A study published by the American Chemical Society (ACS) in its journal ACS Omega, led by Dr. Rajani Srinivasan of Tarleton State University (Texas), demonstrated that extracts of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) and fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) can attract, clump together, and remove up to 90% of microplastics in various types of water.
The secret behind this ability is not magic, but purely biochemical: it is based on their polysaccharides (long-chain carbohydrates) and their mucilaginous properties (that viscous or sticky texture so characteristic of both plants). The Biochemical Mechanism: Bridging Flocculation
In conventional wastewater treatment, synthetic flocculants (such as polyacrylamide) are used to clump together floating solid waste and make it sink. However, these synthetic chemicals are toxic to ecosystems and can leave hazardous residues.
1) The natural polysaccharides in okra and fenugreek act as an environmentally friendly and biodegradable substitute through two steps:
2) Charge neutralization: The plant compounds interact with the surface charges of microplastics, reducing the natural repulsion between the plastic particles.
3) Bridging flocculation: The incredibly long chains of complex carbohydrates in these plants act as "adhesive nets." They capture dispersed microplastics (particles smaller than 5 millimeters), binding them together to form larger clumps or aggregates (flocs) that increase in weight and settle to the bottom of the container, drastically facilitating their physical filtration.
If these polysaccharides are able to trap microplastics so efficiently in outdoor water, could they replicate this same "molecular net" mechanism within the human gastrointestinal tract to prevent their absorption? Although there are no human clinical trials that have precisely measured the percentage of microplastic elimination in the gut using these plants, digestive biochemistry and fluid physics strongly support the fact that the mechanism is perfectly viable in the intestinal lumen.
The behavior of these compounds in the digestive system is based on the following principles:
Mechanism of Action in the Intestinal Lumen
When we ingest okra mucilage or fenugreek polysaccharides (especially its soluble fiber rich in galactomannans), they are not digested in the stomach or small intestine, as we lack the necessary enzymes to break their bonds.
1) Instead, they undergo a process of deep hydration:
2) Formation of a Viscous Hydrogel: When mixed with chyme (the mass of semi-digested food), the polysaccharides form a high-viscosity, three-dimensional gel matrix.
3) Physical Trapping (Adsorption and Flocculation): Similar to water tanks, microplastic and nanoplastic particles ingested with food or drink become physically trapped within this plant-based gelatin mesh. The hydrophobic forces of the plastic cause it to preferentially interact with the organic matrix of the fiber rather than with the aqueous intestinal environment.
4) Blocking the Epithelial Barrier: When agglomerated into larger flocs and surrounded by a protective gel layer, the microplastics lose their ability to come into direct contact with enterocytes (the cells of the intestinal wall) or to cross tight junctions via paracellularity, preventing their translocation into the bloodstream or lymphatic system.
5) Mechanical Excretion: The gel mass travels intact along the intestine to the colon, carrying the trapped plastics with it for direct elimination in the feces. CRITICAL FACTORS AND BEHAVIOR BY SECTION
The transit of these polysaccharides varies drastically along the digestive tract, affecting their interaction with xenobiotics (compounds foreign to the body):
1) Stomach and Small Intestine: This is where the hydrogel is most stable and exerts its maximum sequestering power. By maintaining high viscosity, it reduces the diffusion of tiny particles toward the microvilli.
2) Colon (Large Intestine): Upon reaching the colon, the gut microbiota begins to ferment these polysaccharides. Galactomannans from fenugreek and pectins from okra are excellent prebiotics that bacteria transform into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).
The Biochemical Nuance: As the microbiota breaks down the gel structure in the colon to feed, the trapped microplastics are released from the "network." However, at this point the risk of systemic absorption is exponentially lower than in the small intestine, since the colonic mucosa is designed primarily to absorb water and electrolytes, not nutrients or macromolecules. Any remaining material is simply expelled.
The “Umbrella Effect” of Fenugreek
Due to the 1:1 ratio, almost every mannose molecule has a galactose molecule attached. This density of side branching generates strong steric hindrance: the polymer chains cannot align or crystallize with each other, maximizing interactions with the surrounding water. The result is a hydrogel with exceptionally high pseudoplastic viscosity at very low concentrations, ideal for creating the “adhesive network” that traps plastic microparticles.
