Your Brain Is 0.5% Plastic (Here’s How to Flush It)

Dave Asprey

Mar 5, 2026

Episode description

Microplastics are invading your brain, blood, hormones, and fat tissue, and most people have no idea how deep the damage goes. In this episode, Host Dave Asprey and microplastics expert Josephine Musco break down exactly what these particles are doing inside your body and give you a practical, science-backed action plan to detox, protect yourself, and take back control of your biology.

-Watch this episode on YouTube for the full video experience: https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR

-Get a discount on Olyxir Tea by going to https://www.olyxir.com/ and using code ‘Dave10’ at checkout

Josephine Musco is a multidisciplinary entrepreneur, Demeter-certified biodynamic farmer, and winemaker at Chateau Bellevue 1881 in Livermore, California. She is the founder of Olyxir Tea Strips and holds two scientific patents rooted in her deep expertise in botanical medicine and regenerative health. She is best known for translating complex research on aging, nutrition, environmental toxins, and functional medicine into practical daily habits, and for her work exposing microplastics and PFAs as one of the most underestimated drivers of accelerated biological aging.

Dave Asprey and Josephine cover the full picture: how nanoplastics cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in postmortem brain tissue, how endocrine disruption from plastics tanks testosterone and drives fat storage, and why your teabag, canned soup, and yoga pants may be among your biggest sources of daily exposure. They also go deep on real solutions, from lymphatic drainage protocols and infrared sauna to supplements like chlorella, lactobacillus, and olive leaf polyphenols that actively help the body clear microplastics and support longevity and brain optimization.

This is essential listening for anyone serious about biohacking, anti-aging, metabolism, brain optimization, supplements, human performance, and smarter not harder approaches to living clean in a toxic world. If you drink tea, cook with plastic utensils, or wear synthetic workout clothes, this episode will change how you make decisions every single day.

You'll Learn:

Why 0.5 percent of postmortem brain tissue is now made of microplastics and what that means for neuroplasticity and cognitive decline
How microplastics mimic estrogen, disrupt metabolism, and make it nearly impossible to lose fat
The link between microplastic plaque in carotid arteries and a 4.5x increased risk of cardiac events
Which everyday sources, including teabags, canned soup, cookware, and plastic cutting boards, are silently loading your body with nanoplastics
How lactobacillus reduced microplastics in the blood by 82 percent in studies, and w

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Use medical-grade water bottle to pass airport security

You may be able to get a sealed glass bottle of water through airport security by telling agents it is a medical-grade water bottle needed for your flight.

#travel

#water

Avoid cheap black plastic utensils to protect health

Cheap black plastic utensils are often made from recycled electronics and can contain some of the most lethal types of plastic and heavy metals.

#plastic

#toxin

Reduce blood microplastics with Lactobacillus probiotics

Studies have shown that Lactobacillus probiotics, found in foods like yogurt and kimchi, can help decrease microplastics in the blood by up to 82%.

#microplastics

#probiotics

Avoid pyramid tea bags to reduce microplastic exposure

According to a McGill University study, a single pyramid tea bag releases around 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billion nanoplastics into your cup.

#microplastics

#nutrition

Combat weight gain by reducing microplastics exposure

Microplastics mimic estrogen and get stored in fat tissue, making it harder for the body to lose weight as it can't easily get rid of the plastic.

#microplastics

#weight-loss

Reduce microplastics in brain to combat cognitive decline

Postmortem studies have found that up to 0.5% of human brain tissue can be composed of microplastics, which are linked to cognitive decline.

#cognition

#microplastics

Avoid paper tea bags due to plastic and chemical treatments

Even paper tea bags contain plastic used to seal the edges and are treated with chemicals like bleach so they don't disintegrate in hot water.

#plastic

#toxins

Avoid hot yoga in polyester to prevent microplastic exposure

Doing heated yoga in tight polyester clothing is like applying a transdermal patch for microplastics due to the combination of heat, moisture, and skin contact.