Can microplastics in your diet cause gut inflammation?

What's actually in it

Microplastics get into your food from plastic packaging, water bottles, seafood, and even tea bags. These tiny plastic particles survive your stomach acid and pass through your digestive system. Some are small enough to interact with the cells lining your gut along the way.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Environ Health Prev Med collected stool samples from healthy Japanese adults and measured both microplastic levels and inflammation markers. The researchers found microplastics in every sample. People who ate more packaged and processed food had higher microplastic counts.

The study also found a link between microplastic levels and inflammatory markers in the gut. Higher microplastic exposure was tied to signs of low-grade inflammation, even in people who felt healthy.

To cut down on microplastics in your diet, store food in glass or stainless steel containers. Avoid heating food in plastic. Choose loose-leaf tea over tea bags, and filter your drinking water with a system rated to catch particles down to 1 micron.