2. Okra Mucilage: Polyelectrolytic Complexity
Unlike fenugreek, okra mucilage is not a pure galactomannan, but a complex mixture of agglutinated polysaccharides, composed mainly of rhamnogalacturonans (a type of acid pectin) and long chains of galactose and uronic acids.
• Anionic Character: The presence of galacturonic acid confers free negative charges along its polymeric structure.
• Trapping Mechanism: While fenugreek galactomannans trap microplastics primarily through mechanical confinement (physical network) and hydrophobic forces, okra adds an electrostatic trapping component. It can interact with the polar surface charges of certain fragmented microplastics (which often acquire charges through environmental oxidation) or interact with dietary cations (such as calcium $Ca^{{2+}$) to form bridges that crosslink and harden the gel during intestinal transit.
3. Comparison with Other Common Soluble Fibers
To understand why fenugreek and okra are biochemically superior for sequestering insoluble xenobiotics such as microplastics, we can compare them with conventional soluble dietary fibers:
Inulin and Fructooligosaccharides (FOS)
• Structure: Very short-chain fructose polymers (low degree of polymerization).
• Behavior: They are highly soluble but do not form viscous gels. They pass through the small intestine in a liquid and fluid form, offering virtually no surface area for mechanical entrapment. They are excellent prebiotics but ineffective for flocculating macromolecules.
Beta-glucans (Oats and Barley)
• Structure: Linear, single-chain glucose polymers with mixed β-(1→3) and β-(1→4) linkages.
• Behavior: They form viscous solutions that reduce the absorption of cholesterol and glucose by interfering with lipid micelles. However, their linear structure and lack of dense lateral branching limit their ability to form three-dimensional networks capable of retaining solid microplastic particles with the same degree of hydrophobic tenacity as 1:1 galactomannans.
Thank you, Guillermo, for a post so good, I had to save it. So I finally downloaded Libre Office unto my computer so I can save, and write, documents. A major bit of progress in my life.
While a major offender to our health, just one more on a lists of thousands of offenders. While many on the complete list here in the states, large numbers of them are not even allowed in many places overseas. Regardless, our long list, shorter list...how does this get cleaned up, especially with plastics? Go into nearly every store in the States and they are a Maze with walls filled with plastics surrounded by plastics, or made from plastic. Then too, more than likely all these thousands of offenders like we have observed with some med's have interacting, compounding affects.
Yes, Just, living in an industrialized world leads us to a series of unprecedented problems that ancient peoples never had to face. Excessive deforestation (the plans of some leaders, like Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro, to exploit the Amazon, known as the "lungs of planet Earth"), water pollution (the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which, according to some newspapers, is already larger than France), soil degradation (due to insecticides, herbicides, oil and mining operations, or simply the lack of recycling systems), and biodiversity loss (the consequent loss of habitats for different species of fauna and flora). Other palpable problems in our society are, undoubtedly, economic problems and social inequality, as well as conflict between nations and their leaders. This not only provokes social conflicts in the form of riots, strikes, or violent clashes between sectors of the population, but also jeopardizes a society's ability to respond to dilemmas that transcend its borders, such as ecological, social, or economic ones. War, natural disasters, famines, and plagues. The ancient "four horsemen of the Apocalypse" of universal mythology have wreaked havoc throughout history. The poverty, migration, and hunger resulting from these natural disasters would become a constant source of conflict. Resource scarcity would fuel wars for access to basic goods. Prices for food and agricultural commodities would rise. As food becomes more expensive, pockets of hunger will emerge in cities. In fact, the food crisis was the precursor to the financial crisis. The poor will become poorer, the middle classes will lose purchasing power, and the rich will become richer. Economic inequalities that lay the groundwork for a possible collapse of civilization.
Right Gui, the downstream affects knows no boundary. An earthy old saying - you don't $#!+ where you eat is an old saying for a reason. It would be bad enough for such toxic waste to affect just those directly at the source, but, so many of these not only show up in places as far away as the Artic or Antarctica but also fall into the Forever Toxic category.
The human race is just beginning to learn how to handle microplastics. Most of us still eagerly buy more plastic, and help promote plastics manufacture by "recycling," whose original purpose was to encourage people to discard plastics instead of saving and re-using plastic containers; and thereby buy more plastic.
It has been found however, that making an effort to rid your body of microplastics results in improved health. So it is worth doing. And each one improving their own health adds to the collective understanding of mankind. It will take a while, but we are beginning to learn how to "replenish the Earth," as Genesis says is our species purpose.
