Why you should ditch antibacterial products

We Americans are a major germ-adverse society.

Dispensers of hand sanitizers or wipes are everywhere.  Plus the sales of antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizing gels have exploded over the last 10 years.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to minimize your chances of getting sick.

But not only are these “germ-fighting” products not all they’re cracked up to be, but they’re making the situation worse and making it more likely that you will, in fact, get sick!

Here’s what I mean…let’s first look at:

Your awesome immune system

Your immune system is an intricate network of cells, tissues and chemical messengers that is designed to protect your body against sickness and disease.

You develop natural immunity as your immune system “learns” which bacteria and other microbes are dangerous “foes” and a threat to your health.  It develops a “memory” and remembers what it learned so it can protect you in the future when faced with that “foe” again.

Developing immunity is a very complex, multi-step process that starts by exposure to the microbe or substance through a bodily orifice—such as the mouth, airway, skin or genitals.  Then the millions of players in your immune system go through an impressive series of steps to learn and recognize what you have just ingested, and most importantly, to destroy it now and in the future. 

But when this perfectly designed process is interfered with, that’s when your immunity is not developed as it should be (or at all).

Fewer bacteria = weaker immune systems

By attempting to completely wipe bacteria out of our existence, we are cutting our own throats.

First of all, bacteria are extremely intelligent and will always out-evolve whatever is trying to destroy them.  That’s why we’re seeing increasing numbers of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that are becoming more and more deadly.  If they can outsmart antibiotics, they can easily get past our antibacterial hand soap too.

Plus by trying to germ-proof our world, we are not exposing our immune systems to bacteria and microbes and allowing them to develop natural immunity—instead we are in effect encasing our immune systems in a sort of “plastic bubble,” preventing them from functioning as they should, and as a result making ourselves MORE susceptible to illness in the long run!

Why antibacterial products are not the answer

Not only are antibacterial products a player in the “rise of the superbugs,” but some of the ingredients commonly used in these products are being shown in studies to potentially be harmful to your health.

About 75 percent of liquid antibacterial soaps use a chemical substance called triclosan. It’s also been used in hand wipes, hand sanitizer gels and even kitchen cutting boards as we attempt to decimate the bacteria in our environment. 

But the use of triclosan in these products has never been fully evaluated by the FDA…which means there are potentially millions of guinea pigs out there.

And unfortunately, studies are showing that it may be harmful.  A number of studies have found that in animals, triclosan appears to interfere with the body's regulation of thyroid hormone.  If this carries over to humans, it may potentially lead to health issues such as infertility, obesity and cancer.

In addition, there's evidence that children with prolonged exposure to triclosan have a higher chance of developing allergies, including peanut allergies and hay fever.

Parabens are also a concern.  These substances are found in many personal care products such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soaps and hand sanitizers.  Common names include: ethylparaben, butylparaben, methylparaben and propylparaben.

Parabens are linked to endocrine disruption, skin irritation and cancer.

And last but not least, antibacterial soaps have not been shown to be any more effective than plain old “regular” soap and water!

A smart approach

Instead of putting forth futile efforts trying to eradicate bacteria and germs from your environment (while you make them stronger and you sicker!) a smart approach is to keep yourself clean the good old fashioned way and pamper your immune system so it can develop and protect you!

First of all, washing with soap and warm water is all you need to clean away germs and bacteria from your hands.  Work up a good lather and wash for 20 seconds.

And to pamper your immune system, nothing beats the top three immune-supportive supplements—vitamin D, probiotics and vitamin B12! 

Here’s the scoop on each of those:

Vitamin D:

Vitamin D helps regulate your immune system activity by helping to prevent excessive, inflammatory immune responses (such as those seen in allergies and autoimmune conditions like Crohn’s, colitis, Type 1 diabetes and Graves’ disease).

Your body produces Vitamin D when you’re exposed to sunlight.  But since many people shun the sun and others have limited sunlight (such as those in the northeast), supplementation is wise for most people.

And one of the top vitamin D supplements in existence is Dr. Salerno’s Vitamin D-K Factor!

In addition to getting 5,000 IUs of vitamin D3 in each capsule, you’ll also get 45 mcg of vitamin K2 which provides additional support for healthy bones and a strong cardiovascular system too!

And now is the perfect time to put the immune-supportive power of vitamin D to work for you, because Vitamin D-K Factor is $5 off per bottle!

But don’t delay! Because this special offer ends on Sunday,June 21st at 11:59 pm EST.

Probiotics:

Since 70 percent of your immune system resides in your gut, it's essential to make sure that you have a healthy population of beneficial bacteria lining your gut wall. 

For a probiotic supplement that can help beef up your supply of these microscopic good guys, Super Shield multi-strain probiotic formula is as good as it gets.

One of Super Shield's 13 superior friendly bacteria strains, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus, has been shown to stimulate immune antibody production.

In addition, Super Shield also contains Bifidobacteria Lactis, which has high adhesion to human mucus.  That means it will stick to your colon wall, which helps keep dangerous toxins and bacteria from leaking out into your bloodstream and making you SICK.

Vitamin B12:

Vitamin B12 is crucial for the formation of red and white blood cells, which help boost your immune function. 

But B12 is it’s not always easily absorbed through the GI tract...so you may be getting far less than you think, even if you take B12 pills.

So supplementation with a form of B12 that bypasses the shortcomings of the GI tract can be helpful to many people.

Your ticket here is an oral B12 spray like Hydroxaden 2.5.

Hydroxaden 2.5 is a convenient way to get supplemental B12.  Just 5 sprays under your tongue provides 2.5 mg of B12, and since it's designed to be absorbed directly into the bloodstream through the mucus membranes in your mouth, the concerns with GI tract are avoided.  

 

Engage the power of your body’s natural sickness-fighting and prevention capability and I’m sure you’ll see a difference in how YOU feel.