WARNING: ADDITIVE FOUND IN SOAP, TOOTHPASTE AND SHAMPOO IS LINKED TO CANCER AND LIVER DISEASE

Triclosan is an antimicrobial commonly found in soaps, shampoos, toothpastes and many other household products. It has been linked to cancer in a new study. Triclosan might be harmful to the immune system.

 

This study, published by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that triclosan causes liver fibrosis and cancer in lab mice.

Liver fibrosis is where persistent inflammation causes fibrous scar tissue to form around the liver cells and blood vessels. It can cause cirrhosis which in turn can make the liver stop functioning.

The researchers stress the findings are also relevant in humans, due to the processes they observed while conducting the study.

Triclosan is already under scrutiny by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States due recent reports that it can disrupt hormones and impair muscle contraction.

When you use a product containing triclosan, you can absorb a small amount through your skin or mouth. A 2008 study, which was designed to assess exposure to triclosan in a representative sample of U.S. children and adults, found triclosan in the urine of nearly 75 percent of those tested.

Evidence shows children with prolonged exposure to triclosan over months or years have a greater chance of developing allergies, including peanut allergies and hay fever, according to studies in the Journal of Allergy And Clinical Immunology in 2012, and in Environmental Health Perspectives in 2011.

Author of the new study, Dr Robert Tukey, of the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, said the chemical posed ‘very real risks’ to health.

If you’re concerned about triclosan, look for products that don’t list triclosan in their ingredients.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk