Poisoned By Convenience

You didn't ask for it. You didn't choose it. But microplastics are inside you right now -- circulating in your blood, lodged in your lung tissue, embedded in your heart muscle, and present in organs never designed to filter plastic. Scientists have detected them in newborn babies and umbilical cord blood. In remote Arctic ice. In the deepest ocean trenches. And in the carotid plaque of cardiovascular patients, where their presence was associated with dramatically higher rates of heart attack and stroke.
The plastics that built modern life are now dismantling our health, one microscopic particle at a time.
Poisoned by Convenience: How Microplastics Are Affecting People, Pets, and the Planet -- and What We Can Do is a landmark work by a team of physicians, scientists, and health innovators at Pure BioHealth who have spent their careers studying what modern life is doing to the human body at the cellular level. Dr. Debra Kimless, MD, Dr. J. Phillip Kennedy, PhD, Dr. Janet Zand, OMD, and Heather Hutchens, CEO, bring together expertise in anesthesiology, pain medicine, naturopathic medicine, organic chemistry, and health innovation to deliver the most comprehensive, clinically grounded, and solution-oriented book yet written on the microplastic crisis.
The story they tell is both urgent and intimate. The plastics in your daily life -- food packaging, coffee cup liners, synthetic fabrics, cookware coatings, plastic water bottles -- are not stable. They shed, fragment, and become microscopic particles that enter your body through your mouth, lungs, and skin. Once inside, they do not simply pass through. They accumulate. They carry hitchhiking chemicals -- PFAS, glyphosate, phthalates, BPA and its replacements -- that amplify their damage at the cellular level.
The science linking microplastic burden to human disease has accelerated dramatically. The authors synthesize this evidence through the lens of the Hallmarks of Aging -- the gold-standard framework of modern longevity medicine -- revealing that microplastics are not simply a toxicological concern. They are a hallmark amplifier: simultaneously driving genomic instability, epigenetic disruption, mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, chronic inflammation, gut dysbiosis, and altered intercellular communication. A body carrying a high plastic burden is aging faster at the cellular level -- and the effects show up long before a diagnosis is made.
Poisoned by Convenience also breaks new ground on what can be done. The authors present the first published human clinical evidence that plastic body burden is not simply inevitable -- it may be measurable, and reducible. A proof-of-concept pilot study co-authored by members of the team demonstrated a 74% reduction in blood microplastic particle count and a 94% reduction in plastic surface area burden following 30 days of a food-grade, plant-derived Plastic Adsorptive Compound (PAC). A parallel companion animal study in dogs demonstrated equivalent results -- the first published cross-species evidence for targeted, measurable reduction of systemic plastic burden.
The book does not stop at human health. It addresses the full scope of the crisis: the animals who share our homes, exposed to the same plastics through the same pathways; and the planet itself, where microplastic contamination has reached every environment on earth, disrupting marine life, soil health, and the food chains that sustain us all.
This is not a book about despair. It is a book about clarity -- about understanding what decades of unchecked plastic production have done to our bodies, and the practical, science-based steps individuals and families can take right now. From reducing exposure in the home and kitchen to supporting the body's natural detoxification pathways, Poisoned by Convenience gives readers the tools to act.
The convenience economy promised us ease. Poisoned by Convenience reveals its hidden cost -- and shows us the way forward.

Dr. Debra Kimless is a physician board-certified in Anesthesiology, Pain Medicine, and Lifestyle Medicine--a breadth of expertise that reflects her foundational belief that true healing demands a whole-person view, one where plant-based therapies and pharmaceutical medicine are not opposites but partners, each with its rightful place in a complete and individualized approach to care. She is one of the leading voices at the intersection of plant-based medicine, integrative health, and the science of how our environment shapes human health.
A recipient of a $2 million NIH grant to study diabetic neuropathic pain--and the holder of patents on both the resulting drug formulation and a novel cannabinoid delivery system--she brings the rigor of federally funded clinical research to every scientific endeavor she undertakes. A certified principal investigator, Dr. Kimless has designed and led clinical trials from inception through publication, authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, and translated that body of research into FDA pharmaceutical submissions for traditional plant-based therapeutics--bridging the ancient wisdom of botanical medicine with the evidentiary standards of modern drug development.
A nationally and internationally recognized lecturer, Dr. Kimless has spent decades translating complex science--from plant-based therapeutics and cannabinoid pharmacology to the emerging field of microplastic bioaccumulation--into practical, evidence-informed guidance for clinicians, researchers, and the public. She is the author of Plant Struck, a groundbreaking work on the science of botanical therapeutics that established her as a trusted authority in plant-based medicine. The book gave rise to a thriving community of patients, practitioners, and plant-curious readers at PlantStruck.com, where Dr. Kimless continues to translate emerging research into accessible, actionable guidance.
Dr. Kimless is co-founder of Pure BioHealth, where she leads research strategy and clinical translation, and is the lead author of the first published proof-of-concept human study demonstrating measurable reduction in circulating microplastic burden using a food-grade Plastic Adsorptive Compound. She is also the lead author of the companion animal study submitted to a peer-reviewed journal--the first investigation of microplastic burden reduction in a non-human species.
Her work is driven by a single conviction: that the future of human health requires understanding not just disease, but the full toxic environment in which we live--and that science, rigorously applied, can protect both the people and the animals with whom we share our lives

Heather Hutchens is a biotechnology and consumer health executive with more than thirty years of experience building, scaling, and leading companies at the intersection of science, wellness, and purpose-driven commerce. Her career spans senior leadership roles across pharmaceutical development, nutraceutical innovation, and global brand strategy--including tenure as Vice President of Strategic Planning at John Paul Mitchell Systems, one of the world's most recognized consumer health and beauty brands--and executive positions as CEO and Chief Business Officer at organizations advancing regenerative medicine and longevity science.

