Chances are, you're consuming something every single day that could be quietly damaging your gut — and you probably don't even realize it. It's microplastics. These tiny plastic particles are now turning up in our food, our drinking water, the air inside our homes, and virtually every corner of the environment. Researchers are even finding them circulating in human blood and lodged in body tissue.
What's more concerning is that emerging research suggests these particles may be doing more than just passing through the body. Scientists say microplastics can damage the lining of the gut, fuel inflammation, and disrupt the delicate balance between beneficial and harmful bacteria living inside us.
The good news: there are concrete, research-backed steps people can take to lower their exposure and support their body's ability to clear these particles naturally.
How Microplastics Are Affecting the Gut
A research study published in 2026 found that microplastics damage the gut lining in ways that can lead to what's commonly known as “leaky gut,” a condition in which the intestinal barrier becomes more permeable than it should be. That breakdown doesn't just cause problems locally — it can drive inflammation throughout the entire body.
Microplastics have also been shown to shift the balance of gut bacteria, increasing populations of harmful species while crowding out the beneficial ones. On top of that, they appear to interfere with the body's production of short-chain fatty acids — compounds that protect the gut lining, calm inflammation, and support immune function within the digestive tract. When short-chain fatty acid production drops, the gut becomes more vulnerable to damage and chronic inflammation.
“I help people improve their chronic diseases by making personalized functional medicine plans,” said one functional medicine physician who has been studying the effects of environmental toxins on gut health.
And this isn't a problem limited to a small subset of people. Researchers have detected microplastics in human tissue across the globe — not just in the gut, but circulating in the bloodstream and embedded in other organs as well.
Where Your Exposure Is Coming From
Before tackling how to remove microplastics from the body, it helps to understand where daily exposure is actually coming from. According to functional medicine guidance, four everyday sources stand out.
1. Hot Food and Beverages in Plastic Containers
Heat causes plastic containers and cups to release microplastics directly into food and drinks. The same is true of microwaving food in plastic — the heat accelerates the breakdown of the container, and those particles end up in the meal itself and, eventually, the bloodstream. The safer alternative is to store and heat food in glass or ceramic containers only.
2. Bottled and Poorly Filtered Water
Water stored in plastic bottles is one of the largest sources of microplastic exposure. Even home filtration systems can be a hidden source if the storage tank itself is made of plastic. The safest approach is to filter drinking water and then store it in stainless steel or glass containers rather than plastic.
3. Synthetic Clothing
Clothing made from polyester, nylon, and microfiber is itself made from plastic. As these garments age and go through repeated washing cycles, they shed microplastic fibers into the surrounding environment. Switching to natural fabrics such as cotton, wool, and linen can reduce this exposure over time.
4. Tea Bags and Tea Filters
Many store-bought tea bags, along with certain tea filters and sieves, are made with plastic materials that release particles when steeped in hot water. Choosing loose-leaf tea, or tea bags specifically made without plastic, helps close off this exposure route.
What Actually Helps Remove Microplastics From the Body
Research in this area is still young, but a handful of specific, natural interventions have shown real promise in small clinical studies.
Chitosan
Chitosan is a polysaccharide derived from chitin, a compound found in the outer shells of shellfish. In one small pilot study published in 2025, 11 healthy adults were given a chitosan supplement derived specifically from red swamp crayfish shells (a form researchers refer to as PCC) at a dose of 0.8 grams — 800 milligrams — daily for 15 days, while 10 matched participants received a placebo. Researchers found a measurable reduction in circulating microplastic levels in the treatment group's blood samples over that short window, most notably among mid-sized particles. A separate, similarly small 2025 study using the same PCC-derived chitosan measured fecal excretion of microplastics before and after supplementation and found a meaningful increase in excretion afterward, supporting the same general mechanism: chitosan appears to bind microplastics in the digestive tract, helping the body clear more of them through stool rather than absorb them into circulation.
It's worth being precise about what this research does and doesn't show. Both studies were small, preliminary pilot trials — not large-scale clinical trials — so the findings should be read as promising early evidence rather than settled proof. They also used one specific, shellfish-derived form of chitosan (PCC) at a defined molecular weight, which means results may not automatically apply to every chitosan supplement on the market. And the effect demonstrated was a reduction in circulating and excreted microplastic levels over a short period — not evidence that chitosan fully clears microplastics already accumulated in organs or tissue over years of exposure.
The 800-milligram daily dose reflects what was actually used in these pilot studies, not an officially established clinical recommendation. Because the supplement is derived from shellfish, it is not appropriate for people with seafood allergies. Given the limited safety data available, it's also not intended for long-term daily use — a two-to-three-week course, or up to one month at most, is the more cautious approach, and it's worth checking with a doctor before starting, especially for anyone on other medications or with existing health conditions.
A Specific Probiotic Strain
Improving overall gut health appears to be one of the most effective ways to help the body deal with microplastic exposure, and one probiotic strain in particular has recently drawn attention in clinical research: Lactobacillus plantarum, also referred to as PD01. A randomized, placebo-controlled human trial completed in early 2026 found that regular PD01 supplementation significantly reduced residual microplastic-associated chemicals in participants' bodies, based on interim results — a notable step up from the animal and lab-based evidence that dominated earlier research on this strain. It's naturally present in several fermented foods, with kimchi and sauerkraut among the richest sources, along with certain types of yogurt.
Gut-Supportive Foods
Non-starchy vegetables are particularly valuable here, thanks to their high fiber and chlorophyll content, both of which support the body's natural detoxification processes. Foods like cilantro, turmeric, and ginger add antioxidant and detoxifying properties on top of that, making them useful additions to a gut-focused diet.
The 7-Day Protocol
Given how much information this involves, here is a simple, stepwise approach to start putting it into practice, moving from cleaning up daily exposure to actively supporting the gut's ability to clear microplastics.
Step 1: Replace hot-food containers
Swap out any plastic containers or cups used for hot food or hot beverages, and switch to glass or ceramic instead. This single change meaningfully lowers daily microplastic intake.
Step 2: Fix your water storage
Store drinking water only in stainless steel or glass containers, and check that any filtration system's storage tank isn't made of plastic.
Step 3: Phase out plastic kitchen storage
Gradually replace plastic containers used for storing food in the kitchen, since long-term storage in plastic can leach microplastics into food over time.
Step 4: Add gut-supportive foods
Work in regular servings of cilantro, turmeric, ginger, and a variety of colorful, non-starchy vegetables. These support gut health and help trap microplastics so the body can eliminate them.
Step 5: Include fermented foods
Add fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, certain yogurts, and sourdough bread to the diet regularly. These are strong natural sources of the Lactobacillus plantarum strain shown to help reduce microplastic burden.
Step 6: Consider a chitosan supplement, with caution
For those without a shellfish allergy, an 800-milligram daily dose of chitosan for two to three weeks — up to a maximum of one month — reflects what was used in early pilot research and may support the body's natural handling of microplastics. This is based on small, preliminary studies rather than large clinical trials, so it's worth treating as an optional, short-term add-on rather than a proven fix — and worth discussing with a doctor first.
The Bottom Line
The goal here isn't to cause alarm about something that is, realistically, present throughout the modern environment. It's to raise awareness so people can take practical steps to lower their own exposure — and that of their families — while supporting their gut's natural ability to handle the microplastics they do encounter. Small, consistent changes in the kitchen, at the grocery store, and in daily habits can add up to a meaningfully lower toxic burden over time.
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