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July 8th, 2011
03:47 PM ET
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  About this blog
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love. Recent Comments
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Antibacterial soaps are as bad as improper use of antibiotics. They make the germs that they don't kill more resistant to the chemical used to try and kill them. Everything downstream of the sink becomes stronger. Bacteria and virus in our environment are normal and many are beneficial. You couldn't live without some bacteria on your skin.
There's absolutely no reason for anyone who isn't in a medical setting to use anti-bacterial soap. But hey, the free market is always right, right?
The Human body is geared to created defenses for things that attack it. If you dont let it learn while it is growing what is bad and good then u create a body that is a newb to all......
stupid is as stupid does......
I don't get the idea of these special soaps. All it takes is one little piece of a staph chain left under a fingernail or anywhere else to start the process all over again. The idea that one of these soaps accomplishes anything besides getting you to wash your hands with soap is beyond me. It's just marketing over reality and if it works it's worth a lot of money. It's as stupid as many of the corporate campaigns that sell processed food. This kind of stuff makes money and that's all that counts.
I generally agree about oversanitizing, but even water is "antibacterial". They could develop some kind of resistance to a bar of soap too.
Recently I had an operation at a Cleveland Clinic hospital here in Cleveland and I was instructed to wash with anti-bacterial soap the night before the operation. If it is good enough for the Cleveland Clinic it is good enough for me.
Of course they are going to tell you to wash with antibacterial soap before an operation. There needs to be NO germs when you have an operation, but to use antibacterial soap everyday is not good. We wonder why our children are getting more diseases and it is because we as a society are "protecting" them too much with crap like this. They need to stick dirt in their mouth, need to jump in muddy water, need to get dirty and other unsanitary things people think are "disgusting."
This is false logic. Hopsitals also sterilize everything. That doesn't mean it's a good idea for you to sterilize everything at home.
That logic is absurd. Proper procedure at a hospital no more translates into proper procedure at home than would, say, proper procedure at a chicken roost. All that means is that you're as willing to contribute to chemical pollution and increased antibiotic resistance to your community as the medical industry does. This does not make you good or smart.
Its quite simple. The soap is good before a procedure for a single use. The chronic use leads to the develop of resistant strains of bacteria. Using the same logic, antibiotics are useful when used when needed. They are not usually useful when taken every day for years. So don't take one instruction for one specific cause as promotion of the daily use of the soap.
Right on, bro!
that is seriously twisted logic. I had to get an X-ray to see if there was something wrong inside my body. If I take a daily X-ray I will always know if something is wrong
I am so sorry Paul....but you have got to be kidding right?
That is just not a very intelligent way of thinking about things.
It is people like you that make Americans sound dumb
Not too often. It kills the good bugs too. Kids need to play in the dirt and get exposed to stuff to develop natural immunity.
So true. In some cases, it can adversely affect the health of overprotected kids when they get older. Some bugs kids get over quite easily, while leaving adults bedridden. Our doctor always tells us to let our kids play in the dirt; it's good for them.
The problem is not with anti-bacterial products but the overuse of them. Now I will use the product if I have handled nasty fluids or other potentially harmful items. But, I will not use it heavily like some people will do. And I have noticed that when people overuse the product they catch a cold more often then others.....heck I haven't had a cold or flu in over 3 years.
By the name, it looks like you're a Marine. I would assume you are in decent shape at at least. I think exercise plays a bigger role in not getting sick then anything else. With the right training, your total system is tested and becomes stronger in the process.
This was reported some time ago but getting a cold or flu a few times a year is not all that bad. Colds force the body to rpoduce microphages which destroy the cold virus as well as precancerous cells and other things that don't belong in the body. This is from memory and may be somewhat inaccurate, but people who do not get colds are 40% (I think this is the number) more likely to develop tumorous cancers. Colds are a good thing that help you stay healthy.
super bugs super bugs when will humans ie from super bugs?
Cold viruses do not like people with healthy immune systems. Sometimes even the flu bug has a hard time entering this type of person. I inquired once with my Dr. when I was having my yearly checkup why I hardly ever got a cold or the flu even though I am around it all the time. Three words. Healthy immune system. And I have never been in a hospital and I sure don't want to end up in one for as long as possible. And by the way, you can't buy a healthy immune system. You have to create it and for sure antibacterial soaps have nothing to do with it.
i call BS on not having a cold for 3 years.
