18 Comments
User's avatar
Lynn's avatar

Commenting here rather than today's post, as those comments seem to be sent to Kevin. Annie... I live a mile from Loyola Corners and immediately recognized that you and your grandmother were dining at Tom's! If you are in town again, I'd love to gather a crowd to hear you speak (in all of your free time!).

On another note, I searched your site and cannot find comments WRT farmed vs. wild salmon. I find that often my wild salmon is dry and not as tasty as farmed. Are there some wild caught varieties that are higher in fat that I should purchase? Are there any farmed varieties that you endorse? I cook salmon up to three times a week and eat lots of walnuts and chia in the interest of my omega 3 levels. :)

Expand full comment
Annie Fenn, MD's avatar

Hi Lynn! Sorry to say but that wasn't me! Regarding salmon, I don't recommend farmed salmon as of yet. It's better to stick to wild caught and cook it very gently (undercook it slightly) to keep the health fats from seeping out. Those omega-3s are different than what you get in nuts and seeds, the marine based ones are specific for brain heatlh.

Expand full comment
Good Medicine's avatar

So appreciate you and the work you do. Thank you for pulling all this together for us and creating a current snapshot of the problem, as well as an action plan!

Expand full comment
Annie Fenn, MD's avatar

You're very welcome! Part 2 coming soon.

Expand full comment
Jimi Francis's avatar

Thank you for the information.

Expand full comment
Melanie's avatar

Seaweed….??????😭😭😭😭

Expand full comment
Annie Fenn, MD's avatar

Aka sea vegetables

Expand full comment
Sally Sporer's avatar

Annie, thanks for taking on this important topic and providing us with advice re: how to avoid and reduce microplastics, starting with the kitchen environment and foods. Like Sally Duplantier, I wonder how to get adequate omega-3's through fish consumption and avoiding micro plastics at the same time. Re

Expand full comment
Annie Fenn, MD's avatar

Great question! Coming soon.

Expand full comment
Sally Duplantier's avatar

Annie, as always this is a fabulous post (and a great Wellness Wednesday topic for 2026!) Here is my question: if we need to reduce fish consumption to avoid microplastics how do we safely get our Omega 3’s? Are 1-2 servings of fatty fish per week too much?

Expand full comment
Annie Fenn, MD's avatar

Hi Sally! Yes fish and seafood deserves its own post. Coming soon!

Expand full comment
Rachel's avatar

Thanks for this balanced perspective, Annie! One question- you mentioned seaweed. Does that mean those little seaweed snacks my daughter loves are a big source of microplastics? Thanks!

Expand full comment
Annie Fenn, MD's avatar

Hi Rachel! I have a whole post devotes to fish and seaweed and other food products coming up. I’m still doing the research but will post soon.

Expand full comment
Rachel's avatar

Thanks Annie!

Expand full comment
Toni Smith's avatar

Thanks again , Annie, for sharing your research findings with us. I’ve gradually started changing out my food storage containers to glass instead of plastic. But I look in my fridge and see plastic squeeze bottles of ketchup, cartons of cottage cheese, and plastic water bottles from Trader Joe’s. It’s all around! I then remember that scene in the movie The Graduate!! They were right!

Expand full comment
Annie Fenn, MD's avatar

Yes it is overwhelming how many food products come in plastic. With the next post, I’ll try to come up with some solutions.

Expand full comment
Deb Fink's avatar

Thanks for this post, Annie! I feel quite concerned about plastics but overwhelmed about where to put my limited financial resources. Like - should I buy a Berkey filter or is the tap water where I live “okay enough”? Should I replace my Green Pan pots/pans because the coating is degrading, even though upgrading is hugely expensive? I wind up feeling paralyzed and not doing anything due to the costs. 🤷‍♀️

Expand full comment
Annie Fenn, MD's avatar

I totally agree. I am hoping to give you all some practical, but not too expensive, solutions next time.

Expand full comment