All toothpastes are toxic
Toxic ingredients in toothpaste you must avoid. Detailed overview of triclosan, sodium lauryl sulfate, artificial sweeteners, fluoride and other dangerous substances, along with homemade natural toothpaste recipes.
Toxic ingredients in toothpaste you must avoid. Detailed overview of triclosan, sodium lauryl sulfate, artificial sweeteners, fluoride and other dangerous substances, along with homemade natural toothpaste recipes.
Toxic toothpaste ingredients to avoid
Author — Joseph Mercola
Brief overview
From Dr. Mercola
You probably haven't thought about the ingredients of your toothpaste, haven't compared them to the ingredients of food or other personal care products, haven't realized that the pea-sized amounts of toothpaste you put on your toothbrush twice a day accumulate in your body.
Over a lifetime, the average person uses about 75 liters of toothpaste, and even if you spit out most of it, some chemicals contained in it enter the bloodstream. In fact, the oral cavity is one of the most absorbent places in the body. That's why some medications are prescribed sublingually, that is, under the tongue.
While you diligently brush your teeth and rinse your mouth, the ingredients of your toothpaste enter the oral cavity and gums, which are the gateway to every system in your body.
Therefore, you should be very careful when choosing toothpaste. Many popular brand pastes contain rather questionable ingredients that you'd be better off avoiding.
7 Toxic toothpaste ingredients
1. Triclosan
The popular Colgate Total toothpaste contains an antibacterial chemical called "triclosan," on the basis of which the company touts this paste as "the only one approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that helps fight plaque and gum inflammation."
Indeed, triclosan does help prevent gingivitis, but at a very high price. This chemical is linked to concerning issues of antibiotic resistance and endocrine disruption.
Endocrine-disrupting substances are a serious problem because they can contribute to a wide range of health problems, including breast, ovarian, prostate, and testicular cancer, premature and low birth weight births, premature puberty in girls, and undescended testicles in boys.
2. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)
Many toothpastes contain surfactants such as sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate (SLS), or sodium lauryl sulfate ether (SLES). Surfactants are chemicals responsible for foaming toothpaste, but at the same time, they affect the function of your taste buds by breaking down phospholipids on the tongue.
This causes a feeling of bitterness and is considered the reason why everything you taste right after brushing your teeth is unpleasant.
Not to mention that SLS is even linked to skin irritations and painful sores in the oral cavity — it's no wonder that research has recommended that people with persistent sores use SLS-free toothpaste.
However, one of the main problems associated with SLS is the carcinogenic, potentially 1,4-dioxane-contaminated byproduct of the manufacturing process (ethoxylation). In addition, carcinogenic volatile organic compounds are released into the environment during the manufacturing process.
Actually, manufacturers tried to obtain permission to market SLS as a pesticide for use on farms growing organic produce, but their application was rejected due to the substance's potential harm to the environment.
3. Artificial sweeteners
Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners are often added to commercial toothpastes. Aspartame consists primarily of aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Phenylalanine has been synthetically modified as a carrier of the methyl group, which provides most of the sweetness.
This methyl-linked phenylalanine, called methyl ester, is very weak, allowing the methyl group on phenylalanine to easily break down and form methanol. You've probably heard the claim that aspartame is harmless because methanol is also present in vegetables and fruits.
However, in vegetables and fruits, methanol is firmly bound to pectin, which allows it to pass safely through the gastrointestinal tract. But the methanol formed by aspartame is completely different — it is not bound to anything that could help remove it from your body.
And that's the number one problem.
Problem number two is that humans are the only mammals that lack a protective biological mechanism that breaks down methanol into harmless formic acid.
In humans, methyl alcohol passes through the blood vessels to sensitive areas, such as the brain, where methanol is converted to formaldehyde. And since there is no catalase there, formaldehyde causes enormous damage to tissues without restriction.
Symptoms of methanol poisoning are numerous and include headaches, ringing in the ears, dizziness, nausea, gastrointestinal disorders, weakness, spatial disorientation, chills, memory lapses, numbness and shooting pains in the extremities, behavioral disorders, and neuritis.
4. Fluoride
Fluoride has long been declared the answer to the cause of tooth decay, but in recent years it has been receiving more careful scrutiny, and for good reason. A groundbreaking study published in the journal Langmuir found that the thickness of the supposedly beneficial fluorapatite layer formed on teeth by fluoride is only six nanometers.
To show how thin this is, let's say that the thickness of a hair is 10,000 such layers! Scientists are now wondering: is this ultra-thin layer really capable of protecting enamel and providing any additional benefit, given the fact that it is quickly removed by simple chewing.
Not to mention that fluoride toothpaste is often the largest source of fluoride for young children and a major risk factor for disfiguring dental fluorosis. This happens because children swallow large amounts of paste that gets into their mouths. Indeed, studies have shown that young children often swallow more fluoride from toothpaste alone than the recommended daily intake from all sources.
Children are especially susceptible to the adverse effects of excessive consumption. If you have a young child, it is recommended to use fluoride-free toothpastes. For adults, I recommend the same.
5. Propylene glycol
Propylene glycol is a type of petroleum product that is used industrially in antifreeze fluids, paints, enamel, and aircraft de-icers. Its pharmaceutical form is used in many personal care products, including toothpaste, as a surfactant.