Bar soap works just fine for me. With liquid soap, you're just paying extra for water and getting less soap. Bar soap is more cost effective and gets you hands just as clean. (Of course, I'm talking about homes, not public restrooms where liquid soap is probably more appropriate...0
I think the whole antibacterial soap thing is overblown. These soaps do not eliminate our exposure to bacteria, not by a long shot. They just kill the bacteria that might be on our hands at the time we're washing them. We are introduced to a lot of bacteria every day, only some of which comes from our hands.
That's not the issue. The problem with anti-bacterial soap is that it contains compounds that actively kill bacteria. That sounds good, but unless you're using massive doses, you're not going to kill 100% of the bacteria on your hands. The bacteria that survive may be innately more resistant to the antibiotics, or they may form mutations to become resistant. Regardless, those resistant bacteria will repopulate your hands. The next time you use the soap, the same thing happens, and the resistance to the antibiotics is increased. Eventually, you'll have bacteria on your hands that are essentially immune to the drugs. That's a scary thought – there may be times when you really do need to kill as much of the bacteria as possible, but you won't be able to because of their drug resistance (and God help you if those bacteria get beneath your skin and cause an infection).
You may think that, but thankfully we have the scientific method to overrule such "common sense," because it is both wrong and incomplete: antibacterial soaps kill MOST of the germs they come in contact with. That's the part you're not worried about, and you shouldn't be. The part you should worry about is what happens to the germs that are NOT killed by antibacterial soap. They aren't killed because they are able to resist the antibiotic: when they repopulate your hands, the doorknob, etc, you now have a hand filled with germs that are able to survive your soap. Your antibacterial soap is now soap-that-doesn't-kill-germs. This is a bad thing, and ends up killing hospital patients whose infections are resistant to all of the compounds we use to try and kill them.
david–If you think about it, if what you just said is true, we'd be overrun by drug-resistant bacteria by now. I do seem to remember some study saying that hand soap at homes has not really contributed to this. I don't know why, but the risk probably is overblown.
matt, it is overblown... but some people must play armchair microbiologist. For all those people worried about the drug resistance of bacteria, those that want to kill 100% and not just 99.9%, spray things down with high concentrate rubbing alcohol. I keep a spray bottle in my purse and rub my newly washed hands with it, when out in public. You know, those of you that b and moan about people washing with antibacterial soaps, aren't any of you happy that some people are still willing to wash their hands? I presume most of you naysayers don't bother... after all, more the merrrier, even bacteria... then what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Well, good luck with that gamble. I was not born with a "strong" immune system, and I beg to differ, you can not "create" a stronger immune system than what you were given. Get over it, and let those of us that need a little help, have it! Now that antibacterial soap has virtually been run off the market, we'll just use alcohol. You can't dictate to people what they can do, not in this free market capitalist society.
BS- We are beginning to be overrun by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The strains of most of our original antibiotics have had to be redesigned over the years, and unfortunately that's just not common knowledge. We are now seeing TB and gonorrhea strains that can only be killed by our strongest antibiotics. MRSA is bacteria-resistant staph (methicillan-resistant staphylococcus aureus). Staph is a leading cause of complications and even death in hospitals. The current clinical theory is that over-sterilization in hospitals actually caused this bacteria to develop.
For those worried about how they can keep themselves clean without antibacterial products, it has been well established that traditional soap and water works just as well, if not better.
This article is not about antibiotics. It's about antibactierial soaps, which don't contain antibiotics. Studies HAVE shown that antibacterial soaps are not leading to resistant strains. Antibiotics are a different issue.
Bar soap or liquid soap. they are both anti-bacterial. As soon as they are finished, use a different brand to reduce the chances of the common bacteria you have on your hands to develop a degree of resistance.
liquid soap that is not anti-bacterial is very hard to find. Lots of bar soap is not anti-bacterial.
Non-anti-bacterial liquid soap shouldn't be hard to find. I use Wal-Mart's generic brand, although I agree there's more of the anti-bacterial liquid stuff available. It's marketing hype that too many people buy into. Only 3% of bacteria are harmful; 90% are beneficial (the rest are neither).
Thanks for advice. I'll try again to find the non-AB liquid soap. I don't care for, it but my wife does.
Softsoap totally quit making antibacterial soap, except the orange variety. So just pick up the clear stuff and read the back.. no triclosan.. which is all it ever was. Big deal. Thanks to all of you for running it off the market, drama queens. You might all want to know that triclosan is added to manufacturing materials, such as bath vanity tops... begin your letter writing campaign NOW! http://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Triclosan "An article coauthored by Dr. Stuart Levy in the August 6, 1998 issue of Nature[16] warned that triclosan's overuse could cause resistant strains of bacteria to develop, in much the same way that antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains are emerging. In 2003, the Scottish Sunday Herald newspaper reported that some UK supermarkets and other retailers were considering phasing out products containing triclosan.[17]
It has since been shown that the laboratory method used by Dr. Levy was not effective in predicting bacterial resistance for biocides like triclosan.[18] At least seven peer-reviewed and published studies have been conducted demonstrating that triclosan is not significantly associated with bacterial resistance over the short term, including one study coauthored by Dr. Levy.[19]"
Jaka–Thanks for posting that. I had heard that or some other report as well. While I don't want to use them, it was my understanding that they have NOT been linked to the development of resistant strains. Thanks for confirming.
I'm not a fan of anti-bacterial soap either,for the reasons mentioned by previous posters.My company has liquid antibacterial soap dispensers in the washrooms,and I doubt building maintenance would heed my calls to return to regular soap.
2/3 of adults are NOT obese! That is silly!
BD
It said "overweight or obese".
Sorry,you are wrong:
Q: How many adults age 20 and older are overweight or obese (Body Mass Index, or BMI, > 25)?
A: Over two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese.[4]
All adults: 68 percent
Women: 64.1 percent
Men: 72.3 percent
Website: http://win.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/#overweight
Sure seems as if nearly every person I see these days is overweight. I recall one overweight child in my class during elementary school and I still recall his name almost 40 years later. During a recent rip to an amusement park I was horrified by the number of overweight and obese children.
Re: NON anti-bac soap being hard to find. refill your pumps with cheapo shampoo or dish soap. this is what i do. the 88 cent or dollar a bottle stuff!! and don't use anti bac cleansers in your home. i use green works or plain old baking soda and vinegar. i have to have Dawn for my dishes tho.
Good idea. Thanks.
RE: cleaners–if they use bleach, there is no risk of resistance.
I think the real point here is that Anti-Bacterial hand sanitizers are only ideal for situations where you have limited or no access to traditional soap and water. For example: At a park watching the fireworks, a festival, the zoo, on an airplane, train, car, etc. The best defense against bad bacteria is soap and water, hands down. You do not have to and should not live in a bubble and sterilize your child from everything like an emergency operating room, because operating rooms run on the premise that zero bad bacteria should be present during the operation. This is the exception. Don't get all caught up in the false hype that anti-bacterial sanitizers all are bad. They are not. But they should not be used to replace soap and water regularly. Period. End of discussion!
This "article" isn't about hand sanitizers.
You know, it really isn't polite (or possible) to declare an online discussion "over." It may be over for you, but I'm still processing how wrong you might be...
anti-bacteria soap kills good bacteria as well, it cannot distinguish, so you actually have a higher chance of gettting sick from constant use because of this.
Antibacterial soaps are not good for anyone. Your body NEEDS the stuff on it that the anti-bac soap kills so you can build up a tolerance to it.
I guess that this issue is related to the excessive use of antibiotics (ingested or injected) both in treating humans and as a way of keeping cattle and other meat sources healthy and faster growing. I'm just curious to know if there have been any scientific studies indicating that resistant strains of bacteria are generated by using hand soap; I'd tend to doubt this hypothesis because free bacteria spoors are often encapsulated to prevent damage prior to entering a susceptible host's system. In that case, using the antibacterial soap would tend to protect the host from initial infection (e.g., thru skin cuts or other lesions) which is somewhat different from oral/injected antibiotics to "cure" a diagnosed infection.
I've seen some other studies that indicate rhinovirus infections (colds) are actually a training ground for the body's immune system although it's hard to convince a cold sufferer of that case. In that case, use of antibiotics are both ineffective and possibly harmful because they kill beneficial bacteria we all need to digest food and have been convincingly shown to aid in resistant bacterial strain development.
Someone with more medical training than I could address this issue in a future article so we are all speaking with more than anecdotal evidence. It's an interesting subject.
The problem isn't just soap, it's parents wanting antibiotics for viruses like cold and flu, not understanding that those things are caused by a virus and that it just takes time to get over it. It's better to treat minor illness with natural things rather than panic and run to the doctor. Unless you've already got immune problems, or there is an extremely high fever or a person is coughing up blood, it's probably better just to wait it out.
Antibacterial soaps only make bacteria, germs and viruses stronger and should be banned.
Other Real Concerns:
Triclosan or triclocarbon are present in 76% of 395 liquid soaps. These chemicals, which act as an antibacterial or antifungal, are thought to damage reproductive organs, sperm quality and the production of thyroid and hormones. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 75% of the population over the age of 6 has detectable levels of triclosan residue in their bodies.
