Is Your Toothpaste Health Threatening?

There has been controversial news in the personal hygiene industry. It has been discovered that TRICLOSAN, a common ingredient in household everyday products, has been linked to a number of harmful effects to our body. Infertility, abnormal fetal development, even cancer was mentioned by researchers to be effects of being exposed to this chemical.

What exactly is TRICLOSAN and why does it remain as an active ingredient in most of our consumer products?

TRICLOSAN explained

Triclosan is an antiseptic, preservative and disinfectant commonly included in consumer products including toothpaste, makeup, textiles, cleaning products, plastic materials, kitchen utensils and even toys where it acts as a bactericide for a certain amount of time. A limited amount (0.3%) is considered harmless for us BUT since it is found everywhere in our homes, we cannot control our exposure to this toxic chemical. Products now that we trust to protect us from harmful bacteria (toothpaste, soaps) are in fact causing us more harm!

Triclosan OUT

A few years ago, Colgate Palmolive, took out Triclosan from it’s soaps but apparently, the ingredient is still present in Colgate Total, the company’s #1 best-selling toothpaste. It is interesting to note that Colgate Total is the only remaining toothpaste with Triclosan in the US market today. When we think about it, if triclosan can be the cause of numerous health issues on skin contact alone, try to imagine if a person will actually ingest this dangerous chemical! It would be disastrous!

The reaction would probably be the same as the incident on toxic Zinc with Fixodent, Poligrip and SuperPoligrip – known denture cream brands. Ingesting amounts of Zinc is linked to serious neurological and neuropathy problems. Toxicology studies finally revealed The Food and Drug Administration is probably in cahoots with some manufacturers as it was recently revealed that the FDA withheld information on Triclosan in toothpaste’s safety. Apparently, the FDA only depended on company- testing (in this case, Colgate Palmolive) in the toxicology and safety of the product.

Triclosan affects the Endocrine System

Take note that bone deformation can be a sign of hormonal imbalance and therefore affect the endocrine system. This is a serious concern as chemicals that affect the endocrine system can lead to a myriad of diseases like prostate, breast, ovarian and testicular cancer. Irregularities in weight in newborn babies, serious puberty issues in teen aged girls and boys.

Thomas Zoeller, a leading Biology professor and endocrine system expert from The University of Massachusetts stated that 800-1000 chemicals that affect the endocrine system are in most consumer products. But Triclosan is in the top 10 most used chemicals in the market today. Clearly, the effect would be greater if triclosan would be taken out rather than other chemicals.

Thyroid Function and Triclosan

A research in the Journal of Aquatic Toxicology by Prof. Caren Helbing PhD of the University of Victoria in Canada published in 2006 showed that Triclosan’s structure is smilar to thyroid hormones and that because of this similarity, it can attach itself to hormone receptors. This was evidenced by the deformed tadpoles that were exposed to the toxic chemical. According to Prof Helbing’s conclusion “Exposure to low levels of triclosan disrupts thyroid hormone-associated gene expression and can alter the rate of thyroid hormone-mediated postembryonic anuran development.” Meaning, triclosan was really a factor that contributed to the tadpoles’ abnormal development.

Pregnant women’s urine and newborn’s cord blood contains triclosan

A study based antibacterial chemicals exposure was done In Brooklyn, New York. Urine and cord blood samples were collected to test the probability of exposure to anti-bacterial chemicals like triclosan, triclocarban and butyl paraben in everyday materials. When the test samples came back, 100% of the urine samples and 51% of the cord blood samples tested positive for triclosan. Added to that, 87% of urine samples and 23% of cord blood samples tested positive for triclocarban. Furthermore, another study showed that 100% of the cord samples have at least one paraben. Take note that 99% of breast cancer tissue samples contain paraben esters linking the chemical to breast cancer.

Shockingly, amidst all the press about anti-bacterial products being actually “anti” bacterial, in actuality, it is still very vague if these products can truly protect us from diseases. In a random trial conducted to assess the actual efficiency of hand sanitizers as anti-bacterial agents, it was concluded that they did not prevent absence causing diseases.

Beware of these Chemicals in your toothpaste:

These chemicals affect your taste buds. These are the chemicals that cause everything to have a funny bitter taste after brushing your teeth.

• Fluoride
• Sodium Laureth Sulfate
• Sodium Laurel Ether Sulfate

Read the labels and choose a natural toothpaste instead. Or use coconut oil for cleaning your teeth. It has anti-bacterial properties that do not interfere with the balance of lipids in your tongue.

Have a clean, safe and healthy home

These tips can make your home chemical and bacteria free!

• replace your antibacterial stuff with natural alternatives.
• always remember that chemical disinfectants can do you more harm than good
• mild soap and water is best for cleansing
• use coconut oil as a disinfectant, use vinegar and 3% hydrogen peroxide (place in a spray bottle separately and spray on the dirty surface one after the other for best results)
• Sun light is also good.