Yes, Esther, plastic pollution is one of the major environmental problems of our time. An average of 8 million tons of plastic are dumped into the oceans every year—equivalent to emptying a garbage truck full of plastic every minute. If we don't change course, by 2025 our oceans will contain 1 ton of plastic for every 3 tons of fish, and by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish.
These figures demand a radical change in the management of plastic waste. This is highlighted in some of the articles compiled in the Health and Environment Observatory report, "Plastic Pollution: One of the Greatest Environmental Challenges of the 21st Century," prepared by the DKV Institute for Healthy Living in collaboration with ECODES. This report warns about the current state of plastic pollution, how we got here, its impact on our health and our planet, and what solutions must be implemented now to make plastics an ally, not the cause of one of the biggest environmental problems of our century.---------------------------
Meanwhile, Esther we have a great resource: good nutrition. Sauerkraut is rich in lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc) and fermenting compounds. It can improve intestinal barrier function, promote transit and fecal elimination, and help reduce net exposure to toxins by improving the intestinal ecosystem and modulating inflammation associated with dysbiosis. Sauerkraut provides lactic acid bacteria, improves gut microbiota, produces beneficial organic acids, may improve the intestinal barrier, and may promote intestinal transit.
High-fiber diets reduce intestinal damage from microplastics. Fiber reduces intestinal damage, improves mucosal integrity, accelerates intestinal transit, and modulates the microbiota, which can influence the elimination of microplastics and their toxicity.
A study published by the American Chemical Society (ACS) in its journal ACS Omega, led by Dr. Rajani Srinivasan of Tarleton State University (Texas), demonstrated that extracts of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) and fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) can attract, clump together, and remove up to 90% of microplastics in various types of water.
The secret behind this ability is not magic, but purely biochemical: it is based on their polysaccharides (long-chain carbohydrates) and their mucilaginous properties (that viscous or sticky texture so characteristic of both plants). The Biochemical Mechanism: Bridging Flocculation
In conventional wastewater treatment, synthetic flocculants (such as polyacrylamide) are used to clump together floating solid waste and make it sink. However, these synthetic chemicals are toxic to ecosystems and can leave hazardous residues.
1) The natural polysaccharides in okra and fenugreek act as an environmentally friendly and biodegradable substitute through two steps:
2) Charge neutralization: The plant compounds interact with the surface charges of microplastics, reducing the natural repulsion between the plastic particles.
3) Bridging flocculation: The incredibly long chains of complex carbohydrates in these plants act as "adhesive nets." They capture dispersed microplastics (particles smaller than 5 millimeters), binding them together to form larger clumps or aggregates (flocs) that increase in weight and settle to the bottom of the container, drastically facilitating their physical filtration.
If these polysaccharides are able to trap microplastics so efficiently in outdoor water, could they replicate this same "molecular net" mechanism within the human gastrointestinal tract to prevent their absorption? Although there are no human clinical trials that have precisely measured the percentage of microplastic elimination in the gut using these plants, digestive biochemistry and fluid physics strongly support the fact that the mechanism is perfectly viable in the intestinal lumen.
The behavior of these compounds in the digestive system is based on the following principles:
Mechanism of Action in the Intestinal Lumen
When we ingest okra mucilage or fenugreek polysaccharides (especially its soluble fiber rich in galactomannans), they are not digested in the stomach or small intestine, as we lack the necessary enzymes to break their bonds.
1) Instead, they undergo a process of deep hydration:
2) Formation of a Viscous Hydrogel: When mixed with chyme (the mass of semi-digested food), the polysaccharides form a high-viscosity, three-dimensional gel matrix.
3) Physical Trapping (Adsorption and Flocculation): Similar to water tanks, microplastic and nanoplastic particles ingested with food or drink become physically trapped within this plant-based gelatin mesh. The hydrophobic forces of the plastic cause it to preferentially interact with the organic matrix of the fiber rather than with the aqueous intestinal environment.
4) Blocking the Epithelial Barrier: When agglomerated into larger flocs and surrounded by a protective gel layer, the microplastics lose their ability to come into direct contact with enterocytes (the cells of the intestinal wall) or to cross tight junctions via paracellularity, preventing their translocation into the bloodstream or lymphatic system.
