Chewing gum can release thousands of microplastics into the saliva that may be ingested, new study has found. This research, presented at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Diego, US and published in a peer review journal, found that, on average, 100 microplastics were released per gram of chewing gum—both synthetic and natural. The research came in at a time when health experts across the world have raised alarms over the hazardous impact of microplastics on the human body.

"Our goal is not to alarm anybody," Sanjay Mohanty, PhD, the principal investigator and an engineering professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), said in a press statement. "Scientists don’t know if microplastics are unsafe to us or not. There are no human trials. But we know we are exposed to plastics in everyday life, and that's what we wanted to examine here."

Microplastics are parts of plastics that are smaller than 5 millimeters in length. Studies conducted in the past have revealed that an individual consumes between 39,000 and 52,000 particles of microplastic annually. They are everywhere, and humans may be exposed to them through drinks, foods, plastic packaging, chopping boards, sponges, coatings on products, and the manufacturing process of items. Interestingly, their presence in chewing gums wasn't widely researched but not anymore.

5 Steps You Can Take To Reduce Microplastic Accumulation In Your Body

A recent study has shown that switching from bottled water to filtered tap water could cut microplastic intake by about 90%—from 90,000 to 4,000 particles each year. Teeny bits of plastic break off from the inner side of plastic bottles and become a part of the water, particularly when the bottle is squeezed or exposed to heat. Over time, these particles accumulate in the body and may pose long-term health risks, although the exact effects are still being studied.

It is recommended to use a stainless steel, glass, or copper reusable water bottle with filtered water to reduce microplastic consumption. Not only is this better for your health, but also a more sustainable alternative for the environment.

Choose Right Tea Bags

A 2019 Canadian study revealed that steeping a single plastic tea bag at brewing temperature (203 degrees Fahrenheit) releases about 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billion nanoplastics into each cup.

“We think that it is a lot when compared to other foods that contain microplastics,” researcher Nathalie Tufenkji at McGill University in Quebec told *New Scientist*. “Table salt, which has a relatively high microplastic content, has been reported to contain approximately 0.005 micrograms of plastic per gram of salt. A cup of tea contains thousands of times greater mass of plastic, at 16 micrograms per cup.”

To avoid too steep (pun intended) health consequences, experts recommend using paper or loose-leaf tea bags instead. Choosing tea brands that specifically mention plastic-free packaging can also help reduce your intake.

Boil And Filter Tap Water

In many cultures, boiling water before drinking it is an ancient custom and/or necessary for survival. Research suggests that when it comes to microplastics, the intervention could be just as critical.

A 2024 study found that boiling water can quickly and effectively rid home drinking supplies of microplastics. Researchers found that boiling and filtering tap water could reduce the microplastics (and nanoplastics) in water by nearly 90%. How does it work? As the water temperature rises, the limescale — that chalky residue left in water kettles — interferes with the plastics, absorbing them and removing them from the water.

Avoid Other Everyday Plastic Sources

Your kitchen may be another source of exposure. Plastic cutting boards, for example, can shed tiny bits of plastic during food prep, which may end up in your meals. Similarly, heating food in plastic containers — especially in the microwave — can cause plastics to break down and leach harmful particles into your food.

Simple changes such as switching to wooden or glass cutting boards, and using ceramic or glass containers for heating food, can go a long way in reducing your daily microplastic intake.

While avoiding microplastics altogether may not be possible, these small steps can help you significantly reduce your exposure and protect your long-term health.

As temperatures rise and warm weather becomes unbearable, it is very important for people to take precautions to protect their own health. Things like applying sunscreen and covering up properly before they leave the house are a must. It also helps to know the symptoms of heatstroke as you will be able to identify it as soon as it happens.

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) 2025 is likely to be one of the three warmest years for global average temperature. This unusual warmth means our bodies might not be fully used to such heat, making it even more important to be mindful of how we're feeling and any potential signs of heat-related illness. Several warnings have been issued globally for people to take proper precautions so that they do not fall victim to the harsh consequences of this heat.

Currently, the temperature in the UK is rising and the National Health Service has issued a warning for people to look out for this unexpected sign if heatstroke. While you may not expect it, signs of heatstroke can appear throughout your body, whether it is in the form of stress and lightheadedness in your arms and legs.

Unexpected Sign of Heatstroke

One lesser-known symptom of heatstroke happens to be cramps in your arms and legs. you might also experience them in your tummy area. So, if you're out in the heat and start to get these kinds of muscle spasms, it could be an early warning sign that your body is struggling with the high temperatures, and you need to take action to cool down and rehydrate. Don't ignore these cramps, especially if they are accompanied by other symptoms of heat exhaustion.

Can Symptoms Related To Heatstroke Be Life Threatening?

The National Health Service (NHS) is highlighting that a condition called heat exhaustion can develop into something much more serious, known as heatstroke, if it's not treated quickly. Heat exhaustion is when your body gets too hot, but it's usually something you can recover from if you take steps to cool down within about half an hour. However, if heat exhaustion progresses into heatstroke, it becomes a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment from healthcare professionals because it can be life-threatening if not addressed promptly. Recognizing the signs of heat exhaustion early is key to preventing it from turning into heatstroke.

