Antibacterial Soaps are Destroying America
Posted: Monday, August 02, 2010
by Dianne Lehmann
Artisan Jewelry from SyZyGy
Did that get your attention? Think I'm wrong or making it up? Google it sometime. Check out what the FDA has to say about them. You might be surprised.
I've felt for a while now that antibacterial soaps are a mistake along with all the other antimicrobial thises and thatses that manufacturers are fobbing off on us. There is this one fact that makes them dangerous: they do not kill 100% of the bacteria with which they come into contact. Why is that a problem? Where do you think MRSA (methycillin resistant Staphylococcus areus) came from? In the case of MRSA, the problem arose when people were prescribed the antibiotic methycillin for a staph infection and when they began to feel better, they stopped taking the medication (mostly because of bothersome side effects). Because of this, not all the bacteria were killed allowing some to go on to engender a strain that is resistant. The same thing happens with antibacterial soaps and wipes and hand sanitizers.
Then too, there is the fear issue. We are taught by the manufacturers of these antimicrobial products to fear germs. We worry and worry about them getting any kind of toe hold on our bodies, our children's bodies, and even our pets. But they already have a toe hold; have had a toe hold for a very, very long time. Without bacteria, and to a certain extent viruses, we could not exist. There are bacteria that live in our intestines that are essential to our survival. There are beneficial bacteria that live on the surface of our skin. When you use antimicrobial products, you kill any susceptible microbe, including the good ones. This allows for those that are resistant to proliferate and create "superbugs" and superinfections. I bet you've had the experience of going to your doctor, getting and antibiotic for a sore throat, gotten over the sore throat only to come down with bronchitis or some other infection.
Also, studies indicate that by trying to maintain a germ free household, you could be putting the immune systems of yourselves and your children at risk. There was a study done in Italy that showed that exposure to bacteria was essential for the development of an infant's immune system. They determined that a baby must be exposed to germs in its first year of life in order to develop antibodies needed to fight infection later. Also, it's always been my belief that the immune system is like anything else about your body and that the "use it or lose it" principle applies. I think the immune system needs to be kept "in shape" and that the little colds and sore throats are just like running or swimming or pumping weights. Also, studies have shown that children who grow up on farms or around pets have healthier immune systems and fewer allergies. Farms can be very dirty places. I know because I work with horses on a ranch. I've been doing this for over a year and have not been sick with an infection of any kind in all that time. I've shared carrots with the horses, eating a bite here and there, with hands still dirty from cleaning stalls. OMG, you say. How could I be so stupid? I've studied pathogenic microbiology so believe me when I say I know what the risks are. Knowledge is the key to remaining healthy and not a reliance on products made by manufacturers trading on fear who want to make a quick buck.
I'm not saying that people who are immune system depressed, either through the use of steroid drugs or illness, shouldn't take possible infections seriously. Obviously, there are always going to be "special" cases. But I do believe that the everyday use of antibacterial products is a mistake. Soap and water work just fine, believe me, I'm proof.
Microbiologist Dr. Stuart Levy of Tufts University told an International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta , Georgia that strong antimicrobial cleaners are needed only when someone in a household is seriously ill or has low immunity. He said that older cleansers such as soap and hot water, alcohol, bleach, and hydrogen peroxide are sufficient for most purposes.
The "trick" as I have learned is to use a soap that cuts well through oils and to rinse thoroughly. The soap loosens the oils on surfaces (dishes, counter tops, hands) that hold onto the bacteria and viruses. Once it is loosened, it must be completely rinsed away. So use hot water when you can, but not so hot that you do not rinse long or well enough. That's all you need. What Dr. Levy did not mention was the use of vinegar. I make good use of that as well as soap, water and diluted bleach to clean up messes from raw meats.
