Research shows antibacterial soaps to be useless; ingredients may be toxic

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New research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows that household antibacterial soaps and other products offer no protection whatsoever against infections. I've said this for years: antibacterial products are at best a product marketing gimmick and, at worst, a health hazard to consumers. How could they be a health hazard? The antibacterial property of the soap is achieved by adding toxic chemicals to the soaps (that's what kills the bacteria, get it?). The chemicals used are frequently highly toxic substances: one of the most popular chemicals used in consumer soap products is chemically similar to Agent Orange, a biochemical weapon used in the Vietnam War. These chemicals get absorbed through the skin of consumers where they can cause nerve damage and liver damage.

Consumers have been blindly purchasing these products for years based on the unproven promise -- promoted by the soap sellers, of course -- that antibacterial products offer "protection from germs!" It's those nasty germs again! Yet, in reality, no kitchen is a sterile environment in the first place. Take a breath of air and you're inhaling "germs." Sleep in your bed and you're covered in germs. Dry yourself with yesterday's towel and you're scrubbing yourself with germs. We have germs all around us, which brings me to the immune system. The immune system's job is to take care of all those germs you have been exposed to, eliminating the need for toxic chemicals in your kitchen and on your dishes. In fact, the very idea of washing your dishes in Agent Orange strikes me as absurd, and yet it's very nearly what tens of millions of consumers are doing every day.

Word of advice: avoid all soaps, detergents, shampoos and other products containing fragrance or artificial colors. Use what I use: Dr. Bronner's soaps, available at any health food store. Or buy Sal Suds for your dishes. Check out the cleaning products made by a company called Seventh Generation. That's what I use for my laundry. I wouldn't touch any cleaning product sold at WalMart or regular grocery stores... those products are simply too toxic!

But I'm the exception. Most U.S. consumers regularly load up their shopping carts wish all sorts of toxic chemicals. Then they wash their clothes and dishes in those chemicals. Following that, they eat off those plates and wear the clothes that have been soaked in toxic chemicals. And they can't figure out why they feel so sick all the time. Go figure...
About the author: Mike Adams is a holistic nutritionist with a passion for sharing empowering information to help improve personal and planetary health He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, reaching millions of readers with information that is saving lives and improving personal health around the world. Adams is a trusted, independent journalist who receives no money or promotional fees whatsoever to write about other companies' products. In 2007, Adams launched EcoLEDs, a manufacturer of mercury-free, energy-efficient LED lighting products that save electricity and help prevent global warming. He's also a successful software entrepreneur, having founded a well known email marketing software company whose technology currently powers the NaturalNews email newsletters. Adams is currently the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit, and pursues hobbies such as Pilates, Capoeira, nature macrophotography and organic gardening. Known on the 'net as 'the Health Ranger,' Adams shares his ethics, mission statements and personal health statistics at www.HealthRanger.org


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