Former tech entrepreneur-turned-"biohacker" Bryan Johnson claimed a bizarre and potentially specious victory over microplastics in his body, according to the New York Post.
Johnson, 48, frequently garners media coverage for his interest in biohacking, the manipulation of personal biological systems, typically for lifespan extension.
Earlier this year, Johnson's intense focus on longevity was the subject of a Netflix documentary, "Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever," and he frequently gives interviews about his time-consuming efforts to avoid death.
A March 2024 paper in the New England Journal of Medicine determined that, in addition to being a broad health risk, cardiac patients with high blood levels of microplastics were at a greater risk of death.
On Oct. 21, Johnson tweeted about efforts to reduce the levels of microplastics in his semen, claiming he successfully filtered "85% of microplastics" from his bodily fluids. According to Johnson, those levels were 165 particles per milliliter in November, dropping to just 25 by July.
"Nearly identical drop in my blood same time period," he added, providing figures of 70 particles per milliliter in November, and 10 in July.
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As the dangers of microplastics become better known, a market for often-expensive blood filtering treatments has begun to emerge. Microplastics indeed pose a grave risk to human health — but that doesn't mean costly treatments are backed by evidence of efficacy.
Johnson theorized that his daily use of a dry heat sauna for 20 minutes while simultaneously icing his testicles was "most responsible for this reduction" in microplastic levels.
Although there is some speculation that sweating can purge microplastics, experts are skeptical — and research has indicated saunas have a negative effect on sperm counts.
A 2017 New York Times column about the science of "sweating out toxins" quoted Dr. Harriet Hall. Hall said that "claims for the benefits of saunas and other sweat-inducing treatments are not backed by science," and the outlet noted that perspiration is mostly water.
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Absolutely 💯 Moreover, Johnson stated that he avoided "the big no-no's like microwaving in plastic" and using a "plastic cutting board," adding that he used a "reverse osmosis water system." Those factors made it more difficult to quantify the efficacy of saunas in his experiment.
Scientists are working on developing science-backed therapies to reduce microplastic contamination and its effects on human health, and luckily, the most effective ways to avoid microplastics are neither costly nor as time-consuming as daily saunas.
Simply using less plastic and replacing your most-used items with plastic-free alternatives can make a big difference, as Johnson inadvertently demonstrated.
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