Triclosan is an antimicrobial chemical found in personal care products such as soap, hand sanitizers, and toothpaste… and in the blood of most Americans. We are still finding out more information about how our bodies react to this chemical, and new research sheds light on the impact it may have on our gut.
A joint U.S. and Chinese team found triclosan causes low-level gut inflammation in rats when administered at levels equivalent to those found in humans. The inflammation appears to be the result of triclosan’s effect on bacterial populations in the gut because no inflammation occurred when researchers fed the same chemical dose to gut-bacteria-free rats. Additionally, triclosan increased the severity of colitis symptoms and stimulated colitis-associated colon cancer cell growth in rats that had been engineered or given chemicals to cause those conditions.
In 2016, over 200 scientists called for the limit of triclosan and triclocarbon in consumer products in the Florence Statement, as well as increased transparency, precaution, and long-term evaluation of human and environmental health impacts. Triclosan will soon be limited in U.S. health care washes and cleaning supplies but not in other personal care products readily available.
[Source: Chemical Watch]