toothpasteA chemical that a study has linked to the growth of cancer cells is being used every day by millions of people in the United States and around the world. Cancer-linked triclosan is found in Colgate Total toothpaste. The U.S. government has known about problems with the chemical for years, but the information is only recently being made public. The alternative is to make a superior toothpaste yourself – but we digress..

Colgate-Palmolive adds the chemical to Colgate Total toothpaste because it can play an important role in limiting gum disease, and the company claims the chemical is completely safe. They note that the use of the antibacterial agent also found in soaps and other products in the toothpaste was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1997.

Thanks to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, however, it has emerged that the toxicology information used during the approval process by the FDA relies on science that was funded by the company itself, a questionable practice. This information only came to light early in 2014 and required a lawsuit to bring into the public realm. The entire 35-page report is now on the FDA’s website.

In the report, the FDA indicates that there were concerns about triclosan and the possible increase in cancer risk that could be associated with it, but the company downplayed the research about a link with cancer because the studies were conducted on animals and because it said the chemical is only a problem for humans when taken in extremely large doses.

But is your family willing to take a risk on a toothpaste that could cause cancer when there are so many other potentially less harmful choices on the market and it is also possible to make your own toothpaste? Common sense would suggest that families should choose a product or way of cleaning teeth that isn’t linked with problems. What will your family do?

 

Reference: http://besttoothpaste.net