A London clinic has introduced an innovative blood filtering system designed to remove microplastics and toxins from the bloodstream. The procedure involves drawing blood, filtering it through a specialized machine, and returning purified plasma to patients. While many report benefits like improved sleep and energy, the long-term health effects of microplastics remain uncertain, with experts highlighting insufficient evidence linking them to harm. The treatment is costly, raising questions about its necessity and potential placebo effects.
Innovative Blood Filtering System in London
A private clinic in London has made headlines by claiming to have developed a groundbreaking system that can filter microplastics and other toxins from our bloodstream. But how does this process work, and is it truly beneficial for our health?
You may have come across the term microplastics. True to their name, these are tiny plastic particles that often go unnoticed by the naked eye. Research indicates that they are ubiquitous, found in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and even in food items like salt and beer. Alarmingly, microplastics have also been detected within living organisms, including humans, as they can be found in our blood. The concentration of these particles varies among individuals, influenced by their exposure levels.
The Procedure at Clarify Clinics
It’s natural to assume that the presence of microplastics in our bodies might pose health risks. In response to this concern, Clarify Clinics has introduced a service aimed at extracting these particles from the bloodstream. The procedure is relatively straightforward. Patients are seated comfortably, where a healthcare professional will insert an IV to draw blood. This blood is then passed through a specialized machine that separates it from the plasma. The plasma undergoes filtration through a column designed to capture microplastics and similar contaminants before being reintroduced to the red blood cells and returned to the patient.
This innovative microplastic filtration process takes approximately two hours, treating between 50% and 80% of the blood’s plasma volume. However, such advanced treatment comes at a steep price of £9,750, roughly equivalent to €11,430. While Clarify Clinics does not disclose the specifics of their technology, they do highlight positive customer experiences, with many reporting improved sleep quality and increased energy levels post-treatment.
The clinic’s CEO, Yael Cohen, showcases sleep quality data collected via an Oura ring, with scores improving from 70 to 90 within six weeks after the treatment, a level deemed “optimal” by Oura. However, it’s worth noting that the long-term health impacts of microplastics remain unclear.
So, should individuals consider undergoing such a treatment? Experts weigh in.
A 2022 report from the World Health Organization revealed that there is insufficient evidence to definitively claim that microplastics are harmful. Many studies attempting to link microplastics to adverse health effects have not established a clear cause-and-effect relationship. Researcher Frederic Béen emphasizes the importance of understanding the dosage of microplastics or any environmental contaminant that humans encounter, stating, “the dose makes the poison.”
The widespread presence of microplastics complicates the ability to accurately assess contamination levels in samples, making it challenging to evaluate the effectiveness of such filtration processes. In certain scenarios, particularly with severe exposure to harmful substances like PFAS—often referred to as “forever pollutants”—bloodletting may indeed be necessary to eliminate contaminated blood.
Patients at Clarify Clinics frequently report feeling better following their treatment, which raises the possibility of a placebo effect influenced by the high cost of the service. Nevertheless, it’s conceivable that such treatments could play a role in promoting better health in the future. Until more conclusive evidence emerges, both perspectives remain valid.