Harmless Snacks or Depression Fuel? Microplastics Found in Junk Food
We all know junk food is bad – but a new study shows just how toxic it really is.
By: John Klar | June 9, 2025 | 693 Words
(Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The US leads the world in junk food consumption, and microplastics may account for rising rates of obesity, depression, anxiety, and dementia. These findings are reinforced by the May 22 MAHA Commission Report, which identifies food toxins as a prominent contributor to the alarming increase in disease in US children.
Plastic Toxins in Food
Almost everything humans eat is now tainted with microplastics, especially phthalates, which are esters of phthalic acid used as plasticizers to enhance the flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity of plastic. These are present in a wide range of products and are absorbed in food through packaging and processing. Phthalates are endocrine disruptors that negatively affect hormonal functions. Additional chemicals in plastic include bisphenols such as BPA (bisphenol-A) and PFAS. Very few studies have examined the effects of microplastics on human health.
Ultra-processed junk food generally contains higher levels of microplastics due to its packaging, additives, and exposure to processing equipment. Fast-food restaurants increase contamination by using plastic gloves, plasticizers in to-go containers, and additional packaging to improve production efficiency. Microwaving plastics also increases exposure, as alleged in a recently filed class action lawsuit against Ziploc that claims the company misled consumers about the dangers of heating its products in food preparation.
Few regulations restrict these chemicals in food production, and manufacturers are not required to test for them routinely. Consumer Reports tested nearly 100 foods and measured bisphenols and phthalates, often at high levels, in almost all samples. Fast foods were particularly high in plasticizers: Junk food is a good name for it. USA Today reported in 2021 that over 80% of foods tested contained a phthalate called DnBP, and 70% contained the phthalate DEHP. Many of these toxins collect in the human brain.
A Strain on the Brain
A May 20, 2025, article in Brain Medicine titled “Microplastics and mental health: The role of ultra-processed foods” warns that people who consume ultra-processed foods “had a 22% higher risk of depression, 48% higher risk of anxiety, and 41% higher risk of poor sleep outcomes.”
This matches up with the May 22 MAHA Commission Report, which claims that “Nearly 70% of children’s calories now come from UPFs, contributing to obesity, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.” Despite widespread pre-release criticism of the report, its conclusions are sensible and not extreme. One section (page 24), headed “The Impact of Ultra-Processed Foods and the Vital Role of Whole Foods in Children’s Health,” determined:
“As the consumption of UPFs has surged, children are increasingly neglecting the whole foods essential for their health. Research also consistently links diets centered on whole foods to lower rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, and mental illness.”
Junk Food Crisis
A separate May 20 article in Brain Science warned that overwhelming scientific evidence is raising alarms about microplastics in junk food and their threat to human health:
“Ultra-processed foods—now comprising over 50% of energy intake in countries like the United States—contain exponentially more microplastics than whole foods. Chicken nuggets, [these papers] note, harbor 30 times more microplastics per gram than chicken breasts. The microwave heating of plastics releases millions of particles within minutes.”
As proposed by the MAHA Commission Report and this recent collection of scholarly papers, more studies of the effects of microplastics on human health are needed to assess their health impacts, especially in food supplies. In the meantime, scientists advise favoring tap water or glass bottles over plastic bottled water, refraining from heating food in plastic, and avoiding ultra-processed junk food – especially fast food.
Medical equipment also contains microplastics, as do facemasks. California and other states have tried banning plastic bags at grocery stores, but evidence suggests the problem is seeping into the groceries. Junk food may look and taste good, but anybody with a brain must recognize just how dangerous it can be.
- Junk food – so named because of its lack of nutritional value – often contains large amounts of microplastics and other dangerous chemicals.
- Microplastics can build up in the brain and cause many health problems, both mental and physical. Children are especially at risk.
- The new MAHA Commission Report advices people to drink tap water over bottled water, avoid heating food in plastic, and staying away from ultra-processed junk food, especially fast food.
