|
|
|
Too Clean for Comfortby Paul Tick You may have heard read about the overuse of antibiotics and how it contributes to the rise of "super bugs." Have you however, become part of the anti-bacterial hysteria? Are you washing your hands and dishes with anti-bacterial soap, covering your keyboards, telephones and steering wheels with anti-bacterial lotions, sleeping on anti-bacterial pillows and mattresses, cutting your foods on anti-bacterial cutting boards or buying anti-bacterial toys and high chairs for the kids? According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), "There's no evidence that they keep you healthier. But there is reason to worry& " because these products are contributing to the rise of "super bugs," bacteria that resist medical treatment. The fact is that most problematic germs you could find on your body are killed by the use of good old-fashioned soap. For years, hospitals have used antibacterial agents in soaps and surgical clothes to limits the spread of infectious germs. According to Scientific American (March 1998), while antibacterial agents kill certain susceptible bacteria, they simultaneously promote the growth of resistant strains of the bacteria, including "& ones that were unable to gain a foothold previously and are now able to thrive thanks to the destruction of competing microbes," and "once they have a chance to proliferate, some may become new agents of disease." There are scientists who suspect that the anti-bacterial craze can weaken the immune systems of children and trigger illnesses such as asthma, allergies and some severe types of diabetes. Cleaning your bodies and your home is necessary, of course, but this can be done with normal and healthy products (found at Honest Weight) which will do an excellent job of decreasing potentially problematic germs. When using thermometers or utensils for preparing meat for cooking, you can use alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, which quickly evaporate and do not leave long-lasting residues. Products that leave these residues continue to kill even the benign bacteria, which contributes to the growth of resistant stains of harmful bacteria. Scientific American warns that, "If we go overboard and try to establish a sterile environment, we will find ourselves cohabitating with bacteria that are highly resistant to antibacterials and antibiotics. Then, when a family member comes home from a hospital and is still vulnerable to infection, we will encounter mainly resistant bacteria." If we are not careful, we could even makes our homes "& havens for ineradicable disease-producing bacteria." John Conly, chair of the Canadian Committee on Antibiotic Resistance, points out that certain product manufacturers want people to believe that their cleansers make you safe, but that the "overuse of these products could create a dangerous & world." The NRDC suggests that you wash hands with soap and water by vigorously rubbing all parts of your hands for 15 seconds or more:
1. Before and after eating, caring for those
who are sick, treating cuts or wounds These are the most important things you can do to keep from spreading and catching germs. And as the NRDC states, "As for antibacterial products - forget about them." |
CoopScoop
Home |
