Plastic in household items can disrupt sleep cycle like caffeine
Chemicals in everyday plastics can interfere with the natural sleep-flock cycle of the body. According to new research, this disruption may increase the risk of sleep disorders, diabetes and cancer.
Chemicals found in everyday plastic items can interfere with the natural sleep-flock cycle, such as caffeine.
It can increase the risk of sleep problems, diabetes, and even cancer, according to a new study.
Research published in the Environmental International Journal found that some plastic products can affect the internal clock of the body, also known as a circadian rhythm, by disturbing cell signals that we feel awake or sleepy.
Researchers tested chemicals from a PVC medical feeding tube and a polyurethane hydration bag, which the items are usually used by healthcare and athletes.
These materials are also widely found in domestic products such as food packaging, toys and furniture.
What they found was amazing: Chemicals delayed up to 17 minutes in the internal clock of the body, disrupting a receptor in the brain as an adenocin receptor, which was a prominent player in regulating the sleeping cycle.
“This is a short innings in time, but the body clock is very accurate,” Martin Wagner said, one of the leading researchers and a plastic chemical expert in Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
Wagner said, “Even 15 minutes of delay can be important.”
The adenosine receptor is one that tells your body, “The sun is rising, it’s time to wake up.” Generally, this process helps us stay in the sink with a natural day and night cycle.
But plastic chemicals activate this receptor in such a way that prevents the message from distributing the message, keeping the body alert at the wrong time, so much in such a way how coffee keeps you awake by affecting the same system.
While chemicals are not as strong as caffeine, their effects on human cells were seen very rapidly, known to affect hormones from plastic, such as phthalates and BPA.
Although the study was conducted on human cells in a laboratory (called “in vitro” studies), the results are related. Wagner said that the next stage of research would be done on zebrafish, which has a brain system similar to humans.
Since PVC and plastic can have thousands of separate chemicals, some were added for some purpose, others were created by accidents during manufacturing, it is difficult to identify which are responsible.
But scientists hope that it will motivate research industries and MPs to reconsider how plastic is made, especially those who use in everyday objects.
Wagner said, “This connects growing evidence that plastic can harm us in more ways.”
