Results of a recent study show triclosan – an antibacterial chemical commonly used in personal care products such as Colgate toothpaste, handsoaps, and personal care products – hinders muscle contractions at a cellular level.
The study – by researchers at the University of California, Davis, and the University of Colorado – found the triclosan impairs heart and skeletal muscle contraction in living animals within 20 minutes of exposure to the chemical.
“The effects of triclosan on cardiac function were really dramatic”, said study co-author Nipavan Chiamvimonvat, MD. “Although triclosan is not regulated as a drug, this compound acts like a potent cardiac depressant in our models.”
This is the same triclosan, that in other prior studies was found to suppress thyroid hormone and disrupt estrogen and androgenic activity in animal studies. This is the same triclosan, that the American Medical Association reviewed in 2000, and found “No data exist to support their efficacy when used in such products or any need for them,”.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which regulates triclosan as a pesticide, has announced it will undertake a comprehensive review of triclosan beginning in 2013.
You may want to avoid this toxic chemical in your toothpaste, mouthrinses, and personal care products. For a list of the commonly used products that contain triclosan and other alternative products that are safer for you and your family, go online to www.beyondpesticides.org .
This study was published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Source: ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/newsroom/6872.