Why You Might Be Actually EATING Plastic without Even Knowing it

Most people think their kitchen is the safest place in their home. The truth is the opposite. The cookware you use every day, the cutting boards you trust, the utensils you stir with, even the coffee maker on your counter, may be quietly leaching forever chemicals, microplastics, and heavy metals into your food and into your brain. In this episode, I sit down with Jordan Nathan, founder and CEO of Caraway, the brand redefining what nontoxic actually means in the modern home. Jordan walks me through the night he called poison control after overheating a Teflon pan, the 2-year journey to launch a cookware line free of PFAS, and why six U.S. states have now banned forever chemicals in cookware. We unpack what PFAS, PFOA, and PTFE actually are, why they accumulate in fat tissue and cross the blood brain barrier, and why scratched pans, plastic cutting boards, and black nylon utensils are some of the most dangerous things in your kitchen. Then we go deep on the science. I break down the Nature Medicine 2025 study showing microplastics in human brain tissue at higher concentrations than the liver or kidney, with the highest accumulation found in dementia brains. We cover the rise of autoimmune disease, the credit card's worth of plastic the average person consumes every week, Caraway's third party testing for over 600 PFAS chemicals, and a full kitchen audit on a $1,000 budget covering induction vs gas, dishwasher dangers, and what's coming next as Caraway expands into the broader nontoxic home. This conversation will completely change how you think about what is in your kitchen, what is in your body, and what you can actually do about it. Reduce your risk of Alzheimer's with my science-backed protocol for women 30+: https://go.neuroathletics.com.au/youtube-sales-page Subscribe to The Neuro Experience for evidence-based conversations at the intersection of brain science, longevity, and performance. _____ TOPICS DISCUSSED 00:00 Intro: Plastic Is Hiding in Plain Sight in Your Kitchen 01:36 The Night Jordan Called Poison Control Over a Teflon Pan 05:06 PFAS, PFOA, and PTFE: What Forever Chemicals Actually Are 09:35 Why PFAS Accumulate in Fat Tissue and Cross the Blood Brain Barrier 13:31 The Birth of Caraway and What the Name Actually Means 17:50 Why 6 States Have Banned PFAS in Cookware 19:22 Third Party Testing: How Caraway Tests for 600+ PFAS Chemicals 23:10 The Steve Jobs Mentality: Industry Standards Aren't Our Standards 29:31 Scratched Pans, Plastic Cutting Boards, and the Hidden Risks 33:18 Microplastics Found in Human Brain Tissue: The 2025 Study 37:28 Caraway's Bestsellers and the Expansion Into the Whole Home 40:20 Cast Iron, Stainless Steel, and How to Choose Cookware 41:29 Why You Should Never Put Cookware in the Dishwasher 43:02 Gas vs Induction Stoves: Which One Is Actually Safer 44:30 The Full $1,000 Kitchen Audit: Where to Start 49:21 Black Plastic, Nylon Utensils, and the Truth About Takeout Containers 51:00 One Thing Jordan Wishes He Knew About the Average Kitchen _______ Thank you to our sponsors DailyBasis: https://www.dailybasislife.com/NEURO for 50% off first month JSHealth: https://jshealthvitamins.com and use code NEURO for 20% off BASED Bodyworks: https://basedbodyworks.com/ and use code NEURO for 20% off _______ I’m Louisa Nicola - clinical neurophysiologist - Alzheimer’s prevention specialist - founder of Neuro Athletics. My mission is to translate cutting-edge neuroscience into actionable strategies for cognitive longevity, peak performance, and brain disease prevention. If you're committed to optimizing your brain- reducing Alzheimer’s risk - and staying mentally sharp for life, you’re in the right place. Stay sharp. Stay informed. Join thousands who subscribe to the Neuro Athletics Newsletter → https://bit.ly/3ewI5P0 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/louisanicola_/ Twitter : https://twitter.com/louisanicola_ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices