TL;DR: Hollywood stars like Gloria Swanson, Marilyn Monroe, and Audrey Hepburn avoided plastic long before scientists discovered it might be harmful. Now doctors are finding tiny plastic particles in our food and water. The good news? Simple swaps like switching to glass containers and paper tea bags can make a real difference.
Gloria Swanson had strong opinions about what went into her body.
Long before anyone was talking about “clean eating” or “organic,” the silent film icon made her own soups and broths at home. She stored them all in glass jars because she didn’t trust what plastic or metal might do to her food.
In her 1976 book Sugar Blues, Swanson went after refined sugar like it had personally wronged her, calling it straight-up poison. Her take was simple: “Your body is the direct result of what you eat as well as what you don’t eat.”
Scientists today are saying Gloria was onto something.
Those plastic containers and water bottles we’ve been using for decades? They’ve been leaving tiny particles in our food and drinks. Some so small you can’t even see them. Doctors are starting to wonder if those particles might be affecting our health more than anyone realized.
The World We Remember
If you grew up in the ’50s or ’60s, you remember when things were different.
The milkman came to your door every morning with glass bottles that clinked together in those wire carriers. Before they started homogenizing milk in the 1920s, the cream would rise to the top overnight. You needed a special long-handled spoon to scoop it out.
When you finished the milk, you rinsed the bottle and left it on the front step. The milkman picked it up, the dairy sterilized it, and it came back full again. Nothing got wasted.
Your mother probably stored flour in one of those metal canisters from West Bend or Mirro. The ones with the rose gold finish and the tight-fitting lids. Rice went into ceramic crocks. Salt lived in a wooden box mounted on the kitchen wall.
The bread box sat on the counter. Usually enameled steel or polished wood. Built to last for decades, not months.
Those Tupperware bowls in avocado green or that weird golden yellow? Expensive. You bought them once and expected to have them forever. Nothing like the flimsy plastic containers we toss out today.
When Everything Changed
The shift started in the 1970s and really picked up speed in the ’80s.
Plastic milk jugs showed up in supermarkets because they were lighter and didn’t break. The milkman stopped coming. Glass bottles disappeared.
In 1989, they invented a new kind of plastic called PET. Everyone started buying water in plastic bottles. Dasani and Aquafina launched in the ’90s.
Those of us who grew up drinking from the garden hose or the kitchen tap thought buying water in a bottle seemed ridiculous. Now it’s everywhere.
What Hollywood Knew
Some stars never bought into the plastic revolution.
Marilyn Monroe started every day the old-fashioned way. She’d heat milk in a saucepan on the stove and whisk in two raw eggs for a high-protein breakfast. For dinner, she stuck with grilled steaks, lamb chops, or liver. Always paired with raw carrots.
She never touched TV dinners or anything that came in plastic packaging.
Audrey Hepburn learned to appreciate simple, home-cooked meals during World War II when food was scarce in occupied Europe. Her son’s book Audrey at Home talks about how she loved cooking from scratch. Pasta and chocolate cake were family favorites.
She treated the kitchen as a place to create, not a place to unwrap plastic-sealed convenience foods.
Paul Newman launched Newman’s Own salad dressings and pasta sauces in 1982. Even when other brands switched to plastic bottles to save on shipping costs, Paul kept his products in glass.
It gave them that “old-fashioned” quality people trusted.
What Doctors Are Saying
You don’t need a science degree to understand what’s happening with plastic.
Think of a plastic container like a sponge soaked in water. Leave the sponge on the counter and most of the water stays inside. But squeeze it or put it in a hot oven, and the water starts leaking out.
Plastic works the same way. When you heat food in plastic containers or use plastic that’s gotten scratched and worn, the chemicals inside can leak into your food.
These tiny particles are called microplastics. They’re usually smaller than a pencil eraser, but they can get way tinier than that. So small you can’t see them.
They’ve made their way into the air, the soil, and the water. Scientists have found them in the human body too. They can travel to different organs, including the heart and brain.
Doctors are concerned these foreign particles might trigger inflammation. That’s your body’s natural response when something’s there that shouldn’t be.
Which Foods Have the Most Plastic?
Recent studies looked at common foods to see which ones contain the most plastic particles. Some of the results are surprising.
Tea bags top the list. One plastic tea bag can release 11.6 billion particles into your cup when you steep it in boiling water. The culprits are those fancy “pyramid” tea bags made from nylon or plastic mesh.
Bottled water can contain anywhere from 325 to 240,000 particles per liter. The plastic comes from the bottle itself, especially if it’s been sitting in a hot car or in direct sunlight.
Apples and carrots absorb plastic particles from the soil through their roots as they grow. Apples can have around 223,000 particles per gram. Carrots have about 97,800 particles per gram.
Instant rice has way more plastic than regular rice because of all the processing it goes through. About 13 milligrams per serving compared to 3 or 4 milligrams in rice you cook yourself. And that’s before you wash it.
Sea salt picks up plastic from ocean pollution, with about half a particle to almost 6 particles per teaspoon.
The Good News
Dr. Christopher Hine from the Cleveland Clinic has a reassuring message. The most important thing is to stay hydrated, regardless of what container your water comes in.
“I definitely don’t want individuals to avoid drinking water in the summer heat just because it’s in a plastic container,” he says. “Dehydration is a far worse condition than being exposed to microplastics.”
That said, he suggests a few simple changes that can make a real difference.
Keep it cool. Don’t leave plastic water bottles in hot cars or in direct sunlight. Heat makes the plastic break down faster.
Never microwave food in plastic. Even if the container says “microwave-safe,” don’t do it. This is the single most important rule.
Choose fresh over processed. Fresh whole foods have less contact with plastic during processing than things like chicken nuggets or fish sticks.
Doctors from Johns Hopkins remind us that our bodies have always dealt with environmental challenges. Taking one small step in the right direction can make a difference.
If you’ve lived a long and healthy life already, these changes are just a way to fine-tune what you’re already doing.
Five Easy Swaps
Going back to the “old-fashioned” way doesn’t mean spending a fortune or completely changing how you live. Most of these swaps use the same materials your mother and grandmother used.
1. Switch Your Tea Bags
This is the easiest change you can make.
Several brands use paper, cotton, or plant fibers instead of plastic:
- Traditional Medicinals uses bags made from abaca (banana fiber) and wood pulp, tied with cotton string
- Numi Organic uses unbleached hemp fiber
- Stash Tea makes bags from 100% wood fibers with no glue or plastic
- Yogi Tea and Pukka Herbs both use natural fibers stitched together with organic cotton
- The Republic of Tea makes round tea bags from unbleached paper and packages them in recyclable steel tins
2. Get a Glass Water Bottle
Glass bottles give you pure-tasting water without any chemicals leaching in.
Look for “borosilicate” glass. It’s stronger and can handle temperature changes better than regular glass.
Takeya Classic Glass Water Bottle has a full silicone sleeve for a good grip and extra protection if you drop it. Dishwasher-safe.
Purifyou Premium Glass Bottle has thick glass and a protective “waffle” sleeve. Popular on Amazon.
Ello Syndicate Glass Bottle has a one-handed push-button lid. Great if you have arthritis and find unscrewing caps difficult.
3. Filter Your Water
Some filters are better than others at removing those tiny plastic particles.
Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher is independently tested to remove 99.9% of microplastics. Sits right on your counter. No installation needed.
LifeStraw Home Glass Pitcher combines a glass pitcher with good filtration to remove microplastics, lead, and bacteria.
If you want something more permanent, the Frizzlife Under-Sink System fits under your kitchen sink and removes 99% of contaminants. The filters are easy to replace yourself.
4. Rinse Your Rice
If you buy instant rice, consider switching to regular rice instead. Instant rice has four times more plastic.
Always rinse your rice before cooking. Studies show this can reduce plastic content by up to 40%.
