this post was submitted on 29 Mar 2025
326 points (98.5% liked)

science

26771 readers
825 users here now

A community to post scientific articles, news, and civil discussion.

dart board;; science bs

rule #1: be kind

lemmy.world rules

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
all 46 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] WolfmanEightySix@piefed.social 58 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I’d never have thought rubber or petroleum would be in a food.

[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 28 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Well in the case of chewing gum, it basically IS plastic.

[–] WolfmanEightySix@piefed.social 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Most commercial gums use a "synthetic gum base." It has been made with latex, chickle, all manner of crap.

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Isn't natural plant gum latex too?

I think it is more accurate to say latex is a natural plant gum.

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml 41 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Because... they're made of microplastics?

... Must be a coincidence.

[–] FenderStratocaster@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I'm ignorant. Have micro plastics been proven to be harmful?

[–] calum@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

At the very least, significantly more microplastics were found in corpses of people who had dementia and the volume has increased between 2016 and 2024.

Correlation vs causation will require more research but it surely can't be harmful begin to reduce exposure where we can as we didn't have microplastics resident in our body for most of human history. I'd hazard an educated guess that accumulating any inorganic material inside your body isn't good for you.

[–] MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 year ago

There are hints about them having carcinogen properties and promoting cerebral disorders (they do cross the blood-brain-barrier). But since human health is complex, not much evidence yet.

[–] notastatist@feddit.org 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Yess, as they accumulate in the body at least.

[–] Threeme2189@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 year ago

How is that proof that they're harmful?

That's not evidence of anything though.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 26 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

I've already been assuming micro plastics are in literally everything on the planet after it's been found in so many things in recent years. At this point, it would be more surprising to know what doesn't have micro plastics in it.

I'd also like to see more studies on the effects of micro plastics being in everything. Shits in our fucking balls but we don't know if it's harming us. Everything sure wants to make you scared of it, though. I just wanna know if we really should be. I mean, I don't think it's good but still.

[–] kinther@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

Ouch my balls

[–] pineapplelover@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

I think there was a thing done that said they found microplastics in our brains

[–] Buffalobuffalo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 24 points 1 year ago (1 children)

But which gum? I'm chewing gum right now and would prefer diet plastic gum if possible.

[–] ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.zip 30 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Almost all modern gum base is made from rubber/plastic. If you want plastic free gum you'll likely have to switch to one that specifically advertised as such. Most people talk about Simply Gum; I've never tried it personally and don't know much about the company

[–] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 42 points 1 year ago (3 children)

"Surprisingly, the natural based gums gave off the same amount of microplastics" so I'm not sure it's worth switching from the one you like. The better way to reduce your intake is not to start a new piece, instead keep chewing the old one that's releasing fewer and fewer particles. The best choice would be to stop chewing gum, but it helps me eat less, also there's apparently microplastics in foods too, and in everything else including our eyeballs.

Do you have any shabiri grapes?

[–] reddig33@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago (2 children)

How do gum bases not made of plastic give off plastic? Chicle and other natural gum bases come from plants.

[–] papertowels@mander.xyz 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Your question made me wonder - what if the plants had micro plastics lol.

[–] bizzle@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They do, and it's affecting photosynthesis 😅

[–] papertowels@mander.xyz 2 points 1 year ago

Yaaaaaaaaay

[–] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago

I don't know, I just quoted the study.

My theory as a non-scientist would be that the plastics aren't from the gum at all, but the gums and tongue which are apparently already full of them, according to random things on the Internet.

But that just shows how stupid it is to ask me

[–] Obi@sopuli.xyz 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Crazy how different people react differently to things, I don't chew gum often but I did try it again when I started controlling my diet and for me it just seems to activate my hunger, like my brain thinks "I'm chewing something, time to prepare the stomach for receiving food!".

[–] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago

I understand that. In this case of course I have just eaten dinner which probably subverts that.

[–] Mongostein@lemmy.ca 17 points 1 year ago

So awesome

/s

[–] workerONE@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] randint@lemmy.frozeninferno.xyz 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I just pulled this out from my ass, but I would guess yes, they do. But you rinse your mouth after brushing your teeth so I would guess it's not that bad? Since you're (mostly) not ingesting the microplastic particles from the toothbrush. But again I'm going off of nothing.

[–] iheartneopets@lemm.ee 15 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Current advice is actually to not rinse after brushing, as you're meant to let the fluoride of the toothpaste sit against your teeth for thirty minutes.

Unfortunately, I would recommend not losing sleep over either source of microplastics (chewing gum or toothbrushes), until tires and synthetic clothing are done away with by society. Those are much MUCH bigger, inescapable sources of microplastics

[–] CitizenKong@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Isn't it mostly tires? Which is just another reason humanity has to be cured of this insane car-craziness.

[–] iheartneopets@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago

Tires are there biggest ones, yeah, but number two is shedding from synthetic clothing creation and laundering

[–] BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think micro plastics are in all the water everywhere.

[–] iheartneopets@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

We're talking about their major sources, not where they're now consequently found

[–] Ledericas@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

yea i heard that trick too, unfortunately it can cause perioral dermatitis in people, especially some toothpastes. because it tends to seep out of your lips and sits in the corner irritating the lips.

[–] Aggravationstation@feddit.uk 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Instructions unclear, pulled toothbrush out of ass.

[–] Vandals_handle@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Are you a sea cucumber?

[–] Ledericas@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

you have to worry how abrasive some are.

[–] slumberlust@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

If this interests you, consider the book Ultra Processed People.

[–] Tomassci@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 year ago

That's why I go to the source and chew plastics.

[–] reksas@sopuli.xyz 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

good thing i stopped using chewing gum ages ago, always chewed it way too long and it turned disgusting.