Water from plastic bottles increases blood pressure: drinking tap water is better for your health

Drinking water from plastic bottles can be harmful to your health, but water straight from the tap can save your life, reports New York Post.

A recent study published in the journal Microplastics found that drinking water from plastic bottles may increase blood pressure due to microplastics entering the bloodstream.

Microplastics and giant problems

As the name suggests, microplastics are small particles plastics, which are found in the vast majority of our food and water.

When unintentionally ingested, these particles can penetrate cellular barriers in the intestines and lungs and travel into the bloodstream and other tissues body.

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In 2018 alone, microplastic exposure, which has been linked to heart health, hormonal imbalances and even cancer, cost the healthcare system $289 billion.

High blood pressure

The new study was carried out by a group of scientists from the Faculty of Medicine at Danube Private University in Austria. It showed that blood pressure dropped significantly when participants stopped drinking liquid from plastic and glass bottles and drank only tap water for two weeks.

“Remarkable trends have been noted. The study is the first to show that reducing plastic use could potentially reduce blood pressure. This is likely due to a decrease in the volume of plastic particles in the bloodstream,” the research team noted.

Previously, scientists found that people consume 5 grams of microplastics every week. This is approximately the weight of a credit card. Microplastics have also been found in liquids contained in glass bottles.

In the Danube study, participants' blood pressure was measured at the beginning and throughout the study. After two weeks, results showed a “significant reduction” in diastolic blood pressure.

“Based on the results, we hypothesize that plastic particles present in the bloodstream may contribute to increased blood pressure,” the researchers noted. “After extensive analysis, we have concluded that drinks packaged in plastic bottles should be avoided.”

In terms of protecting water sources, separate studies have shown that boiling and filtering tap water can reduce the presence of microplastics (and nanoplastics) by almost 90%.