Education is the key here, and I'm not talking about listening to what the advertisers tell you. By understanding microbes, their strengths and weaknesses, you can have much better control over your life than simply trusting to some product of dubious benefit to keep you safe (remember, they don't kill viruses, but a good washing and rinsing will send viruses right down the drain along with bacteria and fungal spores). There is a disturbing trend in America today to give responsibility for our personal health and well-being to someone other than ourselves. We don't seem to want to take responsibility for our own welfare, preferring to let "them" fix it. It could be that antibacterial soaps and all the other fear-engendered, falsely security-making products are just a symptom of the bigger problem. I don't know. But I am quite certain that eventually, our overdependence on others will do us in. So get in there and join the fight for your survival. Get back to our can-do, self-sufficient pioneering American spirit. Don't figure someone else will take care of it for you. Keep yourself healthy and you help to keep America healthy too.
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Top-level comments on this article: (8 total)I'm an RN and used to do infection control - you have written a dynamite and truthful piece here. Some bacteria we need. We definitely do not need more MRSA type "bugs" and you are right on in how that happens. Also, those of us who have septic tanks need to be careful what we pour down those or the good bacteria in them will stop working - don't even think about the mess that would cause....Hi Marijo.We have a septic tank and we are very careful about what we pour down our drains. We use very little bleach (I prefer to use vinegar) and mild, biodegradable soaps. We know people who have had trouble with their septic tanks and I bet I could tell you why without even asking them.I have an RN friend with a daughter who is a dental hygienist. They are both germaphobes and so I am glad that you came out on the side of reason ... well, okay, my kind of reason. :) Now I'm waiting to hear from the other side.Thanks for reading and commenting. Oh, our weather has been cool (mid to high 70"s), but very rainy and humid. Still, I'll take the coolness anytime. Even though Saturday's horse show was rained out. :(Hugs,Dianne
WOW Dianne, what GREAT information..........Good to know, Thanks for writing your article, very very interesting and smart !!!!!Hi Kathy.How are things in Miramichi? How are the boys? I hope that all is well.It certainly is something to think about anyway, isn't it.Hugs,DianneThings are quiet here on the Miramichi, everyone is moving out West to find work, the boys are doing good !! We'll have to catch up someday, nice to talk to you...been busy being a mom and not getting online very much except to check my email or a notice on Facebook once in a while.......................Your article IS very interesting and YES it is something to think about, you sure are smart....how did you come up with that idea....I am impressed....have a great day Dianne
Dianne,What a great article. It is about time that someone told this truth. Thanks for doing it. A little bit of dirt is beneficial -- there is no doubt!Hi Nancy.So far the response to my article has been good. I really was expecting a lot more ... well, outrage. I guess I'm not so alone in my feelings about it. I find a little bit of dirt never hurts. :)Thanks for reading and commenting.Dianne
I totally agree with you, Dianne - and great title, by the way!I grew up in a small town in Zimbabwe and played in the dirt all the time, and nobody ever worried about germs. When I lived in the US I was quite surprised at the level of fear of them. I'm sure you're right, it's just the marketing. Fear-mongering, the commercial world thrives on it.Really great, thoughtful article, thanks, I enjoyed reading it.Hi Jennifer.I've wondered if it is a uniquely American mindset. I was so hoping that it wasn't (not that I want other nations to be as crazy as we are, but it would be nice not to be alone in this). But I do think it is largely due to advertisers pushing the fear issue. You see it everywhere; not just with antimicrobial products. Car manufacturers come to mind with their commercials touting how their vehicles are safer than the competitions.Thanks for stopping by,Hugs,Dianne
Hi Dianne:Very thought-provoking article. And you may very well be right. How many times havewe been fed the benefits of a product, only to have them disproved later.Thanks for the article.RhondaHi Rhonda.Bernd and I were watching a bit of TV last night and there was a commercial for Abilify. In it, they gave a lot of the possible side effects. We looked at each other and said, "Why would anyone ever even take it?" A lot of things are like that, I think. Another one that comes to mind is Ambien. Last time I saw that commercial I did my own parody of it, "We are not sure how it works. We were trying to do something else entirely. But it puts people to sleep really well and so that is how we are marketing it. Oh and by the way, you might find yourself driving while asleep, so be sure to tie yourself securely to your bed before taking it."As long as there is money to be made, people will tell us how great their products are and all the short term testing in the world will not give you even a glimmer of what the long term consequences are.Thanks for reading and commenting.Dianne
