Toxic Chemicals and Carcinogens in Aluminum compounds that are found in Deodorants and Antiperspirants
Aluminum as a chemical element is the third most abundant
element after Oxygen and Silicon. It is also the abundant metal in the earth’s
crust with about 8% by weight of the earth’s solid surface. It can be found in
over 27 different minerals with bauxite being the chief ore. It is this
over-reactive nature of that has made it become a carcinogen. Almost every metal that is abundant in the environment
has some role in human health and nutrition, but there is nutritional about
Aluminum. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has named
Aluminum as a group 1 human carcinogen.
As a chemical compound in household products, Aluminum can
be found in cooking utensils, pots, pans and other non-corrosive metal products.
However, these above named household products have not been proven to cause
cancer. Certain toxic chemicals
which are salts of Aluminum have been found to be carcinogenic. These toxic
chemicals in the salts of Aluminum have been found in Antiperspirants and
Roll-ons. Research studies have shown that toxic
chemicals in Aluminum salts can reach up to 25% volume in some antiperspirants.
The use of antiperspirants can significantly increase the amount of Aluminum
salts absorbed into the body more than any other aluminum compound. Although
the deodorant industry have debunked the theory of the risk of developing
cancer due to the long exposure of aluminum salts, the truth is that the
industry is a big business having in mind that people always want to smell
fresh and not have sweat stains coming
through their clothes. The industry has a lot at stake if such statement is
true. Studies have shown that about 0.12% of these toxic chemicals in aluminum salts, present in deodorants and antiperspirantsare absorbed into the body after a single underarm application. A long term
exposure to this percentage, according to reports may increase the risk of breast cancer.
The two aluminum salts present in deodorants and antiperspirants
that are believed to be toxic chemicals
are
2.
Aluminum Chloride
The presence of these toxic
chemicals in deodorants and antiperspirants poses a potentially dangerous
source of toxins that may accumulate if our lymph drainage system is damaged.
The effect of the long term exposure of these carcinogens and toxic
chemicals present in deodorants and antiperspirants remains unknown the
public, especially to women. Clinical studies have shown an irregularly high
incidence of breast cancer in the
upper outer quadrant of the breast, together with genomic instability in the
other quadrants of the breast. These findings support existing evidences of the
role of locally applied cosmetics in the development of breast cancer. Furthermore, it has been revealed these toxic chemicals in deodorants and antiperspirants
can accumulate in breast tissues. A report by the European Journal of Cancer Prevention states that “underarm shaving with antiperspirant/deodorant use may play a role in breast cancer.” The
chafing of skin caused by shaving hair seems to increase absorption of
aluminum.
These carcinogens,
Aluminum Chlorohydrate and Aluminum
Chloride, according to research, may cause cancer by interfering with the
functions of estrogen receptors in MCF7 human breast cancer cell lines. Estrogen plays a huge role in the
development of breast cancer (link
to Broccoli). The action of estrogen in causing breast cancer depends on the above named intracellular receptors
which function as ligand-activated zinc finger transcription factors. It is believed that these toxic chemicals of aluminum salts in deodorants and antiperspirants mimic the functions of estrogen in this process to cause cancer.
Furthermore, another research study shown that long term
exposure to these carcinogenic, toxic chemicals can cause malfunction
to other signaling pathways that may as well lead to breast cancer. The report summarized its findings by stating that
the long term exposure to these carcinogens
in deodorants and antiperspirants has shown a genotoxic profile that is capable of causing both DNA alterations and
genetic related effects that could be consistent with potential role in breast cancer.
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