Netflix just added a documentary so disturbing viewers are warning 'watch at your own risk'
Netflix has become home to many eye-opening documentaries, from Louis Theroux's Into The Manosphere which sparked outrage among its featured influencers, to another film that solved a brutal 35-year cold case using gay adult film archives.
Now, a new documentary is causing viewers to completely rethink their daily habits after watching it.
If you're trying to improve your lifestyle by quitting smoking and drinking, reducing doomscrolling in bed, and developing healthier habits for a longer life, this latest Netflix release might be perfect for you.
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Released this week, The Plastic Detox explores how everyday plastic items such as clothing fibres, cosmetics and kitchen tools can affect human health and fertility.
The feature film follows high-spirited grandmother of six and great-grandmother Dr. Shanna Swan as she visits six couples across Florida, California and Idaho who are struggling with infertility. Some of these couples have been trying to conceive for years.
Working alongside scientists and researchers, the environmental and reproductive epidemiologist challenges the couples to drastically reduce their plastic exposure for three months to see if it can improve their chances of pregnancy.
Plastics have become ubiquitous in our everyday lives, from basic household items to microplastics in our food, but we're only at the beginning of understanding just how seriously they can harm our health.
Netflix's official synopsis for The Plastic Detox reads: "Strange symptoms. Unexplained infertility. Human extinction? Six couples cut back on plastics while trying to conceive in this absorbing documentary."
Social media has exploded with reactions from viewers, with many expressing alarm at what they discovered in the disturbing doc.
"I was not prepared to be so enraged and also disgusted. So many chemicals. In everything. All the time. Just watch at your own risk," one viewer described (via The Mirror).
A second viewer commented: "Everyone needs to watch this. It's a wake-up call."
Meanwhile, a third viewer shared: "I just made the grave mistake of watching The Plastic Detox on Netflix and that was a mistake. I mean, it wasn’t, but it was. I would not recommend if you’re a spiraller… because, wow."
In the aftermath of the film, three of the six couples reportedly went on to become pregnant.
One of the couples is expecting their second baby at the end of this month and has seen a huge impact on their overall health too.
Speaking to Netflix's Tudum, Dr Swan said: “I think it empowers people to know that they can do things to protect themselves, at least if not completely, to a large extent.
"And that’s what the film really shows — when these couples took action and reduced their exposure, they saw differences.”
The Plastic Detox is available to stream on Netflix now.