A Study Shows Toothpaste and Hand Wash Contribute To Antibiotic Resistance

(Newswire.net — August 31, 2022) Orlando, FL — Scientists are increasingly investigating the different contributing factors to antibiotic resistance, which is one of the major global health threats that continues to claim lives today.

A University of Queensland study has shown that a common ingredient in hand wash and toothpaste is a potential contributing factor to antibiotic resistance. 

This research was spearheaded by Dr Jianhua Guo from UQ’s Advanced Water Management Centre.

The study was centred on triclosan, which is a compound used in over 2000 personal care products.

“While it was well-known the overuse and misuse of antibiotics could create ‘superbugs’, researchers were unaware that other chemicals could also induce antibiotic resistance until now,” Dr Guo said.

“Wastewater from residential areas has similar or even higher levels of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes compared to hospitals, where you would expect greater antibiotic concentrations,” he said.

The researchers then considered whether non-antibiotic, antimicrobial (NAAM) chemicals like triclosan can directly induce antibiotic resistance. It is worth noting that these chemicals are actually used in much larger quantities on a daily basis. 

This means that there would be high residual levels in the wider environment, and this can induce multi-drug resistance. Such a discovery actually provides strong evidence that triclosan, which is found in personal care products that people use daily, is speeding up the spread of antibiotic resistance.

According to Advanced Water Management Centre Director, Professor Zhiguo Yuan, the discovery should be a wake-up call to re-evaluate the potential impact of such chemicals.

“While the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned the use of triclosan in antibacterial soap, the previous lack of unequivocal evidence prevented such a policy being adopted in other countries,” Professor Yuan said.

It is worth keeping in mind that today, there are many studies revealing that some measures are particularly helpful in lessening antibiotic resistance rates. 

It is worth noting that increasing protection against UTIs is vital in doing this. This is due to the fact that antibiotic is the primary treatment of the infection. To ward off UTIs, it may be helpful to take into account the use of superior-strength formulas like Divine Bounty D-mannose. 

This unique formula is widely used today by individuals suffering from recurrent infections. Aside from being highly potent and pure, it is also popularized by the added ingredients it contains namely cranberry and dandelion.

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