I Tested Sifts Microplastic Binding Supplement: What the Science Says
By now it’s common knowledge that microplastics are everywhere and have been found in human stool (1), blood, placenta (2), breast milk (3), in lung tissue (4), and even in our brain (5).
In 2024, during my three month online Executive Education for Sustainability Leadership by the Department of Environmental Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health someone asked me the question if there were any ways to help remove microplastics from the body.
Back then, I had heard of sauna, as a way to expell toxins through sweat (not the physical particles!), but it’s only within the last two years that other methods have gained popularity, like microplastic binding supplements and therapeutic apheresis, commonly called “blood filtration”, a medical procedure where blood is removed, filtered through a specialized machine, and returned to the body. This medical technology can physically remove microplastics and nanoplastics from human blood but it is very expensive for the average person (over USD $10,000) and, honestly, also a bit scary in my opinion. Plus, reducing microplastic exposure and helping remove the particles from our body is going to be a constant effort rathen than a one off experiment!
What is Sifts Microplastic Binding Supplement & How does it Work?
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I was quite pleased when I received the opportunity to try and test the Sifts microplastic binding supplement. The first thing I did was to scrutinize their website for the product ingredients and the scientific literature behind the main ingredients. Only after taking these steps, I decided the test the product.
So, what is Sifts and what does it claim to do?
Sifts has developed a daily supplement designed to interact with microplastics during digestion and support your body’s natural elimination processes. The product is made in a cMPG certified (6) and FDA inspected facility, rigorously 3rd party tested for purety and safety. It works in the gut by using natural fibers to “bind and pass” particles consumed from food, water, and air before they can be absorbed into tissues.
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Sifts Clinically Studied Ingredients
The company uses a “binder blend” of chitosan and apple pectin, to bind and glide the particles while increasing the intestinal viscosity. (Positively charged particles interact electrostatically with microplastic particles, supporting their excretion through natural digestion.) Then it also uses a “gut-health blend” of baobab fruit extract and slippery elm extract, which are traditionally used in naturopathy to soothe the intestinal lining. Further ingredients used are magnesium glycinate and glycine. All these ingredients have been well clinically studied and the peer-reviewed research is available on the Sift’s website.
The manufacturer mentions that it can temporarily cause bloating or changes in bowel movements particularly if your body isn’t used to a high fiber intake. I have started using it and haven’t experienced any of these symptons yet, maybe because I have a high fiber diet. I’ll update this article in about one month when I finished the first packet. See the full list of ingredients.
Chitosan as one of the Proven Binding Ingredients
One of the main ingredients in the formulation is chitosan, a clinically studied dietary fiber that has been shown to interact with particles like microplastics in the gut supporting the body’s natural elimination process. It is derived from the shells of crustaceans like shrimp and crab. Therefore, if you are allergic to shellfish, you should stay away from this product!
Interesting enough, I knew chitosan very well from my time as a Product Manager for Biomaterials in the dental industry more than a decade ago. One of the products in my portfolio was a well studied dental dressing (7) used in controlling tooth post-extraction bleeding due to its coagulant properties.
Sifts cited on their website a small 2024 human crossover study (8) which found that taking a single 0.8 g dose of chitosan with a standardized meal increased microplastic excretion in stool by roughly 47%, rising from 654 ± 104 to 965 ± 165 particles per 5 g of stool within 12 hours.
Additionally, a recent animal study (9) showed that dietary chitosan significantly enhanced the fecal elimination of ingested polyethylene microplastics over a short period, thereby lowering the microplastic load in the gut.
Image Credit: I’m Plastic Free – Simona Paganetto testing the Sifts supplements.
Sustainability: Sift’s Packaging
Sifts offers refillable glass jars for the first purchase and refill pouches for subsequent purchases. As I’m trying to have a lower carbon footprint, I just received the refill pouch in plastic-free packaging, which is a fully sealed paper bag. I have plenty of glass jars at home, so I can place the capsules in my own jar without having to ship glass around. It’s great to see a innovative company designing a consumable product with circular principles in mind.
Conclusion
There are quite a few microplastics supplements coming onto the market right now. The global dietary supplements market is estimated at USD 219 billion this year and is expected to grow to USD 431 billion by 2034 (10). As everyone on earth is affected by microplastics, you can imagine how lucrative is this market. For these reasons, it is important to chose well, and to select only products that have been backed by scientific research, like the Sifts microplastics binding supplement.
References and Scientific Literature Sources:
(1) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31476765/
(2) https://academic.oup.com/toxsci/article/199/1/81/7609801
(3) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39064070/
(4) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10826726/
(5) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11100893/
(6) https://www.fda.gov/drugs/pharmaceutical-quality-resources/facts-about-current-good-manufacturing-practice-cgmp
(7) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3413624/
(8) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40646942/
(9) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40268980/
(10) https://finance.yahoo.com/news/dietary-supplements-market-size-expected-140100330.html
Disclaimer:
The statements in this article have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products discussed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
This article was written and reviews by I’m Plastic Free’s editor, Simona Paganetto.
