(11-02-11) Allergies and Asthma linked to antibacterial products

by Anita Khalek, citizen journalist

(NaturalNews) Antibacterial products containing Triclosan are found to put
your health at risk and compromise the immune system's ability to defend
itself. People who are most exposed to Triclosan are more prone to increased
allergies, asthma and overall weakened immune defenses, cites a new study from
the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan.

Triclosan is in the same class of toxins as Bisphenol A (BPA). They are called
endocrine-disrupting compounds or EDCs because of their ability to affect the
functions of hormones or even worse mirror them. Triclosan is a synthetic
antimicrobial agent present in hundreds of products ranging from toothpaste,
deodorants, lotions, soaps, and even plastics and fabrics. This study indicates
that participants ages 18 or younger with higher levels of Triclosan had
increased chances of allergies and asthma. Associate professor and principal
investigator Allison Aiello stated that living in very clean and hygienic
environments is counter-beneficial to our health as it prevents the exposure to
micro-organisms that trigger the immune system into action; consequently, the
latter is not given a chance to kick in.

In recent years, several studies have shown strong evidence linking Triclosan
to a variety of immunotoxic and neurotoxic reactions ranging from skin
irritations and increased allergic reactions to a marked hypothermic effect on
the body; they lower the body's temperature and affect the central nervous
system - typical of hypothyroidism in which the most common condition is
autoimmune thyroiditis (or Hashimoto's thyroiditis), caused by a weakened
immune system.
One particular study, also from the University of Michigan, found
antibacterial soap to be no more effective than plain soap at preventing
disease and reducing the number of bacteria on the hands. More importantly, the
study also found evidence that Triclosan increases drug resistance to
antibiotics among different species of bacteria, thus promoting the emergence
of antibiotic-resistant generations of bacteria.

Triclosan was introduced into the health care industry in 1972 and over the
last 38 years, its use has increased dramatically. Triclosan, a lipophilic
agent, poses health concerns with its ability to accumulate in fatty tissues in
high quantities. It has also been found to contain dioxin, a family of
carcinogenic compounds ranging in toxicity. Dioxins are linked to causing
severe health problems such as miscarriages, birth defects, altering sex
hormones and even cancer. It is important to note that when exposed to sunlight
or ultraviolet light, Triclosan converts to dioxin. Additionally, Triclosan, on
its own, poses a threat to the ecosystem and is deadly to various types of
algae, not to mention that because of its lipophilic properties, it accumulates
in fatty tissues of fish and other organisms.

A number of European governments (Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Germany) have
issued warnings advising the public to discontinue antibacterial product uses:
calling their use "superfluous and risky". In the US, both the EPA and the FDA
have made little effort in advising the public about the risks of Triclosan. On
its website, the FDA cites lack of evidence regarding the health and
environmental hazards of the chemical. The EPA has rescheduled the re-
registration of Triclosan; this moves it up ten years ahead of its previous
schedule to 2013. Both the EPA and FDA have also announced that Triclosan is
undergoing review and results of their study are expected in the spring of
2011.

Sources:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/release...

http://www.suite101.com/content/fda...

http://www.endocrineweb.com/conditi...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...

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