I am sure you have all seen the ads on television touting the benefits of using antibacterial soaps and wipes. Well, the general consensus from a panel of Federal health advisors was that the so called soaps and wipes have not proven any more successful than regular soap in the prevention of infections among the average consumer. They also agreed that products that contained bacteria-fighting ingredients should be compelled to generate scientific data proving they prevent infections.
Using plain old soap and water was “pretty effective”, according to Alistair Wood, assistant vice chancellor at Vanderbilt University’s School of Medicine.
The Food and Drug Administration has been struggling with issues concerning these products for almost 30 years now, and has yet to make a decision on how to regulate them.
Some of the issues in regard to anti-bacterial products are:
- The products may contain chemicals such as triclosan, which seeks out a certain enzyme that bacteria requires to live and can remain in the environment. In addition, research has it that bacteria may mutate to become accustomed to such chemicals—and then what?
- The health community is concerned with the unnecessary and widespread use of the products which is what happened in the case of antibiotics—creating drug-resistant “superbugs”.