No safety studies have been conducted on the use of propylene glycol in personal care products, although its irritating effect on the skin, eyes, and lungs is known, which can lead to systemic organ toxicity. This is clearly not the substance you want to brush your teeth with.
6. Diethanolamine (DEA)
DEA is present in many foaming products, such as toothpaste. It is a known hormone disruptor and can react with other ingredients to form a potential carcinogen called NDEA (N-nitrosodiethanolamine). This substance is easily absorbed through the skin and is linked to the development of stomach, esophageal, liver, and bladder cancers.
7. Microbeads
Microbeads are tiny plastic granules found in shower gels, facial scrubs, toothpaste, and much more. Microbeads pass through the sewer and filter system of most treatment facilities and are released into the environment. There, plastic microbeads absorb toxins from the water, then are eaten by a variety of marine fauna and, finally, humans.
Here's a good reason to boycott any toothpaste containing microbeads, even ignoring its obvious environmental hazard.
Healthy homemade toothpaste recipes
You can make your own toothpaste yourself and thereby avoid many of the dangers of commercial varieties. The first recipe includes coconut oil, which has been tested against strains of streptococcal bacteria — common inhabitants of the oral cavity
Homemade toothpaste with mint and coconut oil
You will need
Preparation
In a bowl, mix the clay and salt. Add water. Mix well. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix well again until a paste forms. Store in a jar with a lid. Before use, spoon a small amount of paste onto your toothbrush. Moisten the paste by placing the brush under a weak stream of running water. Brush your teeth as usual.
If for some reason you prefer toothpaste without coconut oil, try another recipe — this quantity is enough for three brushings:
Homemade toothpaste with mint and baking soda
You will need
Preparation
Mix in a bowl until a paste forms. Then brush your teeth.
Your diet is the main factor in tooth decay
When it comes to proper oral hygiene maintenance, brushing your teeth and using dental floss are important, but the role of diet should not be forgotten. In particular, the main culprit is sugar. As Medical News Today reports:
"There is irrefutable evidence that sugar is the most important dietary factor in the development of dental diseases. In particular, the degree of caries is determined by the amount and frequency of free sugar consumption...
For healthy teeth and gums, it is important to consume a variety of nutrient-rich foods and avoid those containing sugars and starches... Sugar and sweets intake should be limited, since bacteria in the oral cavity need sugar to produce acid that weakens enamel and harms teeth."
It should not be forgotten that oral health is actually achieved by maintaining the balance of bacteria in the oral cavity, or the oral microflora. Reducing sugar consumption is crucial for this process, and, as I have noticed, adding fermented vegetables contributes to success. I used to have very serious problems with tartar — so serious that I had to constantly visit a dental hygienist to somehow cope with them.
As soon as I began regularly adding fermented vegetables to my diet, plaque formation on my teeth dramatically decreased. Dr. Gerry Curatola, founder of Rejuvenation Dentistry, with over 30 years of experience in biological dentistry, explains:
"It is necessary to take care of maintaining balance... We engage in organic gardening, pay attention to the state of our environment, and even eat natural products. I would like us to think about 'organic gardening' in the mouth. And this is achieved through a strong, healthy, and balanced nutrition protocol.
Such nutrition should consider three aspects — alkalization, high antioxidant content, and fighting inflammation. People should know about inflammatory dietary factors. There are products that initiate inflammation — gluten, dairy products, and a number of others. Different products may affect different people differently."
In addition to an alkalizing, antioxidant-rich, and anti-inflammatory diet, he recommends abandoning the use of detergent-based products such as toothpaste, antibacterial dental elixir, and alcohol-based mouthwashes.
A practice-tested plan for maintaining optimal dental condition
We know that consumption of overly processed foods and sugar definitely causes and worsens tooth decay in people, but at the same time, there is evidence of tooth decay in people in ancient times, long before the appearance of refined sugar and white flour, as well as in wild animals in our time.
Even dolphins, who generally don't eat carbohydrates at all, preferring only fish, squid, and crustaceans, have problems with tooth decay. Therefore, it is obvious that healthy nutrition alone is not enough to explain this phenomenon — otherwise ancient people and wild animals would not have had tooth decay.
In addition to consuming products that are part of a healthy diet (and abandoning semi-finished products and refined sugar), make sure to get enough omega-3 fats. Recent studies show that even in moderate quantities, omega-3 fats can help prevent gum disease. My favorite source of high-quality animal omega-3 fat is krill oil.
Don't forget to include in your diet many fresh, whole foods, fermented vegetables, and meat from grass-fed animals — this guarantees getting many minerals that are so important for strong bones and teeth.
Regular brushing of teeth and use of dental floss twice a day, along with regular teeth cleaning by a biological dentist and hygienist, guarantee the maximum possible health of your teeth and gums. In addition, you can try rinsing your mouth with coconut oil, which is a powerful inhibitor of a large variety of pathogenic organisms.
Avoid fluoridated water and fluoridated toothpaste, as well as most commercial brands of toothpaste. Instead, use natural fluoride-free toothpastes — homemade or from a reliable manufacturer.
CAUTION, POISON! The Harm of Toothpaste for Health.
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