Chiropractor in Northfield Talks About a Common Chemical’s Harmful Ways

Every day our bodies come into contact with things that are harmful for our bodies. Our bodies are pretty good at detoxifying these harmful chemicals, but the more we are exposed the greater the chance that it can become harmful. A problem with these chemicals is that we are not quite sure which are good and which are bad, so this blog will describe one of the bad chemicals and how you can help your body avoid and/or detoxify them. This will be the first of several blogs about common harmful chemicals to avoid.

The chemical to avoid is triclosan. This is a common antibacterial and antifungal agent. For years it has been a known endocrine disruptor . This means that it mimics molecules in our endocrine system causing ill-effects to it. There is also evidence that it may affect our thyroid system. This means that it may disrupt our metabolism at its core. There seems to be a growing number of people with thyroid problems and this is one of several reasons why. There is also evidence of it being found in aquatic species in our oceans causing us to believe that it is not only bad for us, but harmful to every other animal on the planet. In the same article it describes how it is also found in human milk. This means that is being fed to our new-born children possibly causing endocrine disruption in infants.

The newest cause for fear of this chemical is that it may be affecting the neuromuscular junction possibly impairing the muscle function. This is happening at the cellular level, and it is not known what kind of problems it is causing in a subtle fashion.

If it is causing so many problems, then why are we using it? That is very simple. We have been taught that all germs are bad, and if we get rid of them we are healthier. This is simply not true, and in the case of triclosan I would say that it is much worse than just using plain old soap. It might actually be the contrary. This article gives evidence that triclosan may do more harm than good for our immune system. This is further evidenced by the FDA stating that, the:

“FDA has not received evidence that the triclosan provides an extra benefit to health. At this time, the agency does not have evidence that triclosan in antibacterial soaps and body washes provides any benefit over washing with regular soap and water.”

Call to action:

If this product is not benefitting us, but may be harming us then we should just get it out of our lives. How can you avoid this product? Look at your soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, and other cleaning products and get rid of them. There is not a lot of evidence that it is beneficial at all, and at the same time there is plenty of evidence to show that it is harmful. In my opinion they should be banned. That is not the case yet, but if you would like for it to go away the free-market lets you vote no on triclosan. That means that if you become an aware consumer and you don’t buy it, then it will no longer be sold.

When you are abstaining from using triclosan a detox is also recommended. View our past blog to how a detox can be quite beneficial for your health, and help your liver rid your body from this nasty substance.