A social media-famous doctor has revealed he does not use plastic water bottles – and is urging others not to either.
California-based physician Dr Saurabh Sethi warned they contain too many toxic nanoplastics, which get lodged in the body and are linked to cancer and infertility.
He pointed to a study covered by DailyMail.com earlier this year that found the average bottle of water sold in the US contains 240,000 pieces of these particles.
In a TikTok video viewed nearly half a million times, the gastroenterologist starts by saying: ‘Stop using plastic water bottles.’
‘[These particles] have the potential to penetrate human cells and gain entry into the bloodstream and major organs.
Dr Saurabh Sethi, a gastroenterologist in California, took to TikTok to share why shopping makes you poop
Instead, he urged his followers to use stainless steel, reusable containers to consume water.
Dr Sethi said that drinking from a plastic bottle during hot days was most harmful.
Dr Sethi added: ‘The heat will cause even more release of microplastics into your water bottle.’
But the video left some of his viewers with more questions than answers, with many pointing out that tap water also contains harmful toxins linked to health issues.
And reusable containers like Stanley Cups have also been shown to contain metals linked to various diseases.
When it comes to water bottles, tiny pieces of plastics are thought to end up in the products as a byproduct during the manufacturing process.
In January, DailyMail.com spoke to the lead authors of the plastic bottle study, who said the entire team reduced their bottled water consumption after uncovering the tiny particles.
Professor Beizhan Yan, a chemist from Columbia University, told this website: ‘In terms of microplastic levels, tap water is a good option to drink.
‘Other studies have found its microplastic level to be much lower than that in bottled water,’ Yan said.
Fears about tiny plastics have intensified in recent years.
A study published in 2023 used biological models and biomarkers to determine the toxic effects of nanoparticles when consumed.
The UK-based researchers found the molecules can cause cell death, produce oxidation stress, damage DNA and induce inflammatory responses – processes that are linked to the formation of tumors.
Other studies have found tiny particle exposure may produce major congenital heart defects that impair cardiac function in chicken embryos.
But, the effects on humans are based on laboratory and animal studies with no direct evidence.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for example, told DailyMail.com it was too early to panic about bottled water.
A spokesperson said the agency ‘is not aware of scientific evidence that would support that would support consumers being concerned about the potential level of microplastic or nanoplastic contamination in food, including bottled water.’
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk