If you're DoorDashin' it or ordering food for pickup several nights a week, listen up: Scientists have found a new concerning link between your convenient dining habit and heart failure.
A new peer-reviewed study from Chinese researchers has found that, while it's not your takeout order that's the problem (although, unhealthy picks on the regular can certainly wreak havoc on your health and weight), it's the packaging your hot, steamy dish is being delivered in. More specifically, frequent consumption of food from plastic takeout containers is significantly linked to a higher risk of congestive heart failure. Let's unpack the study findings, how they apply to you, and what you can do differently to stay healthy.
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Plastic Food Containers and Heart Disease: What the Study Found
The research, published Dec. 2024 in a two-part study in the journal Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, suggests that the chemicals that leach from plastic packaging into food and drinks may be altering your gut bacteria, leading to inflammation and long-term cardiovascular damage.
The scientists used two different methods involving both humans and animals to examine the connection between plastic exposure and heart disease, which has been building a body of research over recent years.
First, they analyzed the eating habits of over 3,000 people in China and assessed their risk for congestive heart failure. The data showed that those who frequently ate from plastic takeout containers had a notably higher risk.
Next, they conducted lab tests on rats, exposing them to leached water that had been contaminated by plastic chemicals after boiling water was placed in disposable plastic takeaway containers for 1, 5, or 15 minutes (simulating what could happen when very hot foods are packaged in these types of containers or heated in the microwave). The rats drank this water for several months, after which researchers analyzed their gut bacteria, inflammatory markers, and heart tissue.
The results were striking, according to the study authors.
"The data revealed that high-frequency exposure to plastics is significantly associated with an increased risk of congestive heart failure," they wrote.
The plastic contaminants consumed by the rats over several months disrupted the balance in their guts, leading to changes in gut bacteria and alterations in microbial byproducts, especially those associated with inflammation and oxidative stress. Both of these are key contributors to heart damage.
"Plastic additives like DEHP and BPA can disrupt endocrine function and signal pathways, correlating with higher risks of heart disease, inflammation, heart attacks, angina, and hypertension," the study authors noted.
Overall, the study authors said that this new research suggests that plastic exposure can cause oxidative stress to the cardiovascular system, leading to cardiovascular disease.
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How to Reduce Your Risk and Plastic Exposure
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Throughout the study, the scientists referenced the stack of previous research linking plastics and microplastics to adverse health effects in humans.
"Research on BPA, a common plasticizer in plastics, has revealed that the actual levels of BPA in the human body may be tens of times higher than previously thought," they wrote. Long-term exposure has been linked to everything from hormone disruptions to an increase risk of cancer.
However, the scientists didn't provide any direct recommendations for what the public should do based on their study results.
Health experts have long advised to reduce your exposure to plastic containers for food and drinks as much as possible. In your daily life, this can look like cooking meals at home more often, and using glass, wood, or stainless steel utensils and storage containers.
Most importantly, perhaps, as this new research suggests, is avoiding the mistake of microwaving your food in plastic takeout containers.
"A study revealed that microwaving plastic containers for 3 minutes can release as many as 4.22 million microplastics per square centimeter," the study authors cautioned.
So, use this as a stark reminder to be mindful about your takeout habit, how your food is being packaged and heated, and what you can do to reduce plastics from your daily life.
