Scientists say something in the air could be quietly damaging your brain
In the 1980s, an egg sizzling in a frying pan warned us what our brains looked like on drugs. Today, researchers are just starting to uncover what our brains look like on plastics and pollution —and spoiler: it’s also not great. Scientists are continuing to advance research into how our brains are becoming littered with plastic particles. The Washington Post reported last week that several…
Scientists are uncovering evidence that pollutants in the air may be quietly damaging our brains. Recent studies have linked air pollution to an increased risk of dementia and reduced brain volume. One study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging found that exposure to pollutants could accelerate biological aging, which is also associated with a higher dementia risk.
Another study discovered that inflammation caused by certain pollutants might enhance the risk of dementia. These findings could shed light on the mysterious connection between environmental factors and dementia, offering new insights into this growing concern. Pollution is not the only way plastics can infiltrate our bodies. Microplastics have been found in human placentas and in babies at birth, indicating that exposure to these particles is nearly unavoidable.
This means that the risk of dementia may accumulate over a lifetime due to continuous exposure to pollutants. Experts warn that the link between pollutants and dementia risks adds a worrying dimension to other recent research, especially as the global population of people with dementia is projected to more than double by 2050. In the United States, where dementia rates are already high, particularly among older adults, the risks posed by pollution are of growing concern.
The U.S. government's recent rollbacks to clean-air regulations may further exacerbate these risks, leaving more people vulnerable to the damaging effects of air pollution on the brain.
Written by urgent.news from Fast Company's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
