THIS WEEK IN THE HEALTHIER TALK COMMUNITY

What's in your toothpaste?

You might not want to know. But if you do, Dr. Al Sears answers that question in an article on the Healthier Talk website.

Dr. Sears: "I used to use a popular, major brand of toothpaste. It advertises '12-hour germ-fighting protection.' Until, that is, I discovered triclosan was in it.

"You may remember triclosan. It was in the hand sanitizer that even my staff was using at the office until I called them out on it and had them replace it with a natural alternative.

"Now, I'm just as concerned as you about having healthy teeth and gums. But there's no way I want triclosan to be part of the solution. It's a pesticide.

"There's no benefit to putting an antibacterial in toothpaste. And it may even be harmful. Because it allows bacteria to grow stronger and more resistant to medication. So, the next time you get an infection, your body might not be able to fight it.

"As bad as triclosan is in a hand sanitizer, it's even worse when you put it in toothpaste. Because triclosan is easy to absorb in your mouth. And researchers have identified it in deep tissues within 3 hours. Once it gets there, it disrupts your thyroid gland. It can also make testosterone drop by over 30 percent. Even worse, I've seen scientific studies that concluded that tricolosan increased cancer risk.

"In Europe, triclosan is banned in food. But here in the U.S., the FDA is still sitting on the fence. They recently posted a report they called 'Triclosan: What Consumers Should Know.' But rather than making a clear recommendation, they said they were 'reviewing all of the available evidence.'

"So, in the mean time, what should you do?"

You can read about Dr. Sear's alternative to toothpaste in his article "What's in Your Toothpaste?" on the Healthier Talk website where you'll find a wide range of insightful commentary from the most respected doctors and researchers in the field of alternative health care. In addition, you're invited to join in by posting your own comments following any individual article or video.