As co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pure BioHealth, Heather is the architect of the company's three-vertical strategy--PμreHealth for human supplementation, PμrePet for companion animals, and PμreBioFarm for agriculture and livestock--and the driving force behind the company's journey from laboratory discovery to market-ready platform. She leads the scientific, clinical, and commercial team responsible for advancing the Plastic Adsorptive Compound from proof-of-concept research through IRB-approved human and companion animal studies, federal grant strategy, and go-to-market execution across all three verticals. Her work has been defined by a conviction that breakthrough science only matters if it reaches the people, animals, and ecosystems it was designed to protect--and that the bridge between the two is built by disciplined, mission-aligned leadership.

A lifelong advocate for nontoxic living and a practitioner of functional and longevity-focused health, Heather brings both personal conviction and professional rigor to the microplastics crisis. She is a featured contributor to this book, a contributor of the company's published research, and was profiled in Precipice of Power on themes of purpose-driven leadership. Her personal mission--to contribute one billion healthy years of life to people, animals, and the planet--is not a tagline. It is the organizing principle behind every strategic decision at Pure BioHealth, and the reason this book exists.
John Paul DeJoria epitomizes the American dream, rising from adversity to become a renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is best known for co-founding iconic brands John Paul Mitchell Systems and The Patrón Spirits Company. John Paul has made philanthropy his core mission, establishing JP's Peace, Love, & Happiness Family Foundation in 2011 to contribute to a sustainable planet by investing in people, animals, and the environment. In 2026, he was recognized by Forbes as #24 on its list of the greatest living self-made Americans. His motto, "success unshared is failure," reflects a lifelong commitment to purpose-driven success.
Dr. J. Phillip Kennedy is an organic chemist, medicinal chemist, and research scientist with more than 20 years of experience across pharmaceuticals, drug discovery, organometallics, drug design and delivery, and biological enhancement. A Vanderbilt University graduate and one of the institution's most published alumni, he has earned awards for cancer research, been recognized with multiple fellowships, and presented his work at scientific conferences worldwide. His career has been defined by a rare ability to move fluidly between laboratory innovation, patent development, and commercial application--translating fundamental chemistry into real-world solutions.

Dr. Kennedy is the inventor of Pure BioHealth's Plastic Adsorptive Compound--the foundational technology at the center of this book--and holds multiple patents across his formulation work. It was his insight that the principles of selective adsorption and electrostatic binding, developed across years of pharmaceutical and materials research, could be applied to the emerging problem of microplastic bioaccumulation. That idea became Pure BioHealth's founding scientific framework. As co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer, he leads formulation development, research design, and the full arc of clinical trial implementation from conception through publication.

On the microplastic studies described in this book, Dr. Kennedy serves as lead analyst, and is the architect of the surface area-weighted burden metrics that offer a more biologically meaningful measure of plastic exposure than particle counts alone. His work bridges organic chemistry, material science, toxicology, and environmental health research--and represents a new model of scientist: one who holds the patent, designs the trial, analyzes the data, and publishes the results.
Dr. Janet Zand is a board-certified acupuncturist, Doctor of Oriental Medicine, natural health practitioner, and herbal and nutraceutical products formulator with a career spanning more than four decades at the forefront of integrative and plant-based medicine. In! Magazine describes Dr. Zand as "Hollywood's Best Kept Health Secret" because of her A-list clientele of movie stars, rock stars, and professional athletes, a distinction that reflects not just her celebrity following but the depth of trust she has earned across some of the most health-conscious and high-performance communities in the world.

A Diplomate of Chinese Herbology and Diplomate of Acupuncture, Dr. Zand co-founded Zand Herbal Formulas--one of the first companies in the United States to popularize both Western and Asian herbs--and introduced Active Herbal in 1984, the first purely herbal energy dietary supplement without caffeine, which was widely used by Olympic and professional athletes. She is also the co-inventor of NEO40, a natural supplement shown to reduce triglycerides and help lower blood pressure, and was inducted into NewHope360's Hall of Legends in 2015--one of the natural products industry's most prestigious recognitions. She is the co-author of three books on natural health and healing, including Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child, Smart Medicine for Healthier Living, and The Nitric Oxide Solution, and has been featured in Elle, Allure, the Los Angeles Times, Lifetime TV, and the BBC.

As co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Pure BioHealth, Dr. Zand developed the refined formulations the company is bringing to market for both human and companion animal use. Drawing on her decades of expertise in herbal and nutraceutical product development, she optimized the Plastic Adsorptive Compound originally invented by Dr. Kennedy into the GRAS-designated, food-grade formulas validated through independent MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Her perspective is rooted in a philosophy she has held for decades: that the body is always striving toward health, and that nature--understood rigorously and applied thoughtfully--is its most powerful ally. In a book about one of the most pressing environmental health challenges of our time, she represents the bridge between ancient botanical knowledge and cutting-edge biological protection science.