5) Mechanical Excretion: The gel mass travels intact along the intestine to the colon, carrying the trapped plastics with it for direct elimination in the feces. CRITICAL FACTORS AND BEHAVIOR BY SECTION
The transit of these polysaccharides varies drastically along the digestive tract, affecting their interaction with xenobiotics (compounds foreign to the body):
1) Stomach and Small Intestine: This is where the hydrogel is most stable and exerts its maximum sequestering power. By maintaining high viscosity, it reduces the diffusion of tiny particles toward the microvilli.
2) Colon (Large Intestine): Upon reaching the colon, the gut microbiota begins to ferment these polysaccharides. Galactomannans from fenugreek and pectins from okra are excellent prebiotics that bacteria transform into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).
The Biochemical Nuance: As the microbiota breaks down the gel structure in the colon to feed, the trapped microplastics are released from the "network." However, at this point the risk of systemic absorption is exponentially lower than in the small intestine, since the colonic mucosa is designed primarily to absorb water and electrolytes, not nutrients or macromolecules. Any remaining material is simply expelled.
The “Umbrella Effect” of Fenugreek
Due to the 1:1 ratio, almost every mannose molecule has a galactose molecule attached. This density of side branching generates strong steric hindrance: the polymer chains cannot align or crystallize with each other, maximizing interactions with the surrounding water. The result is a hydrogel with exceptionally high pseudoplastic viscosity at very low concentrations, ideal for creating the “adhesive network” that traps plastic microparticles.
2. Okra Mucilage: Polyelectrolytic Complexity
Unlike fenugreek, okra mucilage is not a pure galactomannan, but a complex mixture of agglutinated polysaccharides, composed mainly of rhamnogalacturonans (a type of acid pectin) and long chains of galactose and uronic acids.
• Anionic Character: The presence of galacturonic acid confers free negative charges along its polymeric structure.
• Trapping Mechanism: While fenugreek galactomannans trap microplastics primarily through mechanical confinement (physical network) and hydrophobic forces, okra adds an electrostatic trapping component. It can interact with the polar surface charges of certain fragmented microplastics (which often acquire charges through environmental oxidation) or interact with dietary cations (such as calcium $Ca^{{2+}$) to form bridges that crosslink and harden the gel during intestinal transit.
3. Comparison with Other Common Soluble Fibers
To understand why fenugreek and okra are biochemically superior for sequestering insoluble xenobiotics such as microplastics, we can compare them with conventional soluble dietary fibers:
Inulin and Fructooligosaccharides (FOS)
• Structure: Very short-chain fructose polymers (low degree of polymerization).
• Behavior: They are highly soluble but do not form viscous gels. They pass through the small intestine in a liquid and fluid form, offering virtually no surface area for mechanical entrapment. They are excellent prebiotics but ineffective for flocculating macromolecules.
Beta-glucans (Oats and Barley)
• Structure: Linear, single-chain glucose polymers with mixed β-(1→3) and β-(1→4) linkages.
• Behavior: They form viscous solutions that reduce the absorption of cholesterol and glucose by interfering with lipid micelles. However, their linear structure and lack of dense lateral branching limit their ability to form three-dimensional networks capable of retaining solid microplastic particles with the same degree of hydrophobic tenacity as 1:1 galactomannans.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35474815/
https://www.redalyc.org/journal/470/47058475012/47058475012.pdf
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28266744/
Thank you, Guillermo, for a post so good, I had to save it. So I finally downloaded Libre Office unto my computer so I can save, and write, documents. A major bit of progress in my life.
Thank you too, Esther 👍😊🌹
While a major offender to our health, just one more on a lists of thousands of offenders. While many on the complete list here in the states, large numbers of them are not even allowed in many places overseas. Regardless, our long list, shorter list...how does this get cleaned up, especially with plastics? Go into nearly every store in the States and they are a Maze with walls filled with plastics surrounded by plastics, or made from plastic. Then too, more than likely all these thousands of offenders like we have observed with some med's have interacting, compounding affects.