More Info Here On NRDC Lawsuit article from above::
http://www.emaxhealth.com/1506/nrdc-sues-fda-over-failure-ban-chemicals-antibacterial-soap
More On The Toxic Dioxins:
http://www.naturalnews.com/029006_antibacterial_soap_dioxins.html
And Please Keep Vulnerable Babies Safe:
http://www.naturalnews.com/029006_antibacterial_soap_dioxins.html:
Well that was easy. Yes.
Aren't all soaps antibacterial?
No.
My kids are almost never sick. No antibacterial soap. No flu vac. Rarely make them wash their hands. Now I feel like a bad parent...
Making them wash their hands helps keep other people from getting sick as much or more than it keeps them from getting sick.
What it sounds like is your kids aren't around many other children. No one is impervious to all disease, whether or not they wash their hands with antibacterial soap or not.
I wash my hands with battery acid. Then I mate with the nearest garden gnome.
The active ingredient in antibacterial products, Triclosan, is actually present in a lot more products than I realized (hand soap, body soap, dishwashing soap, facial cleaner, toothpaste, shaving cream, body lotions, etc). After learning that Triclosan is classified as a pecticide by the EPA, I have stopped using it at home. People on here saying that it's hard to find non-antibacterial soap are just not really making an effort to look. I have had absolutely no trouble finding soaps that are non-antibacterial. Just look for a soap with no "active ingredient".
CNN's answer to the first question of this quiz (that 2/3 of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese) is not correct. According to the Robert Wood Johnson foundation, over 2/3 of the STATES in the U.S. have obesity rates over 25%.
http://www.rwjf.org/childhoodobesity/product.jsp?id=72575
It's not 2/3 obese. It's 2/3 overweight OR obese. ~20% are obese, making about 50% overweight.
Anti-bacterial soap is another scam by the pharmaceutical companies to take more of your money. Why do you think you have an immunity system?
I saw a special on Oprah a year or so ago. She had antibacterial soaps and sanitizers tested and they didnt even work. So dont sweat it. The second you touch a surface, you get more germs. Theyre good for you. Live them love them and shun antibiotics unless its dire.
My husband & i take buckwheat tonic biweekly. he hasnt had a cold or the flu in 30 years. I havent been sick in four years. germs? bring em on! Can't find nonantibacterial soap? what about good old IVORY–its still 99& 44/100% pure & the cheapest barsoap on the market, i even wash my hair with it. FYI- toothpaste also contains propylene glycol--–automobile antifreeze. i dont use toothpaste either. i use baking soda
I said it's hard to find LIQUID soap that is not anti-bacterial.
Wow, it is a true honor to meet superhumans who dont get sick, ever. Who knew that buckwheat tonic was the end-all cure to all our illnesses? Your idiocy is laughable to say the least.
Glad I can't see the state of those teeth.. or is it dentures by now....
I will try the buckwheat thanks! However I will stay away from washing my hair with Ivory soap – unless Im in the mood for it to look like Helena Bonham Carter's for a day!
That buckwheat tonic is nothing more than unprocessed buckwheat soaked in tap water & frozen in ice cube trays. we each take 1 cube-melted-biweekly. the taste is strong. but the benefits outweigh the taste
good for you Orange. the tonic is natural. we wouldnt be without it. we dont worry about flu-even H1N1.
Another little known fact- shampoo contains trisodium sulfate-the chemical that makes those pretty suds we are hooked on. that trisodium sulfate has been proven to cause baldness. i'll take the Helena Bonham Carter as a choice over baldness
Sources please? Both as use in shampoo and cause of baldness. Trisodium sulfate doesn't appear to even be a real chemical, as googling it only turns up info for trisodium phosphate. And TSP is not listed as a foaming agent used in shampoo.
Nice BS information. Please do us a favor and keep your hillbilly scientific research to yourself.
When my son was in Wrestling we as parents were instructed NOT to use anti-bacterial soap. They saw a rise in different kinds of diseases mainly wringworm when it was was used and a decrease when it was not.
Where can I find buckwheat? Health food store? I cant wait to try. You just wait for the ice cube to melt and then swig it? Thanks again!
U seem to be a kid wanting to become a king kong by using buckwheat. U must be funny...
Id rather have that hair than be bald too!
Seriously, natural is the best and healthiest. Mankind should not change the creation(nature) unless it's absolutely necessary or something. We need a reversed road back to the natural to regain cleanliness and health. What's beneficial in pigging out inside a trash can?
DS/Addled, you are such a dope. Do you wear clothes? Use utensils? Ride in cars?
You are clueless.
