The Effect on Your Immune System

The Environmental Protection Agency is taking a closer look at antibacterial soap due to the mounting evidence from studies on triclosan. Although antibacterial soap was initially thought to be a great way to fight bacteria, now scientists believe it could damage our skin, our heart, our immune system, and our endocrine system.

One of the most startling questions to date is whether triclosan disrupts the endocrine system and helps to create bacteria that are resistant to current day antibiotics. This of course would not bode well for people who are suffering from bacterial infections. Every year hundreds of people die as a result of bacterial infections in the United States, but it would be in the thousands if it weren’t for antibiotic treatment.

Countless studies have been conducted; the evidence has even been brought to the attention of U.S President Barack Obama. The University of California along with the University of Colorado conducted a study that concluded tricolsan in antibacterial soap impairs muscle function in animals; other studies have shown it has been detected in waterways and aquatic organisms, as well as human blood, urine and breast milk.

In some test tube experiments triclosan made it very difficult for heart muscle cells and skeletal muscle fibers to contract. Protein tests were also carried out in relation to heart function and the results were poor, thus leading the researchers to believe that the chemical could cause cardiac muscle failure.

Not Just Soap Causing Damage…

Any damage to our health or the environment that might be caused by triclosan isn’t just as a result of using antibacterial soap. There are many other consumer products that contain the chemical. The list below includes some examples:

•              Toothpaste

•              Cosmetics

•              Deodorant

•              Shaving Gel

•              Children’s toys

•              Socks

It is important to note that only certain brands have triclosan in them.

No Damage? Antibacterial Soap Proponents

The U.S Food and Drug Administration take a different stance on antibacterial soap. They say it isn’t currently “known to be hazardous to humans”. They admit some scientific studies that have been brought to their attention do have merit and deserve review, but they are not yet convinced that there is enough evidence to recommend changing the use of consumer products that contain triclosan. Right now the FDA says triclosan is of great benefit as an ingredient in toothpaste. They have cited studies with Colgate Total as an example.

Due to the ongoing concern about antibacterial soap, as well as other items with triclosan in them, the EPA has decided to step up its review process for this chemical. The examination was supposed to take place in 2023, but instead it will begin in 2013. In the meantime, if you are concerned about the data collected to this point, some studies show that old fashioned soap and warm water kills most germs. If you want to step up your defense and protect your immune system you can use a hand sanitizer that is alcohol based and doesn’t have triclosan or any other chemicals listed on the label.

The Effect of the Hygiene Hypothesis on Your Immune System

Since the release of the research article on the hygiene hypothesis, several reports supporting the concept of early exposure to viral and bacterial infections as a preventative mechanism against allergies generated by the immune system have emerged. For example, it has been reported that children interacting with each other and thus possibly transmitting viral bacterial infections possess a more developed immune system, as compared to children who have less exposure and interactions with other kids. These include children who have more siblings or those who are regularly sent to day care. Children who had acquired viral and bacterial infections early in life have thus apparently acquired a preventative method of building their immune system, thus lowering their chances of suffering from an allergic disease later in life.

According to a recent report published in the journal Public Library of Science (PLoS), early viral or bacterial infections, through the involvement of the immune system, delay the development of a hypersensitivity reaction of a child’s body. This observation may be preventative against allergic reactions produced by the immune system, thus protecting the body from severe viral and bacterial infections.

The Results of the Immune System Study

In a study involving approximately 283 children with ages ranging from two to seven years old, physical examination was performed to identify signs of early infection to Candida albicans, a pathogenic fungi that commonly afflicts patients positively diagnosed with cancer or AIDS. C. albicans generally occurs among patients with poor immune system, thus lacking a preventative mechanism against the entry and infection to this agent. This fungus initially infects the mouth and the genital areas of a patient and then rapidly spreads throughout the body, often resulting in death. The study also examined the thickness of the skin in the triceps area, which often manifests any signs of fungal infection. Questionnaires were also completed by the parents of the children to collect information regarding family size, administration of BCG vaccination, and medical history of viral or bacterial infections during early infancy.

What This Means for Bacterial Infections

The results of the study showed that the children who were earlier exposed to viral or bacterial infections were strongly associated with a delayed allergic response to the fungal pathogen, C. albicans. This observation thus suggested that the immune system of these children possessed a preventative capacity against viral and bacterial infections. The study also showed that children who have been earlier hospitalized during their infancy due to viral or bacterial infections were less likely to produce an allergic reaction to C. albicans. This preventative mechanism of the immune system appeared to be a more effective method against viral and bacterial infections, as compared to the administration of antiviral or antibacterial drugs.

This recent medical report provides useful information in understanding the role of immunity to various types of disease, thus allowing biomedical researchers to design preventative schemes against infections and specific conditions such as autoimmune diseases. Immunity can effectively protect the body from the invasion of pathogenic microorganisms, yet it is also important to determine the actual timing of infection. The medical report suggests that the immune system needs to be activated early in order to generate a preventative scheme against immune disorders. Through this mechanism, the immune cells may produce specific antibodies that would interact and destroy foreign bodies circulating with the body. This preventative mechanism may also play a role in decreasing the morbidity and mortality rates associated with immune disorders.

