previous research has also detected them in the bloodstream, brain, placenta, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and reproductive tissues
Ultrafine combustion particles (UFPs), which are smaller than microplastics, pose an even greater threat due to the vastly higher levels of exposure you face each day
Lower your daily microplastic exposure by switching to natural fabrics, filtering your air and water, avoiding plastic containers, and replacing plastic kitchen tools with safer materials

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	What if the fuel your gut prefers could also steady your glucose, reduce inflammation, and help you manage weight?
0:07.0	Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go.
0:15.0	No reading required. Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights.
0:20.0	Hello, and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom.
0:24.6	Today we're examining Beauty Rate, the short chain fatty acid your gut bacteria make
0:29.8	when you ferment fiber, and how it supports your metabolism, your gut barrier, and your
0:35.3	overall energy.
0:36.7	I'm Ethan Foster. You'll hear how beauty rate improves
0:39.7	insulin function, regulates glucose, and supports healthy body composition, and why your colon cells
0:46.5	rely on it more than glucose. I'm Alara Sky. We'll also outline when boosting fiber helps,
0:53.4	when it backfires, and a stepwise way to
0:56.0	rebuild gut tolerance so you can actually benefit from butyrate production.
1:01.0	Buterate stands out among short chain fatty acids because research links it to better body weight
1:07.1	and composition, improved lipid profiles, stronger insulin sensitivity, and steadier
1:12.5	glycemia. It acts through gene pathways influenced by histone diacetylase inhibition, and by activating
1:19.5	free fatty acid receptors in tissues like intestine, adipose, muscle, liver, pancreatic islets, and blood vessels.
1:28.3	Your colonocytes prefer butyrate as their main fuel.
1:32.3	They bring it across the cell membrane by diffusion and active transport,
1:36.3	shuttle it to mitochondria, and convert it via beta oxidation into acetyl co-A to generate ATP. That single pathway can supply roughly 70% to 80% of their energy needs,
1:50.0	far more than they tend to draw from glucose or glutamine.
1:54.0	When your colonocytes oxidize butyrate efficiently, they also lower oxygen levels in the colon.
2:00.0	That shift favors beneficial anaerobic oxygen levels in the colon. That shift favors beneficial
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 25 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Briana Mercola, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Briana Mercola and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.