Wow, Classic!!! I love all the doctors on here posting such valuable information! Such clueless idiots dissing antibacterial Soap for cleaning your hands of germs. Morons.
I know this is completely unrelated but I used thai crystal for about a year and I was able to get rid of foot smell and bo...believe it or not, it's been awhile since I used deodorant and even my friends are amazed! I thought I'd let all you au naturelle peepz know...
All soap is anti-bacterial.
It's not so much the soap, is the friction. You can use any kind of soap and as long as you rub and not just lather and leave.
I don't do the buckwheat or the antibacterials or the hand sanitizers and I haven't been sick or had a cold in years. I ate dirt, drank from the garden hose, fresh salad from the garden. Strong immune system!
In the lab If I deliberately WANTED to create an antibiotic-resistant strain of a virus I'd aim for something like a 99.5-99.8% kill; if you look at the specs for Triclosan (the most common a/b ingrediant) you're at very close to the same numbers.
You can not kill a virus with antibiotics, period. Reread what you wrote, and think about it.
Hmm–He/she didn't say you could. It was the % numbers that were of significance. I think you need to re-read.
BS – The imperative word was "virus".... should have been "bacteria". Why do you think doctors don't prescribe antibiotics for virii? They don't work.
OK, I see. I was the one that needed to re-read.... Sorry.
BS belongs to marketing dep. of a pharmaceutical company. Hey man don't u've some other work to do?
Regular soap is a surfactant and does a fine job of removing bacteria it comes in contact with. The reason antibacterial soap can create problems is that it will not kill triclosan resistant bacteria, but will kill the rest of it off. Your skin naturally has a variety of bacterial organisms on it (that are beneficial) and when you kill them off with the AB soap, this leaves lots of room for the AB resistant strains to take over.
How did we survive from the cave days without it? I've cut out all antibacterial products after years of heavy use. The frequency of illness has not changed at all for any member of the family.
In the middle ages, people wiped with their left hand and shook hands and ate with their right. What was life expectancy then compare do now? "Survive" doesn't tell the whole story.
All soap is anti-bacterial or it isn't soap.
Please look up the definition of "antibactierial". Traditional soap works via friction and surfactants to physically remove contaminants from skin. This is not "antibacterial" because it doesn't make use of chemicals that actually kill the bacteria.
Words mean things.
Amen.. for crying out loud. Wash your hands and wrists, even under the nails, use soap of any kind, lather, crush your hands together while washing, rinse and crush again with a towel of some sort to dry. I don't care if anyone uses plain soap or triclosan-fortified soap. Just for crying out loud, WASH YOUR HANDS – for yourself and the general public... the person next to you might not be as immune to your brand of e.coli as you've become... just WASH. It's knowing there are people out there not making an effort that make people like me want to use every tool available to keep from getting sick. Make an effort to teach your kids how to wash effectively. Schools are the single largest haven of germs, and they are spread throughout entire communities.
What you say brings up a good point. It seems like we don't do a good enough job teaching people WHY they should wash their hands. People seem to think they're doing it for themselves. When in reality, washing your hands is to protect everyone else as much or more than to protect yourself.
BS belongs to marketing dep. of a pharmaceutical company. Find some other work for a change.
Actually, at that low a level of Triclosan (the main ingredient in antibacterial handsoaps) is only bacteriostatic. Many antibiotics and handsoaps don't literally kill the bacteria but stop it from dividing or synthesizing certain molecules necessary to grow. Many of these companies like people to think it kills all the bacteria. when i was getting my undergrad in cell molecular biology i took a microbiology class and we did the kirby bauer procedure to see how many of these antibacterials work. You would be surprised what survives.
I use that my ho....life ....wow .
Folks, the only way the medical community can charge you so much money is to count on keeping you dumb. Of course anything that is not natural, anti-bact soaps, chemo, prescriptions, vaccines, and ALL the like are not good for you. The medical establishment will not change until it is forced to. it is happening more quickly than you think, the switch to 'alternative' (aka more natural and less stupid) treatments.
oh please, all of the medicine we use is derived from things in the natural world. Just because its sytheisized in a lab doesn't mean its always dangerous. Same goes for all "natural ingredients". It's fun almost every single one of the people who call for herbal all natural remedies have no science background.
AntBACTERIAl soap doesn't kill cold or flu VIRUSES people.
No, it doesn't. But it does cause the viruses to slip off your skin due to the friction you use when washing.
I remember a recent study that stated that antibacterial soap has no added benefit. Most people will not wash their hands long enough for the antibacterial agent to be effective. Most of the bacteria are simply "washed off" with the aid of the soap ingredients, and that is all you need.
No
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