We live in an environment inundated with chemicals and these are breathed in, absorbed through our skin and eaten on a daily basis. Some chemicals are known to “bioaccumulate,” which is when a chemical does not leave the body. It stays and accumulates each new time it is taken in. Over time this bioaccumulation will reach toxic loads taxing our immune system in ways that it was not meant to handle.
Deodorant is an innocuous word meaning to block the bacteria from growing in armpits and preventing subsequent odors. There are several chemicals commonly used in deodorants. These are listed here with full explanations.
Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to make plastics more flexible and harder to break. They are often called plasticizers. Some phthalates are used as solvents (dissolving agents) for other materials. They are used in hundreds of products, such as vinyl flooring, adhesives, detergents, lubricating oils, automotive plastics, plastic clothes (raincoats), and personal-care products (soaps, shampoos, hair sprays, and nail polishes). [1]
- CDC researchers found measurable levels of many phthalate metabolites in the general population. This finding indicates that phthalate exposure is widespread in the U.S. population.
- Research has found that adult women have higher levels of urinary metabolites than men for those phthalates that are used in soaps, body washes, shampoos, cosmetics, and similar personal care products.
* Health concerns: Endocrine disruption, developmental and reproductive toxicity, organ system toxicity, bioaccumulation. *Vulnerable populations: Pregnant women and breast-feeding mothersRegulations: Banned in cosmetics sold in the EU* Endocrine disruption: Two decades of research suggest that phthalates disrupt hormonal systems, which can cause harm during critical periods of development. Phthalate exposure in pregnant women, as measured by urine samples, has been associated with a shortened distance between the anus and genitals in their male babies, indicating a feminization had occurred during prenatal genital development [6]. Shorter anogenital distance is characteristic of female sex in both humans and animals. Other research in humans has shown that baby boys exposed to phthalates in breast milk had alterations in their hormone levels. [2]
Triclosan is a chemical with antibacterial properties. For more than 30 years, it has been used in consumer products such as detergents, soaps, skin cleansers, deodorants, lotions, creams, toothpastes, and dishwashing liquids. Triclosan can be added to other materials, such as textiles, to make them resistant to bacterial growth.In the Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals (Fourth Report), CDC scientists measured triclosan in the urine of 2,517 participants aged six years and older who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) during 2003–2004. By measuring triclosan in urine, scientists can estimate the amount of triclosan that has entered people’s bodies.Triclosan was detected in the urine of nearly 75% of the people tested. In 2010, FDA stated that, “Existing data raise valid concerns about the [health] effects of repetitive daily human exposure to [triclosan]” and announced plans to address the use of triclosan in cosmetics or other products.
Triclosan goes into the blood stream from skin contact. Your deodorant may contain Triclosan! This chemical if applied daily to armpits is also a location of the body containing lymph nodes, a filtering system for our blood. Triclosan can also react with the free chlorine in tap water to produce lesser amounts of other compounds, like 2,4-dichlorophenol.[3] Most of these intermediates convert into dioxins [4] upon exposure to UV radiation (from the sun or other sources). Although small amounts of dioxins are produced, some dioxins are extremely toxic and are very potent endocrine disruptors. They are also chemically stable, so that they are eliminated from the body slowly (they can bioaccumulate to dangerous levels), and they persist in the environment for a long time.
Triclosan has been associated with lower levels of thyroid hormone and testosterone.
Triclosan was first registered as a pesticide in 1969. Would you want to use a pesticide in your mouth or body?
Parabens are man-made chemicals often used in small amounts as preservatives in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, foods, and beverages. Common parabens are methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben. Often more than one paraben is used in a single product.
People can be exposed to parabens through touching, swallowing, or eating products that contain parabens. Many products, such as makeup, moisturizers, hair-care products, and shaving creams, contain parabens. Parabens in these products are absorbed through the skin. Parabens also can enter the body when pharmaceuticals, foods, and drinks containing parabens are swallowed or eaten. Parabens that enter the body are quickly excreted.
CDC scientists found Methylparaben and propylparaben in the urine of most of the people tested, indicating widespread exposure to these parabens in the U.S. population.
- In adults younger than age 60, non-Hispanic blacks had higher levels of methyl paraben than non-Hispanic whites.
- Females had several-fold higher concentrations of methylparaben and propylparabens than males, which likely reflect the greater use of products containing parabens. [5]
Here is a theory regarding the cause of Alzheimer’s and its connection to aluminum.
For example, it is widely accepted that aluminum toxicity can produce brain degeneration similar to the lesions of Alzheimer’s dementia. Findings on experimental animals have shown that injections of aluminum compounds produce neurological tangles in the brain similar to those found in Alzheimer’s dementia. Early in the 1970s, researchers at the University of Toronto explored a possible connection between aluminum and Alzheimer’s dementia. Their findings were dramatic. Autopsies of brains from patients who had been diagnosed as Alzheimer’s dementia contained as much as 30 times more aluminum than normal brains.
However, subsequent research has clouded these findings. Investigators at the University of Kentucky failed to find significant amounts of aluminum in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients even though these individuals had spent a life time drinking local water containing high levels of aluminum.
There you have it, a brief view of a few chemicals out of the many that we are exposed to on a daily basis. Here are simple solutions to avoid daily toxicities that abound.
* Drink water in a stainless steel container or thermos. Plastic bottles leach chemicals into the water especially if exposed to heat.
* Use body care products that do not have harmful ingredients in them. There are many natural deodorants that do not contain phthalates, parabens, triclosan and aluminum. Tom’s of Maine is one manufacturer and another thatis super clean is Crystal Body Deodorant Spray.
* Use simple soaps that are just soap and forget any that state they kill bacteria. If they make that claim then they are using a chemical that is probably not good for you. The bubbles are what carry away germs. They do not need to be killed if they are off your body they go into your drain where they cannot hurt you. : )
* Read labels, yes, the ultra fine print on the back of the container. If you cannot pronounce the word of a chemical it contains then don’t buy it.
* Replace cleaning products made with chemicals and fragrance to natural products. I use Clorox Green Works. It is 99% natural and fragranced with essential oils instead of chemicals. This product works so well that I water it down by 50% and add 1/2 a cup of white vinegar, with this mixture I can safely clean most surfaces and especially glass and mirrors.
* White vinegar is excellent for cleaning purposes, and here is a website devoted to this subject.
* For body care products go to www.aromaland.com They sell their stuff by the gallon and you save a lot of money. My lotion purchased through them is incredible. For instance I used to buy Alba body cream for about $10.00 for 6.5 ounces. Due to inflation it now costs $15.00 for that same 6.5 ounces. Much to my delight the Aroma Land product is just as good or even better. I spent $29.00 for the gallon which will last me a really long time. Their shampoos and conditioners are excellent as well.
Any way that we can lessen our toxic load is an investment into future health and well worth the effort. For patients with compromised immune systems this effort is even more important.
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