Bravo! Great article! Very well-written. Glad to see others of like-mind speaking out. You are so right Dianne. When I was a nurse in Intensive Care back in the 80's and 90's doctors and other nurses would pitch a fit because I refused to wear gloves, mask, the works when dealing with AIDS patients. I wasn't foolish with it. I used certain precautions but mainly I used good ole soap and hot water. These patients were treated with fear and revulsion when we first began to have cases come in. It infuriated me. It was bad enough that these patients suffered from this dread disease but to be treated so disrespectfully was to me such an insult to them. Many people in health care get sick repeatedly because they cloak themselves in every way trying to avoid the 'GERMS', which mainly just ends up creating an immune system that is incapable of warding off bacteria and viruses that they inevitably come into contact with through the day to day work routine. I NEVER got sick in the 13 years I was a nurse. Well except for an ulcer, that doesn't count. (:-)) Fear is the best marketing tool in the world. It is used relentlessly and is heeded just as relentlessly. But I do believe people are starting to question. Bout time. HUH?Many BlessingsHi Goshwin.Wow! We do think very much alike about this! It is refreshing to see that others are giving it some serious thought. And that whole fear in marketing strategy is one of my hugest pet peeves. Just ask Bernd. I'm sure he is tired of hearing about it. But ... I no longer have to point it out to him ... he sees it for himself right off now. One of my goals is to get the word out and make others aware. I've written at least one article about the topic of fear in advertising and mentioned it in many others. Short of carrying a soap box around with me wherever I go, this is my best avenue for getting my word out.Thanks for helping to support my "cause."Hugs,Dianne
Personally i think that we should go through life in an orderly fashion, the over supply of medical good to keep us alive longer and longer is overpowering, besides we are left with a body that cant live beyond what it is expected to... and we cant change that.Hi Tony.Could you elucidate? I'm not sure I fully understand your comment. Are you saying that all medical intervention is pointless?I do, however, sincerely thank you for taking the time to read my article and to also leave a comment.DianneMedical intervention is not pointless, however the human body is what it is... as humans we keep trying to make the body last longer by propping it up with medical intervention, do you not think that these things are natures way of killing us off? as there are to many of us on the planet....Ahh. I understand a bit better now. And yes, I have often wondered just that. When AIDS first came to light, I thought that very thing. I thought it might just be the illness that destroys us. But we've gotten a handle on that one ... sort of.With all that we do, we certainly do prolong life. But when medical intervention allows an individual to survive past puberty and that individual reproduces, the traits that almost ended that individuals life are passed on to its offspring and thereby weakening the species. It's a conundrum or maybe a Catch-22. I'm not saying we shouldn't save lives, but the over population issue is a serious one. I don't know what the answer might be. Trying to convince people to stop making so many more people doesn't seem to be working.Years ago, I read a science fiction short story in which all the inhabitants of the earth could not survive without taking so many drugs that they were almost all hooked up to IV lines just about 24 hours a day. That would not be any kind of life.Thanks for taking the time to end some of my confusion.Dianne
Hey Dianne,I was SO happy when the studies came out that babies needed some dirt for their immune systems... let's just say that my kids are extremely healthy! LOL Seriously, I am not a fan of all the antibacterial stuff or the heavy use of antibiotics. We are seeing the bad effects of this already.
One more thing, it's a joke at our house how those drug commercials all have the soothing, happy voice at the end that says things like, "possible side effects include bleeding from the ears or heart murmur or blood poisoning". They sound so positive about it though.Hi Jean.One of my "favorites" goes something like, "Please report any uncontrollable muscle movements to your doctor immediately as they may become permanent." Really!I'm so glad that so many people are more aware of the seriousness of this. I'm glad to hear that you and yours pay attention to what is said and the absurdity of it. I wish more people did. I'll get off of my soap box now.Thanks so much for reading and taking time to comment.Hugs,Dianne
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