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Updated March 2, 2009
Dangers of Antibacterial Soap
The ingredient that kills bacteria also kills human cells
Things really can be too clean
While hygiene is important and has played a major role in improving the health and welfare of peoples around the world — far more than any vaccination program — there really is something called "too much of a good thing."
There is a difference between clean and sterile. And, while I'd obviously want my operating room to be sterile for surgery, living in a sterile environment does not protect you from disease. In fact, it makes you more prone to it.
Ever since the invention of the microscope, the medical model has focused on the pathogenic cause of diseases. And that's fine, in some sense. But the real focus in healthcare should always be on the person, in building up the immune system and equipping the person to fight off the disease.
The problem with the sterility model of hygiene is that it leaves the immune system unchallenged. It never has the chance to attune itself to the environment and flex its muscles and grow strong. So, when a pathogen sneaks past the Lysol spray and Clorox wipes, the person is left entirely vulnerable to attack.
So, go ahead and clean. Just don't sterilize everything. Get out and get dirty. Make some real contact with your environment. Breathe some germs now and then. You'll be the healthier for it.
In an almost classic example of people blindly following the medical paradigm for health, Americans have become preoccupied with killing germs. And, marketers have not failed to recognize this.
Antibacterial ingredients have, in fact, become so prevalent in the United States that there are now antibacterial soaps, laundry detergents, shampoos, toothpastes, body washes, dish soaps and many household cleaning products.
The active ingredient in most antibacterial products is triclosan, an antibacterial agent that kills bacteria and inhibits bacterial growth. But not only does triclosan kill bacteria, it also has been shown to kill human cells. (Note: Read the rest of Dr. Joseph Mercola's article.)
Wow! Everyone needs to know this.
Our bodies are aging fast enough; we don't need to kill off our skin cells in an attempt to fight germs.
In addition to that, the unbridled use of antibacterial products contributes to the mutation of these organisms into antibiotic-resistant germs.
Triclosan and hormones
Triclosan can also act as an endocrine disrupter, upsetting the delicate hormone balance of animals. For example, it has been shown to hasten the transformation of tadpoles into adult frogs. It produces significant weight loss and accelerated hind-limb development, as well as elevated activity of genes linked with uncontrolled cell growth, and decreased gene activity in the tail fin.
By possibly making protein receptors in the cell more sensitive to thyroid hormones, triclosan makes thyroid hormones much more potent, and speeds up their impact. This is a significant finding because thyroid-hormone signaling is essential for the development of the human brain and body, so triclosan could have a profound impact on human health.
Triclosan has already been shown to bioaccumulate in fish and contaminate human breast milk, meaning that the effects of exposure may last long after that exposure is over.
A safer alternative to antibacterial soaps
A safe, natural, and powerful alternative to antibacterial soaps is really needed. The good news is that there is a line of essential-oil enhanced products that offers better effectiveness than those relying on harmful chemicals, and doesn't contribute to the mutation or endocrine problem.
