A study has found out that a particular chemical present in some toothpaste, antibacterial products, and soaps put women at a high risk of developing osteoporosis.
The chemical in question is triclosan, which was previously linked to antibiotic resistance and bowel cancer. Triclosan is a chemical added to some antibacterial soaps and some kinds of toothpaste. Moreover, it is also present in some kitchenware and clothing. Manufacturers claim that they add it to toothpaste to help in preventing gingivitis and in soaps to reduce bacterial contamination. Before going further, let’s know what osteoporosis means.
What is Osteoporosis?
It is a disease which reduced the quality of bones, makes the bones fragile and increases the risk of fracture. The loss of quality of the bones occurs silently and progressively. In most cases, there are no symptoms until the first fracture occurs.
What causes osteoporosis?
Bones are living tissues that are continually changing. From the time you are born until you become an adult, your bones are continually developing and strengthening. Your bones are their most dense when you are in your early 20s. This is called the peak bone mass.
As you age, some of your bone cells undergo a process known as resorption (dissolve) after which a new bone grows back (formation). The process is referred to as remodeling.
Now, for people with osteoporosis, the bone loss replaces the growth of a new bone. Therefore, the bones become porous, brittle, and prone to fracture.
Fractures caused by osteoporosis?
Women are more vulnerable to getting osteoporosis than men. In fact, 1 out of 3 women is at risk of getting an osteoporosis fracture. The most common fractures caused by osteoporosis majorly occur at the wrist, spine, and the hip.
The link between toothpaste and osteoporosis
Now that we have a bit of background information about osteoporosis let’s take a look at the claim on whether toothpaste can increase the risk of osteoporosis.
As stated earlier, toothpaste contains a chemical known as triclosan. An endocrinologist based in New York City believes that triclosan has a direct link to calcium leaching from the body – something referred to causing osteoporosis.
More research was done on the same as the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and other scientists took urine samples from adult women in the US. They would then use this data to study the link between osteoporosis risk and triclosan concentrations.
The results indicated that women having high levels of triclosan in their urine had fragile bones; hence, they were at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis compared to women having low levels of triclosan in their urine.
Women with high triclosan levels in the urine had low bone mineral density, particularly in the lumbar spine and in the femur. The reason for all this is that triclosan is an endocrine disruptor hormonally. Therefore, it qualifies to be in the long list of chemicals that cause structural disruptions. Nonetheless, triclosan may have other mechanisms of actions such as hormone enzymes or receptors involved in steroid metabolism.
Final Thoughts
Osteoporosis is a complex disorder that generally involves several factors. Some of these factors include environmental EDCs such as triclosan. However, there is still more research needed to help in determining the dominant mechanism of triclosan and the relationship to bone health.
Therefore, for you to be on the safe side, limit your exposure to toothpaste containing triclosan as well as other products having the chemical in them. By doing that, you’ll be sure to be free from the risk of getting osteoporosis. You can make your own home made tooth paste.
Recipe for Natural Toothpaste Ingredients
4 tablespoons coconut oil
2–4 tablespoons baking soda or a combination of baking soda and sea salt
Up to 1 tablespoon xylitol powder (optional)
20 drops cinnamon or clove essential oil (optional)
20 drops peppermint essential oil (optional)
small glass jar
