The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has announced that it is suing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), alleging that the FDA has failed to regulate toxic chemicals that are found in antibacterial soaps and other toiletry products. According to the NRDC, two toxins -- triclosan and triclocarban -- act as endocrine disruptors, damaging reproductive organs, affecting the quality of sperm and interfering with the production of thyroid and reproductive hormones. According to the FDA, triclosan safety is currently being reviewed, but the agency says there is no evidence that these products are dangerous.
At the same time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recently released data showing that levels of triclosan have increased in humans by an average of 50 percent since 2004. And a new study has shown that both triclosan and triclocarban can enter the food chain through via contaminated wastewater or fertilizer used in agriculture.
For more information, see the NRDC's handout on regulation of antimicrobials in everyday products (PDF) and Antibacterials Q&A on the Hazards of Hormone Disrupting Hand Cleaners.
Sources:
Triclosan Exposure Levels Increasing in Humans, New Data Shows Potential for Food Contamination Online
NRDC sues FDA for 30 year delay in regulating antimicrobials Online
Photo: clipart.com
And it’s not just in soap, but some clothing and children’s toys, too. This site has a good list of products containing these chemicals:
http://www.drbenkim.com/articles/triclosan-products.htm
Mary,
You used the wrong word. The second half of the first sentence should read… “alleging that the FDA has failed to REGULATE toxic chemicals…” NOT “failed to REGULAR toxic chemicals.”
Trish Taylor
P.S. Thank you so much! Your blog was the first step in getting my thyroid treated, about 17 years after the symptoms first began to show themselves.
Thx Trish — fixed that typo! Glad that you’ve found the blog a helpful part of your journey to living well!!!
I’m surprised that both Forrest Labs and RLC Labs were able to reformulate Armour and Nature-throid without notifying patients and doctors. After both reformulations I became very ill. It was a mystery until reading your articles about the Armour shortage, reformulation, and now the Nature-throid change in ingredients. Thank you so very much for keeping us all informed! I hope the coaliton will work on getting a law passed making it illegal for labs to change their medications without notifying doctors and patients. Now I don’t have a thyroid med. that works for me.
Sincerely,
C. Peterson
Thanks for sharing! I just read the list provided by a previous reader and I had an item on there I am going to remove immediately.
I have Grave’s and, after 2 years of treatment, have been in “remission” since January, not trying to do anything to bring it back on!!
Thanks again for the support and information. Please keep up the great work! :>
To C. Peterson,
Find yourself a compounding pharmacy and have a medication made for you. That’s what I did when Forrest reformulated Armour .
Good luck,
A
Something is whispering in the back of my mind…that the FDA does Not have my best health interests at stake.
Population control?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnMQjI8nzpY