Dr. Sanjay Gupta

That can happen, for example, when plastic is heated in a dishwasher or microwave, or if it comes into contact with chemicals that break it down like acid in foods.

Even if it's subjected to tiny cuts and abrasive agents like a scratchy sponge, all those things can break off the plastic.

While it's not completely standardized, microplastics are considered to be fragments five millimeters and smaller.

Nanoplastics are even tinier, one micrometer and smaller.

That's one millionth of a meter, all the way down to one billionth of a meter.

They cannot be seen by the human eye.

There was new research from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which found plastic items release more nanoplastics in water as the water is getting hotter.

And another study found that a square centimeter of a plastic container released more than 4 million microplastic particles and more than 21 billion nanoplastic particles after being heated in a microwave for just three minutes.

Just think about that for a second.

Now, a study in 2024 that got a lot of attention has linked microplastics with direct harm to human health.

People with microplastics or nanoplastics in the arteries of their neck, for example, the carotid arteries, were twice as likely to have a heart attack or a stroke or die from any cause over the next three years as compared to people who had none.

So back to silicone.

It is more stable and it is more durable.

That's the headline.

One study found that when they put silicone in boiled water, there were almost no nanoparticles detected.

And because its main ingredient is inert, that means it doesn't interact with other chemicals like acids from foods.

So putting food in a silicone container is probably safer than a plastic one if you look at those particular issues alone.

Is it a better alternative to plastic?

Well, it lasts longer than plastic, so we end up replacing our items less frequently, and that cuts down on plastic in the environment.

So for that reason alone, it helps decrease the amount of microplastics and nanoplastics out there.