Yes, Just, living in an industrialized world leads us to a series of unprecedented problems that ancient peoples never had to face. Excessive deforestation (the plans of some leaders, like Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro, to exploit the Amazon, known as the "lungs of planet Earth"), water pollution (the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which, according to some newspapers, is already larger than France), soil degradation (due to insecticides, herbicides, oil and mining operations, or simply the lack of recycling systems), and biodiversity loss (the consequent loss of habitats for different species of fauna and flora). Other palpable problems in our society are, undoubtedly, economic problems and social inequality, as well as conflict between nations and their leaders. This not only provokes social conflicts in the form of riots, strikes, or violent clashes between sectors of the population, but also jeopardizes a society's ability to respond to dilemmas that transcend its borders, such as ecological, social, or economic ones. War, natural disasters, famines, and plagues. The ancient "four horsemen of the Apocalypse" of universal mythology have wreaked havoc throughout history. The poverty, migration, and hunger resulting from these natural disasters would become a constant source of conflict. Resource scarcity would fuel wars for access to basic goods. Prices for food and agricultural commodities would rise. As food becomes more expensive, pockets of hunger will emerge in cities. In fact, the food crisis was the precursor to the financial crisis. The poor will become poorer, the middle classes will lose purchasing power, and the rich will become richer. Economic inequalities that lay the groundwork for a possible collapse of civilization.
Right Gui, the downstream affects knows no boundary. An earthy old saying - you don't $#!+ where you eat is an old saying for a reason. It would be bad enough for such toxic waste to affect just those directly at the source, but, so many of these not only show up in places as far away as the Artic or Antarctica but also fall into the Forever Toxic category.
The human race is just beginning to learn how to handle microplastics. Most of us still eagerly buy more plastic, and help promote plastics manufacture by "recycling," whose original purpose was to encourage people to discard plastics instead of saving and re-using plastic containers; and thereby buy more plastic.
It has been found however, that making an effort to rid your body of microplastics results in improved health. So it is worth doing. And each one improving their own health adds to the collective understanding of mankind. It will take a while, but we are beginning to learn how to "replenish the Earth," as Genesis says is our species purpose.
Yes, Esther, plastic pollution is one of the major environmental problems of our time. An average of 8 million tons of plastic are dumped into the oceans every year—equivalent to emptying a garbage truck full of plastic every minute. If we don't change course, by 2025 our oceans will contain 1 ton of plastic for every 3 tons of fish, and by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish.
These figures demand a radical change in the management of plastic waste. This is highlighted in some of the articles compiled in the Health and Environment Observatory report, "Plastic Pollution: One of the Greatest Environmental Challenges of the 21st Century," prepared by the DKV Institute for Healthy Living in collaboration with ECODES. This report warns about the current state of plastic pollution, how we got here, its impact on our health and our planet, and what solutions must be implemented now to make plastics an ally, not the cause of one of the biggest environmental problems of our century.---------------------------
Meanwhile, Esther we have a great resource: good nutrition. Sauerkraut is rich in lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc) and fermenting compounds. It can improve intestinal barrier function, promote transit and fecal elimination, and help reduce net exposure to toxins by improving the intestinal ecosystem and modulating inflammation associated with dysbiosis. Sauerkraut provides lactic acid bacteria, improves gut microbiota, produces beneficial organic acids, may improve the intestinal barrier, and may promote intestinal transit.
https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(21)00754-6 (2021)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-021-00548-1 (2021)
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.01746/full (2025)
High-fiber diets reduce intestinal damage from microplastics. Fiber reduces intestinal damage, improves mucosal integrity, accelerates intestinal transit, and modulates the microbiota, which can influence the elimination of microplastics and their toxicity.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7589116/ (2020)
https://www.reddit.com/r/Microbiome/comments/1e0ol11/nonscfa_microbial_metabolites_associated_with/ (2024)
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12876-026-04749-x (2026)
https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/46/5/256?utm_source=chatgpt.com (2024)
Re microplastics in bile: If the gall bladder is removed???
Without a gallbladder:
* There is no reservoir where bile concentrates
* There is likely less accumulation of microplastics in the bile ducts
This could reduce their role in:
* gallstone formation
* local deposition
⸻
🔹 2. Increased continuous flow to the intestine
* Microplastics excreted by the liver would go directly to the intestine
* Their fecal elimination could increase
But with a caveat:
* It could also promote some enterohepatic recirculation, depending on the size and properties
⸻
🔹 3. Lower bile concentration
Without a gallbladder:
* Bile is more dilute
* Reduced capacity for aggregation/precipitation
This could reduce complex formation (even with microplastics)
⸻
🔹 4. Effect on the liver
It is unclear whether:
* It increases the Liver workload
* or Improves elimination
The overall effect is likely to be moderate because:
* the liver remains the key organ
And if there is no gall bladder????