Fluoride and Other Hidden Toxins in Your Toothpaste
We are all so much more health conscious today. It is not an uncommon sight to walk down the aisle of any grocery store and find people checking the labels on food products to make sure they don’t contain trans fats, too many carbs, added sugar, or a high number of calories. But how often do you see people checking out the label on toothpaste? We remain blissfully unaware of the potential danger to our health that lies in that blob on our toothbrush. Consumers assume that over-the-counter personal care products we use daily, such as toothpaste, must surely be safe. But are they?
Most toothpastes contain a number of slow moving poisons that accumulate in your body and lead to toxic overload. The thin mucous membranes in your mouth are highly sensitive and very permeable, allowing many of these toxins to be easily absorbed into the body, resulting in potentially grave health risks over time. I recently read the label on the back of my toothpaste box for the first time and was shocked to notice right off the bat the words “Drug Facts”. Who put drugs in my toothpaste? What the heck was in this innocent tube I used so diligently everyday?
The label on over-the-counter toothpastes lists Sodium Fluoride as an active ingredient under “Drug Facts”. Is Fluoride a drug? I thought fluoride was supposed to strengthen tooth enamel and help prevent cavities. How could a drug do that? Fluoride is actually a cumulative poison. It has been categorized by the FDA as a “toxic drug”. The 1984 issue of Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products lists Fluoride as “more poisonous than lead and slightly less poisonous than arsenic”. Lead has a toxicity rating of 3, Fluoride has a toxicity rating of 4. Sodium Fluoride and Sodium fluosilicate were, at one time, widely used as insecticides and occasional rodenticides! Yuk!! And because young children have not yet developed full control of their swallowing reflex, they are more prone to swallowing toothpaste while brushing. Thus the required package labeling to “keep out of the reach of children under 6” and “if accidentally swallowed, seek medical help or call poison control right away”. That doesn’t sound good!
Toxic chemicals, such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, commonly found in personal care products such as toothpastes. Just what the heck are these weird sounding ingredients? These ingredients, also known as SLS, are toxic synthetic chemicals used in toothpaste as detergents and foaming agents. SLS is so harsh that it is actually used as a commercial engine degreaser! Consumers confuse “foaming” with “working”, which is why these ingredients are commonly used. However, detergents and foaming agents are completely unnecessary to clean teeth and pose more risk than benefit. In the scientific community SLS is commonly acknowledged as a skin irritant and has been linked to mouth ulcers and canker sores.
And what about the use of artificial sweeteners such as saccharin, sorbitol and aspartame? Why in the world would I need a sweetener in my toothpaste? This ingredient serves one purpose only, purely to cover up the nasty taste of harsh detergents like SLS. The taste of SLS is so bad that it often takes more than 1 artificial sweetener to do the job! Artificial sweeteners have been linked to a long list of chronic illnesses. This stuff really scares me!
Preservatives prevent the growth of bacteria in products such as toothpaste. However, preservatives such as methylparaben and ethylparaben, common in toothpaste, kill more than just bacteria. Parabens are known carcinogens. They also are known to be irritating to the skin, eyes and respiratory tract. Parabens are highly toxic!
Ingredients such as PEG-12, tetrasosodium pyrophosphate and titanium dioxide are common in toothpaste. But does anyone know what this stuff really is? I think I had a piece of jewelry once made out of titanium dioxide.
And just why do I need coloring in my toothpaste like FD & C Blue No. 1? Does anyone really use a toothpaste because it looks pretty? Surely we can’t be that shallow!
That innocent blob on your toothbrush may not be quite so innocent after all. We all have to take responsibility for our own health and that includes the personal care products we use on our bodies and in our homes. Choosing safe personal care products, such as toothpaste, means reading labels regularly and educating yourself about the health consequences of the ingredients. Healthier alternatives are out there if you take the time to look for them!
When I was growing up mom used to warn me to “watch what comes out of your mouth”. Maybe mom should have warned me to “watch what goes into your mouth”!
