Remember what your mom always told you? Scrub your hands before dinner, right? She certainly didn't say, "Make sure you slather on plenty of antibacterial gel." Well, she had it right, because washing with plain soap and water is just as effective as using antibacterial soaps and sanitizers.
I know, I know. It's almost impossible to turn around without bumping into anti-bacterial hand soaps, hand sanitizer gels, wipes, deodorants and toothpastes these days. The problem is that the most common ingredient in these products is Triclosan. Triclosan is an antimicrobial pesticide which has been shown to cause hormone disruption, allergies, asthma and eczema. If this weren't troubling enough, it breaks down rapidly in warm chlorinated water -- that's right, precisely what you use when washing your hands -- to form toxic chemicals, including chloroform. Just this year, the Physicians for Social Responsibility called on the EPA to ban Triclosan, stating that there are safer alternatives that are equally effective.
We're exposed to bacteria and viruses constantly -- in fact, trillions of them live in our bodies. Our immune system is designed to cope with these germs, to dispose of them. Research suggests that Triclosan creates resistance in bacteria. When we overuse antibacterial soap, the germs get smart and become resistant to the chemicals we use against them. Isn't that ironic? Here we are, trying to prevent the spread of disease by killing bacteria, and we're actually making it worse!
Keep in mind that understanding when to wash your hands is the most important key to reducing the spread of germs. My children know that the first thing they do when they walk in the house is wash their hands. It's the best way of keeping whatever they've touched or handled in the outside world on the other side of that door.
If you're like me, you'll be keeping germs at bay the old-fashioned way. Join me in telling the EPA we're tired of finding Triclosan in our household products by supporting the Citizens Petition for a Ban on Triclosan.
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20932229
From the abstract linked: The lowest effective concentrations in the rodent model are approximately 10 (for estrogen) and 40 (for thyroid hormone) times higher than the highest concentrations reported in human plasma.
There is no evidence supporting the hypothesis that triclosan is a hormone disruptor.
Louis Pasteur (Late 1800's) introduced the "germ concept" to humanity. The resultant field of medicine became known as Allopathic, which essentially treats existing/active disease with medicine. (That's way oversimplified.)
Claude Bernard was a contemporary of Pasteur's, however he was, shall we say, politically destroyed and discredited. (Pasteur was not a nice man! – that's an understatement!) Bernard's theory was that the immune system was paramount. (“The constancy of the internal environment is the condition for a free and independent life”)
A little known fact is that Pasteur, from his deathbed declared, “Bernard was right; the pathogen is nothing; the terrain is everything.”
The sad tale of history between then and now is that germs generate more money than preventative measures.
Ironically, germs ARE a contemporary problem because first-world immune systems have been systematically weakened. Some would say, so more pills could be sold, but would be pretty cynical, wouldn't it?
Wrong. The term "allopathy" was coined by Samuel Hahnemann (the creator of homeopathy) in 1810, to described medicine as practiced at the time. Conventional medicine which developed in the 20th century is a lot different than that around 1810.
"A little known fact is that Pasteur, from his deathbed declared, ..."
First, where is the evidence for this? Pasteur's official biography, written by his son in law (who was present at his deathbed) mentions nothing like this. Of course, it's possible that the biography is mistaken (or even lying), but what evidence do you have for that? Who was present at his deathbed who heard him say that?
Second, even if he had made such a deathbed confession, it wouldn't make any difference to science; what matters is the evidence. If, for example, Einstein had recanted the theory of relativity on his deathbed, it wouldn't make a single whit of difference to any physicists.
My point is that Pasteur's arguments won the field and holistic preventative medicine was dismissed as irrelevant, until recently. More or most energy has been expended fighting germs; with little to no emphasis on the importance of a strong immune system.
Yeh! Germs are real. So are viruses. There are enough of both living in most people to bring about incredible suffering; however, in the majority of cases the immune system prevents their domination.
My primary point, which I believe is what Bernard was teaching and Pasteur was against, is that prevention is a wiser approach than waiting until the disease is full blown and treating it.
The deathbed quote can be found easily with an internet search. For those who consider a deathbed statement irrelevant, check legal statutes.
Ideally we want to be exposed to weakened version of all the germs we can, so our immune system can learn them and defend against them, but not be overwhelmed.
I like 3% hydrogen peroxide as my primary disinfectant, because it's "only" 99% effective. And there is no evidence of adaption to it by germs. H2O2 is also the bodies natural cell killer.
Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship