Is 'Antibacterial' Really Helping Us?

More than 200 doctors and scientists recently signed a special declaration, suggesting that the term 'antibacterial' on products we encounter daily, including hand sanitizers, might actually mean the opposite of what consumers think. Leading this declaration, published in the scientific journal Environmental Health Perspective, is Professor Rolf Holden, who argues that the environmental and health damage caused by products labeled 'antibacterial' is much more significant than we might imagine.

While dozens of articles and studies over the past decades have tried to paint a 'rosy' picture of sanitizing and purifying from bacteria and other contaminants, this declaration casts serious doubt on their health benefits. Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the marketing of various 'antibacterial' soaps and washes, primarily because they contain the chemicals triclosan and triclocarban.

Other products that are not labeled 'antibacterial' but contain these hazardous chemicals, such as plastic kitchenware, carpets, cleaning materials, clothes, and toys, have also been banned by the administration, as they are linked to causing cancer, among other health issues.

According to the declaration, these substances pose a real threat to the endocrine system by causing severe hormonal imbalances.