5 Everyday Home Products that are Intoxicating your Lives

Here are 5 items you may want to avoid buying, throw or replace – to rid your home and life of many of potential toxins…

1. Fluoride Toothpaste

Risks from ingesting fluoride toothpaste include: permanent tooth discoloration (dental fluorosis), stomach ailments, acute toxicity, skin rashes (perioral dermatitis), and impairment in glucose metabolism. In 1997, the FDA ordered toothpaste manufacturers to add a poison warning on all fluoride toothpastes sold in the United States. The warning reads:

“Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. If more than used for brushing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.”

As a result of the FDA’s warning, there are now over 20,000 reports each year to Poison Control Centers due to excessive ingestion of fluoride toothpaste.

A 2012 study, that included researchers from Harvard School of Public Health, found that children in high-fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ scores than those who lived in low-fluoride areas, concluding that there is an adverse effect of high fluoride exposure on children’s neurodevelopment.

2. Air Fresheners

Air fresheners contain phthalates—hazardous chemicals known to cause hormonal abnormalities, birth defects, and reproductive problems. National Resources Defense Council’s independent testing of 14 common air fresheners, none of which listed phthalates as an ingredient, uncovered these chemicals in 86 percent (12 of 14) of the products tested, including those advertised as “all-natural” or “unscented.”

A 2014 study found, that women who were exposed to elevated levels of two common phthalates—butylbenzl phthalate and di-n-butyl phthalate—during pregnancy, were more likely to have children who developed asthma.

“Phthalates are known to impede the endocrine system, the regulatory mechanism that dictates hormonal distribution in the body. The chemicals’ disruptive prowesses have been linked to health problems including birth defects, cancers and diabetes. Yet until now there has been no data to suggest they were also harming children’s respiratory systems.”

3. Plastic Food Containers

Plastic containers contain chemicals, some of which have been identified as potentially harmful such as Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates – both of which are endocrine disruptors. These chemicals can migrate out of the plastic when it’s heated and leach into your food, resulting in hormone imbalances and birth defects.

Plastic containers that do not contain Bisphenol A or phthalates, contain antimony, a possible human carcinogen. If you think BPA-free plastic can be a safe alternative, you are mistaken. A new UCLA study has found that the so called “BPA-free” alternatives have a similar impact on the embryo as BPA, which is also linked to brain and reproductive development, early puberty, and a rise in breast and prostate cancer.

4. Cleaning Supplies

In 2014, cleaning products were responsible for 11% of all toxic exposures reported to the US Poison Control Centers. Chemicals in corrosive cleaners can cause severe burns to the eyes, skin, and if ingested, to the throat and esophagus. Chlorine bleach and ammonia produce fumes are also highly irritating to eyes, nose, throat and lungs.

5. Antiperspirants

There are at least three, if not more, major reasons to avoid using antiperspirants. Though antiperspirants guard against odor and wetness, they contain chemicals such as zirconium and aluminum, which temporarily block sweat ducts. As perspiration releases toxins from the body, blocking it could lead to a build-up of toxins in the lymph nodes in the armpit – and, over years, contribute to the development of breast cancer.

Aluminum has also been tied to brain problems common in people with Alzheimer’s. It is so dangerous to people without fully functioning kidneys that the FDA requires a warning label on all antiperspirants, stating that people with kidney disease should consult a doctor before using them.

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