How often do you read the ingredients list on your toothpaste? If your answer is never, now is the time to start.
Toothpaste makers care more about selling you a product that looks appealing and has a pleasant taste… Rather than one that’s safe and improves your dental health.
Here are five toxic toothpaste additives to avoid:
1. Blue No. 1
Manufacturers add artificial colors to toothpastes for no other reason than to establish their brand through visual appeal. Safety? That’s not a top priority. As we’ve reported, Blue No. 1 causes kidney tumors in mice. It’s also known to cause immune reactions similar to allergies in some people.
2. Sodium Fluoride
Dentists and toothpaste makers have for decades claimed that you need fluoride for strong tooth enamel… But research shows that just isn’t the case. In fact, the opposite is true: It can erode your enamel.1 Even worse, there is strong evidence it is a factor in the development of heart, kidney, and thyroid diseases.
3. Sodium Saccharin
You’d never find tooth-rotting sugar in toothpaste, but they make it sweet somehow… Toothpaste makers—including Crest and Colgate—use sodium saccharin. Studies reveal this artificial sweetener can raise your risk of bladder cancer.2 It’s true you spit out most of the toothpaste you brush with… But your mouth absorbs a good portion of the ingredients before you rinse.
4. Triclosan
You may know hand soap producers add triclosan to their products. They claim the chemical kills more bacteria than regular soap… Even though studies show it doesn’t. It’s also in most anti-cavity toothpastes.
Triclosan is an endocrine disruptor. That means it can interfere with hormones. It’s also linked to cancer and brain disorders.
5. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)
SLS is the stuff that makes toothpaste foam up. Studies show it can make your teeth sensitive to metals, even making it difficult to eat with silverware.3 It can also make you vulnerable to canker sores.4
But you do have several simple options when it comes to avoiding these harmful substances.
For example, theobromine—a compound found in cocoa—doesn’t just help you lose weight like you recently discovered in Health Watch… It helps prevent calcium loss from your teeth. That makes them stronger and less prone to decay. You can find toothpastes with theobromine, but they’re often pricey. It’s better to make your own.
Try this simple recipe:
Chocolate Toothpaste
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons xylitol powder (optional)
- 4 tablespoons organic, extra virgin coconut oil
- 6 drops clove or peppermint essential oil
- 2 teaspoons organic cacao powder
- Distilled water
Directions:
- Mix all ingredients together in a bowl using a fork or whisk. Add distilled water, a teaspoon at a time, until mixture gets a paste-like consistency. Spoon or pour into an empty BPA-free squeeze bottle. You can find these online.
If you use commercial toothpaste, look for those that contain xylitol. It’s a natural sweetener that fights cavities. Xylitol toothpaste is easy to find at health food stores and online.
Have you found safe ways to keep your teeth healthy and clean? Let us know in the comments.
In Good Health,
Angela Salerno
Publisher, INH Health Watch
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References:
1http://fluoridealert.org/issues/fluorosis/
2http://tpx.sagepub.com/content/26/1/121.full.pdf
3http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2696932
4http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9656847