Are these common products destroying your immune
system and memory?

I've told my readers for nearly 10 years to avoid antibacterial soaps. Now the FDA finally agrees.

The FDA made international news recently when it announced its concerns about the chemical triclosan. You can find this chlorinated organic chemical in common sanitizers, soaps, and even toothpaste.

A Congressman from Mass., Edward Markey, has pushed for tighter control over triclosan and other chemicals dumped into consumer products. He says, "It's in our drinking water, it's in our rivers, and, as a result, it's in our bodies and children's toys. It's something that creates a danger."

This news isn't surprising. Most of the countries in the European Union have banned or restricted the chemical. Yet the U.S. Soap and Detergent Association, which represents the $30 billion U.S. cleaning products industry, minimized the concerns.

Continued Below...

Brian Sansoni of the SDA said: "These products and ingredients have been reviewed, regulated and researched for decades," he said. "We believe the science strongly supports the safety and efficacy of these products. It's more important than ever that consumers continue to have access to these products. It's a time of increased threats from disease and germs."

Wake up, Brian!!! We are facing a time of increased threats exactly because of situations like this. Triclosan is a very reactive chlorinated phenol compound. It can degrade to extremely toxic dioxins. It may be an endocrine disruptor on its own, or be transformed into one simply by light hitting the molecule in the water it contaminates.

Research suggests that it can combine with chlorine in your water supply to generate chloroform, a known carcinogen. It is very stable in your body, and will stay there for a long time. As an endocrine disruptor, it could wreak havoc on your breasts, prostate, uterus, and more. "Endocrine disruptor" is a term for manmade chemicals that have extremely toxic hormone-like effects on your body. How do we know that the rise of infections in people is not due in part to the presence of chemicals like this in our bodies?

What's worse, researchers find triclosan in just about every American they test. So it's extremely common. I've warned against chemical laden soaps and especially antibacterial soaps ever since they arrived. The best defense against infection is a powerful immune system. Chemicals destroy the latter. If you need topical antibacterial support, consider the wonders of essential oils, such as oregano and thyme. Please don't use chlorinated hydrocarbons like triclosan. Chlorinated hydrocarbons are also used as pesticides, and they last a very long time in the environment.

My favorite soap is Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap. It's quite pure and does a great job. You'll find it in most health food stores. Get rid of toothpaste containing antibacterials. Why would any regulator allow such a compound to enter your mouth?

Don't buy clothing laced with antibacterial or anti-odor chemicals. These organic chemicals can migrate right through your skin. And, because of their lipid-soluble nature, they wind up in the fat of your mammary glands, or move right through your blood-brain barrier into your brain and nervous system. Avoiding these products is one of the best health decisions you can make.

Yours for better health and medical freedom,

Ref: Layton, Lyndsey. Washington Post, April 8, 2010.