Try This-Chewing Gum Contains Plastic, the Dangers of Cannabis, and More

This week, I’m sharing four things I think you’re going to love.

Today at a glance: 

• New Study Alert: Chewing gum contains microplastics + better options for gum lovers

• Yikes: Smoking marijuana and taking edibles might damage your arteries

• Reminder: Blocking blue light might be one of the simplest hacks to improve your sleep 

• Three products I’m excited to test out!

Let’s get into it… 

🤯Chewing Gum Contains Plastics, Yuck!

Attention, chewing gum lovers: A UCLA study found that just one piece of chewing gum can shed hundreds to thousands of microplastic particles into your saliva!

Most particles are released in the first 2–8 minutes of chewing and are made of familiar polymers like polyolefins (think plastic bags), PET, and polystyrene, and they're already being found in our lungs, blood, and even brains. With all of the ways microplastics can creep into our bodies—and fuel inflammation, organ issues, and possibly even cancer—we have to lower our exposure as much as possible. 

While researchers share that sticking to chewing one piece of gum for a longer period of time is better than continuously popping a new piece, since most of the particles are released within the first eight minutes of chewing, I would personally consider skipping most gums altogether and sticking to plastic-free gums. 

My favorites are Simply Gum and Refresh, pictured below. 

At the end of the day, I don’t want to scare people. The most important things we can do to protect our health is eat a mostly whole foods diet, sleep as best as we can, exercise, and prioritize community. Gum isn’t going to kill you, but emerging studies show that chronic exposure to microplastics can cause problems – a recent mice study showing that it might even contribute to leaky gut. If you have access to better options, choose them when possible.

Oh, and always filter your water at home! Unfiltered tap water seems like one of the top sources of microplastics for all of us. 

🚨Smoking Weed Might Be as Harmful to Your Arteries as Tobacco 

Marijuana users, do not come for me! I’m simply the messenger. While this was a small study, it’s worth paying attention to. New research is showing that regular cannabis use (whether you’re smoking it or popping THC edibles) might not be as harmless for your heart as people think. Even in young, healthy adults, consistent cannabis use was linked to signs of endothelial dysfunction—basically when the inner lining of blood vessels doesn’t work the way it should. When that lining gets sluggish, it can’t dilate properly, and that’s one of the earliest signs of cardiovascular disease. What’s more, the more people used, the worse the damage appeared. And this damage was comparable to those who smoked tobacco! 

What’s crazy is that even those who took edibles showed signs of endothelial dysfunction. 

Now, there are some limitations here. 1) It’s a small sample size. 2) There was variation in types of strains used and how much THC was in the product. 3) Other lifestyle factors were not taken into consideration. 

Still, I think this should give people pause before they use marijuana recreationally; there could be potential risks. If you’re using frequently, it might be time to check in on your cardiovascular health and consider cutting back—or finding other ways to unwind that don’t come with a side of heart-health risk. Here’s a great breakdown of the study from Bryan Johnson on X. 

👓Blue-Light Blockers Can Help You Sleep Better

This is a good one for all of us believers in blue-light blocking glasses and red-light therapy!

This RCT (randomized controlled trial) looked at 20 adults (small, but still cool to see) who wore either amber-tinted glasses (which block blue light) or yellow-tinted glasses (which don’t) for three evenings a week before bed, after a week-long baseline. The amber-glasses group saw significant improvements in sleep quality and positive mood, even though they actually had worse sleep at the start than the control group. After two weeks, their subjective sleep scores shot up, and they reported feeling more positive and upbeat than those wearing yellow glasses.

It’s pretty cool to see how the absence of blue light impacts melatonin, sleep pressure, mood, and more, as showcased in the image above. I’ve personally seen this for myself. When I wear my blue-light blockers and turn my electronics to amber light or use red light at night, my sleep is WAY better. It could be worth trying if you’re struggling with sleep. 

3 Products I’m Excited to Test Out 

I’m going to test out three wellness-related products this week that I’m excited to share with you. I’ll report back on how I’m liking them in a few weeks. 

1. FilterBaby - I love my AquaTru water filter for drinking water, but I was always looking for a sink faucet filter for when I’m washing my hands and face and brushing my teeth, since I’m trying to lower my exposure to toxins as much as possible, especially after the LA fires. It’s super easy to install, and the reviews and before-and-after pictures are pretty incredible.
   

2. Portable Sleepout Curtains - Sometimes when I’m traveling, it’s hard to control my sleep environment, which is why I’m going to try out these portable blackout curtains on the road. I also recommended them to my sister, who has kids who will only sleep in dark environments.
   

3. Total Tox Burden - This is a comprehensive urine-based panel by Vibrant America that measures the levels of mycotoxins, heavy metals, and environmental chemicals in the body. A few of my friends did this test after the LA fires, and I’m curious to do it myself. A guest on the podcast saw a significant uptick in her total toxic burden after the fires (and she didn’t even live as close to the fires as I did). I will report back once I do the test, but if you’re curious about your toxic burden, this could be a good test to look into.

See you next week,

Dhru Purohit