Study shows that carcinogenic components may be hiding in our toothpastes

This is the alarm sounded by French environmental organisation Agir pour l’environnement: two thirds of toothpastes are said to be hiding a potentially carcinogenic substance in their make-up, with some everyday brands found guilty.

Study shows that carcinogenic components may be hiding in our toothpastes
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Study shows that carcinogenic components may be hiding in our toothpastes

Whatever the brand, taste or colour, we all use toothpaste on a daily basis from a young age. But. it turns out there may be some ingredients in the chemical-laden paste that may not be so god for us. The French organisation Act for the Environment emphasised.

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Large marketing campaigns are regularly launched to persuade us to brush our teeth after every meal. That’s why it’s important that this daily hygiene product, which by definition we put in our mouth, is exempt from dangerous substances, and that it doesn’t make us run useless risks

The organisation presented the report of the worrying findings from their study; after putting 489 different kinds of toothpaste under the microscope, including 59 which were meant for children, it announced that 'two-thirds of toothpaste contain titanium dioxide', as well as 'one out of two children’s toothpaste'.

Also found under the label TiO2 or E171, titanium dioxide is used as a colouring in toothpaste. The problem, however, is that this compound is thought to be cancerous.

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“There is no longer a place for it our diet”

As the organisation stated, the scientific community and health agencies have sounded 'lots of alarms' on the substance’s toxicity: precancerous lesions of the colon, problems with the immune system and changes to the intestinal wall…' – there’s fair reason to worry about it.

'It has been admitted today, as much on a political level as on an economic operator level, that titanium dioxide no longer has a place in our diet', Act for the Environment highlighted. Yet 'this colourant, the dangers of which are well-known in our diet, is used in other products that we ingest such as toothpaste and medication. And “none of the 271 toothpastes say on their packaging whether that titanium dioxide that is present is in the form of a nanoparticulate'.

To help consumers make a choice, the organisation has listed all the potentially dangerous toothpaste on its website. Anyone who wishes to do so can also help the organisation to find other toothpaste which may also be dangerous for your health.

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