In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Kari Nadeau discuss the presence and health effects of microplastics in our bodies. Microplastics can enter our bodies through various environmental routes, including food, water, and air. They are in everyone's bodies to some degree. Microplastics have been linked to health issues like stroke, cancer, and heart attacks. Simple actions like avoiding single-use plastics and processed foods can reduce microplastic levels in the blood by up to 80% in three months. Dr. Nadeau emphasizes the need for further research and consumer awareness to mitigate plastic pollution.

Key Takeaways:

• A microplastic, scientifically, is anything between 1 micron (the size of a red blood cell or an immune cell) to 5 millimeters (the size of a sesame seed). Anything smaller than that is a nanoplastic.

• Plastics are chemicals. Plastics, as we know them, did not exist before the 1940s. Now we see them in so many places, from healthcare to food to our clothing.

• In the US, we are getting about a credit card's worth of plastic per week in what we eat. In Indonesia, it is more like a credit card amount per day. The amount varies around the world.

"We really need to think about air and water and soil as ways that these plastics can get into our bodies." — Dr. Kari Nadeau

Episode References:

• Environmental Working Group: https://www.ewg.org/

• Jung YS, et al. Characterization and regulation of microplastic pollution for protecting planetary and human health. Environ Pollut. 2022 Dec 15;315:120442.

• Ward CP, Reddy CM. We need better data about the environmental persistence of plastic goods, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 117 (26) 14618-14621.

• Ziani K, Ioniță-Mîndrican CB, Mititelu M, Neacșu SM, Negrei C, Moroșan E, Drăgănescu D, Preda OT. Microplastics: A Real Global Threat for Environment and Food Safety: A State of the Art Review. Nutrients. 2023 Jan 25;15(3):617.

• Leslie, H. A. et al. (2022). Plastic particles in cosmetics and personal care products: A review. Science of the Total Environment, 822, 153406.

• https://www.fda.gov/food/environmental-contaminants-food/microplastics-and-nanoplastics-foods

Connect with Dr. Kari Nadeau:

Professional Bio & Studies: https://hsph.harvard.edu/profile/kari-c-nadeau/

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

Some people live more than a hundred years with no health problems and very little cognitive decline. How come? While healthy lifestyles certainly play a part in healthy aging, these "centenarians" share a number of special biological attributes. Furthermore, these attributes, along with attaining an age of 100 or greater, show a strong genetic component. Dr. Stacy Andersen of the Boston University School of Medicine has been studying these centenarians and the factors that are associated with not only their attaining an advanced age, but also doing so with no history of major physical or mental health problems. In her interview, Dr. Andersen discusses what she and her colleagues have discovered about this unusual group of older people.

Key Takeaways:

• Centenarians are people who have reached 100 years of age, while "supercentenarians" are 110 and older.

• Recent studies of these groups of adults reveal that during their lives, they have "escaped" diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular problems, dementia, and diabetes that cause earlier mortality among adults born at the same time.

• Dr. Andersen discusses her work on the genetic bases for being an "escaper", as well as the lifestyle and personality characteristics they have in common.

"The older you get, the healthier you've been." — Dr. Stacy Andersen

Connect with Dr. Stacy Andersen:

BUMC Bio: profiles.bu.edu/Stacy.Andersen

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow, Dr. Catherine Lebel, and Dr. Sam Nivins discuss the impact of prenatal factors on fetal brain development. Catherine explains how MRI can detect subtle brain changes due to prenatal alcohol exposure, even at low levels, and emphasizes the importance of avoiding alcohol during pregnancy. Sam discusses the effects of maternal obesity before pregnancy on brain development, noting sex-specific differences and the importance of early intervention. Both also touch on the impact of stressors, such as natural disasters, and the need for early identification and support for children with potential reading difficulties.

Key Takeaways:

• Even exposing a fetus to one alcoholic drink per week during pregnancy shows a detectable difference in brain structure compared to kids who had no alcohol exposure at all.

• The same is true of prenatal maternal obesity, even if the obesity is preconceptional.

• Reading is a skill that must be taught to children. Prereading skills lay the foundation for later reading. And prereading skills can be visualized with brain imaging. When you know what part of the brain is affected, you can better tailor interventions to target those particular consequences.

"People who have good support from a partner or other folks in their lives, not only do they tend to do better, but their kids tend to do better too." — Dr. Catherine Lebel

Connect with Dr. Lebel and Dr. Nivins

Dr. Lebel's Professional Bio & Publications: https://profiles.ucalgary.ca/catherine-lebel

Dr. Nivins' Professional Bio & Publications: https://ki.se/en/people/samson-nivins

Website: https://www.developmentalneuroimaginglab.ca/

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Bluesky: @CriticallySpeaking.bsky.social

Instagram: @criticallyspeakingpodcast

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.