When Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson celebrated his 50th birthday on May 2, 2022, he went all in for a RAW menu of wrestling and sentimental recollections. Unfortunately, as a declared sushi eater he has also been seen eating raw.

These days that's not anything to celebrate.

Two studies — one from the National University of Singapore in 2019 and a new one from the University of California Davis — have found that the 24.4 trillion pieces of microplastic debris that permeate the oceans turn out to be letting unhealthy bacteria hitch a ride on their backs.

Then, as the disease-carrying microplastics settle, shellfish such as oysters and clams swallow them (which by themselves may be dangerous because plastic contains seriously unhealthy chemicals).

If you then eat that shellfish raw, there's a risk for body-slamming infections from cryptosporidium, giardia, and potentially Toxoplasma gondii. The first two can trigger serious respiratory or gastrointestinal distress, and Toxoplasma gondii can cause lifelong illnesses and heart failure.

Viruses, fungi, and parasites can glom onto microplastics too.

Where do these microplastics come from? From the 480 billion plastic bottles used globally every year, as well as other plastic waste, polyethylene microbeads used in exfoliants, and makeup removers and polyester microfibers in fabrics. 

The bottom line: Don't eat raw shellfish. I suggest dodging all raw fish — including sushi.