DO ANTIPERSPIRANTS CAUSE CANCER? By Debra Lynn Dadd
A reader sent me a question about a posting she found on the Internet,which stated that antiperspirants are the leading cause of cancer because they prevent you from releasing toxins through perspiration, and then the setoxins are stored in the lymph nodes and cause breast cancer .
She asked for my comments, and here they are.
I do not agree that the leading cause of breast cancer is antiperspirant.
I do agree that "Anti-perspirant, as the name clearly indicates,prevents you from perspiring, thereby inhibiting the body from purging toxins from below the armpits." and because of this do not recommend theuse of antiperspirants.
Toxins absolutely are purged from the body through perspiration, so much so that the standard medical treatment for eliminating toxins from the bodyissweat. Patients are put on a doctor-supervised detox program of heavy exercise, saunas, and lots of water to sweat toxins out through theskin. But this is not the only reason I don't recommend antiperspirants. In myview, anything that interferes with the natural funcion of the body--beitto stop sweating, altering hormone cycles, or anything else--should notbedone. Nature knows best and when we try to change the natural order ofthings, problems arise.
The fatty tissue in breasts is an optimum place for the body to store toxic chemicals of all kinds--considering the amount and number of toxic chemicals the average person is exposed to every day, I am not surprised many women have breast cancer. But I would not call antiperspirtants"the leading cause". Many other chemicals, such as pesticides, are more dangerous and in addition to chemical exposure, emotional and mentalfactors also play a role as causative factors in illness. So I would becautious about any statement that claims to be the leading cause ofanything.
What I said in Home Safe Home about antiperspirants is that aluminumchlorohydrate, the active ingredient that helps stop wetness, can cause infections in the hair follicles of the armpit, and skin irritations can be severe enough to require medical attention. There is also some concernas to whether the aluminum salts in antiperspirants might contribute to abuildup of aluminum in the body--aluminum from other sources has been associated with brain disorders-- and about the safety of using aluminuminan aerosol spray. Becasue aerosols produce airborne particles that are likely to be inhaled, there is a good chance that bits of aluminum will enter the lungs and accumulate over time. Because the long-term health effects are unknown, aluminum-containing aerosol antiperspirants are only conditionally approved by the FDA for safety. I know of no research connecting aluminum exposure with cancer.
There are a number of natural deodorants sold in natural food stores andeven nowadays in drug stores. What I've found to work best to stop odor(and still leave the natural sweat) is baking soda--just plain baking soda.If it seems too abrasive to you, you can mix it with a little cornstarch or white clay. Also the popular "deodorant stones" are a safe alternative.
For more information on choosing nontoxic products.
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Written by: Debra Lynn Dadd. .
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