Other Symptoms To Be Aware Of

Besides muscle cramps, there are several other important signs of heat exhaustion that you should watch out for when it's very hot. These include feeling unusually tired, experiencing dizziness, having a headache, feeling sick to your stomach or actually vomiting, sweating a lot, and your skin becoming pale and feeling clammy, or even developing a heat rash (though changes in skin color might be harder to notice on brown and black skin). You might also notice that your breathing or heartbeat becomes faster than normal, you have a high temperature, you feel extremely thirsty, and you experience general weakness. It's also noted that children with heat exhaustion might become more irritable than usual.

Undergarments play a very important role in protecting our health. They not only promote hygiene, but they also reduce the chances of chaffing, infections and keep the sensitive areas dry and prevent any unwanted odor. Most women own several pairs of bras, an undergarment used to support breasts, for different occasions. Sports bras are one such variety that women wear when they are doing active work. These bras are different than a daily wear bra as they are more durable and meant to restrict movement to ensure there are no injuries due to sudden movements.

However, a new study suggests that this restrictive movement may be causing women back pain. The research published in the European Journal of Sport Science suggested that these bras, designed to really hold everything in place, might unintentionally put extra pressure on your spine while you're active.

How Does Movement In Sports Bras Affect Women?

To understand how a bra affected breast movement, researchers observed a woman doing activities like running, to see how it affected her breasts, back and spine movement. To understand the difference of movement in each bra, they ran the same test with no bra, a regular day wear bra and a sports bra. By tracking these movements, the researchers were able to see how each type of bra affected her body's mechanics during the activity. This detailed monitoring helped them understand the potential impact of different levels of breast support on other parts of the body, like the spine.

Understanding the Sports Bra Mechanism

Sports bras are specifically designed to limit how much your breasts move around when you're exercising. This is important because excessive bouncing can be uncomfortable and even cause pain, especially if you have larger breasts. Over time, repeated bouncing without proper support can also strain the skin and ligaments in the chest area. Because of these issues, the focus of many sports' bra designs, especially the newer ones, has been on achieving the highest possible level of breast motion control to maximize comfort and support during physical activity.

The researchers pointed out that when your breasts naturally bounce while you're doing activities like running or spinning, the soft tissues around your chest actually help to absorb some of the force that would otherwise go to your joints and spine. However, a sports bra that's too tight and completely stops this natural bounce might prevent this force absorption. As a result, that pressure could then be transferred back to your spine, potentially causing your back muscles to work harder to compensate, which could eventually lead to pain or discomfort in the back

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Too Much Movement Restriction Can Cause Issues

It is natural for breasts to have movement when one is working out, while too much movement may hurt, allowing some movement can actually be good. This movement allows the surrounding tissues to play a role in shock absorption, protecting the spine and other joints from some of the impact. When a sports bra is so restrictive that it eliminates all bounce, it might disrupt this natural mechanism. This could mean that the forces generated during exercise, which would normally be partially absorbed by the breasts and their supporting tissues, are instead directly transmitted to the back, potentially increasing the load and stress on the spinal structures and muscles.

Used as an umbrella term, dementia is a condition that affects your memory, thinking as well as one's daily activities. While it is concerning to forget things every now and then, dementia essentially chips away at a person’s identity, changing the way they think and behave. Affecting nearly 57 million people worldwide (World Health Organization) in 2021, dementia can occur due to diseases and any sort of injury to the brain. It is the 7th leading cause of death globally and 60-70% of these cases are Alzheimer's disease.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, dementia is caused by damage to your brain, it affects your brain’s nerve cells which blocks the brain’s ability to communicate properly with other parts of your body. They also explained that while dementia cannot be prevented, lifestyle choices can reduce or increase its risk.

Simple and accessible methods, like incorporating exercise into our lives, are seen as very important for helping people maintain a good quality of life as they get older and for reducing the impact of this condition on individuals and their families. While we already know that regular exercise can help keep our brains healthy and lower the chances of getting dementia, new research is pointing towards a specific type of exercise: weight training.

According to a new study published in the GeroScience journal, doing exercises to build muscle might also help protect the brains of older individuals from developing dementia.

How Can Strength Training help Brain Health?

To understand this potential link better, researchers conducted a study with older adults who had already been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, which are early signs of potential future dementia. They divided these participants into two groups. One group participated in a weight training program that gradually increased in difficulty and intensity, happening twice a week. The other group, acting as a comparison, did not engage in any structured exercise during the study period. This setup allowed the researchers to directly compare the effects of weight training versus no exercise on the brain health of these individuals.

Can This Help Reverse Early Cognitive Decline?

One of the most hopeful findings of the study was that some of the individuals in the weight training group no longer met the criteria for having mild cognitive impairment by the time the study concluded. This suggests that weight training might have the potential to actually change the course of early cognitive decline.

Researchers believe this happens through several ways: by reducing harmful swelling in the brain, by improving how the body uses sugar which can affect brain health, by increasing helpful substances in the brain that support the growth and survival of brain cells, and by improving blood flow to the brain, which is essential for it to function properly.

Looking ahead, researchers are planning to delve deeper into the specific biological processes at a molecular level that explain how weight training has these protective effects on the brain. They also aim to identify specific markers in the body that could help us understand who might benefit most from this type of exercise and what the ideal exercise routines might look like for different individuals.