Buy rice in bulk when you can, and store it in glass jars or metal canisters. Just like your mother did.
5. Use Glass Storage Containers
If you find those clip-style lids hard to open, these sets are designed with ease-of-use in mind.
Anchor Hocking TrueSeal uses soft, flexible lids that peel off easily. Much gentler on your hands than hard plastic clips.
Glasslock makes tempered glass containers you can find on Amazon. The snap lids are durable and rated to last.
OXO Good Grips POP Containers have lids operated with a single large button. No grip strength needed.
Back to What Works
The shift from glass to plastic happened fast. The values of speed and convenience took over from the “made the old-fashioned way” approach of the mid-century.
For those of us who lived through that transition, going back to materials like glass, ceramic, and natural fibers feels right. It’s more than a health choice. It’s reclaiming a way of life that valued quality and substance.
Gloria Swanson knew what she was doing when she stored everything in glass jars. Marilyn Monroe had the right idea heating her milk in a saucepan instead of nuking it in plastic. Audrey Hepburn understood that a kitchen was meant for creating real food, not just unwrapping packages.
Rinsing rice, choosing paper tea bags, switching to glass water bottles. These are small, affordable changes. They honor a legacy of health and longevity.
In a world that often feels disposable, returning to materials that were built to last remains one of the best ways to support a healthy, vibrant life.
Your Questions About Microplastics in Food, Answered
How did Gloria Swanson avoid plastic in her food?
Gloria Swanson stored all her homemade soups and broths exclusively in glass jars. She believed plastic and metal containers could taint food, decades before scientists discovered microplastics. She followed a strict macrobiotic diet and even stored her drinking water in glass vessels instead of plastic.
Which foods contain the most microplastics?
Tea bags release the most microplastics, with one plastic tea bag releasing 11.6 billion particles per cup. Bottled water contains 325 to 240,000 particles per liter. Apples have about 223,000 particles per gram, while carrots contain 97,800 particles per gram. Instant rice has four times more plastic than regular rice.
What are the easiest ways to reduce plastic exposure from food?
Switch to tea brands that use paper bags instead of plastic mesh, like Traditional Medicinals, Numi Organic, or Stash Tea. Use glass water bottles instead of plastic. Rinse rice before cooking to reduce plastic by 40%. Never microwave food in plastic containers, even if labeled microwave-safe. Store leftovers in glass containers.
Did other classic Hollywood stars avoid plastic like Gloria Swanson?
Yes. Marilyn Monroe heated milk in a saucepan and avoided plastic-packaged TV dinners. Audrey Hepburn cooked from scratch using traditional cookware. Paul Newman kept Newman’s Own products in glass bottles even when competitors switched to plastic to save money.
What do doctors say about microplastics in food?
Dr. Christopher Hine from Cleveland Clinic says staying hydrated is most important, but recommends keeping plastic bottles out of heat and never microwaving food in plastic. Johns Hopkins doctors note that small changes make a difference. The goal is not perfection but simple steps to support long-term health.
Does washing rice remove microplastics?
Yes. Studies show that rinsing rice before cooking can reduce plastic content by up to 40%. Regular rice contains about 3-4 milligrams of plastic per serving, while instant rice contains 13 milligrams. Always rinse rice thoroughly and avoid instant varieties when possible.
Which tea brands don’t use plastic in their tea bags?
Traditional Medicinals uses bags made from abaca and wood pulp tied with cotton string. Numi Organic uses unbleached hemp fiber. Stash Tea makes bags from 100% wood fibers. Yogi Tea and Pukka Herbs use natural fibers stitched with organic cotton. The Republic of Tea uses unbleached paper in recyclable steel tins.
What kind of water filter removes microplastics?
Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher is tested to remove 99.9% of microplastics and requires no installation. LifeStraw Home Glass Pitcher combines glass with filtration technology. For permanent solutions, under-sink reverse osmosis systems like Frizzlife remove 99% of contaminants including microplastics.