In a new study published in Nature Medicine researchers found that infecting 41 healthy volunteers with the different strains of the influenza virus resulted in differing severity of illness. They found that individuals who had a higher level of a specific type of white blood cell as part of their immune system were less likely to develop a serious illness after being infected with the virus. Based on the results of this study, the researchers hope to copy the natural immune system response that helps with influenza resistance that was seen in some of the participants. The way in which they hope to do this is to develop a vaccine that boosts the level of a particular type of T-cell of the immune system. The T-cells are the part of the immune system that is responsible for identifying the peptides that are part of every known strain of influenza.

RELATED READING: Top Foods for Flu Prevention

A vaccine that aims to improve the T-cell response will help to provide lasting immunity against multiple strains of influenza, including the seasonal flu, avian flu and swine flu. Currently, scientists are worried that the H5N1 avian (bird) strain could mutate and begin to spread from human to human which could potentially cause an influenza pandemic. Further research is warranted in this area to support the finding from this study and help to develop a suitable universal vaccine to protect our society.

Is it the Cold or the Flu?

Distinguishing between the cold and flu is necessary because the complications that arise from the cold and flu can be drastically different. A cold is a milder infection and the symptoms may make you feel bad for a few days. On the other hand, the flu can make you feel sick for a few days to a few weeks. The flu can also lead to more serious health complications including pneumonia. Cold symptoms usually include: a sore throat, runny nose followed by congestion, along with a cough. Having a fever because of a cold is relatively uncommon. However, children are more prone to having a fever with a cold. If symptoms persist past a week, speak to your doctor as you may have a bacterial infection and require antibiotics. On the other hand, flu symptoms are usually more severe and include: sore throat, headache, fatigue, fever, body aches, congestion and cough. The Swine Flu (H1N1) is also associated with vomiting and diarrhea. Common complications, including pneumonia, are sometimes seen with the flu. In order to prevent both the cold and flu, frequent hand washing is highly recommended as this will help to prevent the spread of the cold and flu viruses.

Influenza and Bacterial Infections

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bacterial infections can occur in combination with influenza. Additionally, bacterial infections can occur after influenza. An example of one of the serious bacterial infections that can accompany influenza is Staphylococcus aureus (Staph.). Bacterial infections with Staph., at the same time as influenza can cause serious illness, and even death. Currently, the CDC is working with public health authorities to monitor and investigate bacterial infections that occur concurrently or shortly after influenza infection. The CDC continues to state that the best way to prevent influenza and possible bacterial infection complications is to get a yearly influenza vaccination.

The recent research looks promising for the development of a universal vaccine against multiple strains of influenza. However, until this universal vaccine is developed, preventing the flu and protecting your immune system by hand washing and getting your annual influenza vaccine is recommended.

Unfortunately, antibiotics have been vastly overused and this has led to antibiotic resistance; rendering many antibiotics either ineffective or not as effective as they use to be.   This is extremely problematic because serious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, gonorrhea and childhood ear infections are now much more difficult to treat than they were 30 years ago.  In addition, critically ill patients in the hospital are experiencing immune system collapses because they are unable to fight off infections due to antibiotic resistance.

Antibiotic resistance is not merely a product of direct consumption; we are exposed to antibiotics every time we eat non organic produce. In order to keep up with the extremely high demand for meat and poultry, farmers have started mass producing these animals, in environments that predispose them to disease. The farmers routinely feed their livestock antibiotics in order to prevent them from getting sick, and to increase their growth rate.  This practice is so widespread that an estimated 13.2 million Kg of antibiotics are sold annually to poultry and livestock industries, which equates to a whopping 80 percent of all antibiotic sales in the U.S..

Fluoroquinolones is a broad spectrum antibiotic reserved for the treatment of severe bacterial infections and preventing the bacteria from causing permanent bodily damage.  It is a powerful drug and one of the few antibiotics that the human immune system has not yet built-up a resistance to. In attempt to preserve the efficacy of the Fluoroquinolones, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned its use in livestock’s, in 2005. Despite this ban, a recent study published in the March 21st edition of Environmental Science & Technology Journal reveals that these antibiotics are still widely in use by the poultry industry.

The study was conducted by researchers at Arizona State University and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The researchers examined feather meal, acquired from six U.S. states, as well as from China. Feather meal is made from poultry feathers and examining them allowed the scientists to decipher which drugs the poultry may have been given before their slaughter.   All of the 12 samples which were tested contained between 2 and 10 antimicrobials, amongst other harmful residues such as acetaminophen, caffeine and the prescription antidepressant Prozac. What’s more 8 out of the 12 samples contained fluoroquinolones and according to the lead researcher, David Love, PhD, “The discovery of certain antibiotics in feather meal strongly suggests the continued use of these drugs, despite the ban put in place in 2005 by the FDA.” This is extremely dangerous because humans may very well become resistant to this important antibiotic through continuous consumption of poultry and will thereby be rendered powerless to the damage caused by bacterial infections.