Scrubbing Away Our Collective Health

© Karel Miragaya/Adobe Since 1960, more than 350,000 new chemicals have been introduced into clothing, appliances, and skin cleansers.

The years after World War II and the Second Industrial Revolution brought an unprecedented expansion of landfilled food, cigarette smoke, and petroleum emissions. This was the era when we began our obsession with "cleanliness" with the introduction of chemical detergents and dish soaps, household cleaners and even cosmetics. Since 1960, more than 350,000 new chemicals have been found in our clothes, accessories, and skin cleansers.

As an immunologist with forty years of experience studying allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases, and other chronic diseases, I know that the introduction of these chemicals has not been without consequences. These substances have played a major role in increasing the global epidemic of chronic diseases in the last 75 years.

Daily food toxic load

The surface of our skin, airways and intestines is covered by a layer of protective cells known as the epithelial barrier. Epithelial barriers protect against infection, toxins, pollution and allergens.

But many chemicals such as sodium lauryl sulfate, alcohol ethoxylate, and many other common consumer products, from toothpaste to shampoo, soap, and processed foods, break down these important barriers, increasing elasticity. When your barrier breaks down or "leaks", substances and microbes can enter the tissue where it isn't. Once in the bloodstream, they can trigger an immune response that can cause or worsen chronic diseases such as asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and chronic depression. After more than 20 years of research and more than 60 scientific papers, my team and I have developed the Epithelial Barrier Theory, that the increase in barrier-breaking substances in consumer products is in most cases a global increase.

Talking about the toxic burden of society is not new. The words "pure," "natural," and "non-toxic." But until recently, we didn't have the technology to determine toxicity thresholds for everyday products through the lens of microbiome and epithelial immunology. Without such testing, we would be unaware of overexposure to toxic chemicals that could harm our overall health.

Take for example the dishwashing liquid used in all restaurants, cafes and bars around the world. (Research is underway on household dishwashing detergents. Those containing ethoxylate alcohol appear to have similar toxic effects.)

I recently conducted research with a leading group of scientists, Raja Dhira of Seed Health, a microbiome research company investigating the role of soaps and detergents in health, and in particular gut toxicity. Our findings, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, have an urgent message. Washing destroys the protective lining of the intestine.

In particular, we found that the chemicals used in commercial washes remained in the rinsed and ready-to-drink foods after a completely normal wash cycle. Even a very small amount of this substance kills cells and damages the epithelial barrier. Another study by my group found that laundry detergent and fabric softener residues cause similar damage to the respiratory system.

Representing "pure".

So what can we do? While we may not be able to stop doing laundry or eating out, public awareness can help lay the groundwork for change.

Through public education and continued research, we can get consumers to avoid certain foods and reduce the damage to the microbiome caused by increased epithelial barrier and continued exposure.

As a first step, we must recognize that our current measures of toxicity are outdated. It is imperative to expand our definition of "toxic" and identify safer alternatives to the barrier-disrupting agents currently in use.

At the Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research, my group has recently launched an immunotherapy platform in collaboration with Seed Health to assess the toxicity and inflammation of more than 200 commonly used chemicals and identify compounds that may protect or restore these critical barriers and microbiomes. to do This research lays the groundwork for the next generation of home and personal care products and envisions these products as ways to maintain or improve immune health.

Just as green technologies are critical to addressing the broader environmental challenges of climate change, so too are new technologies contributing to the "industrialization" of our bodies. I am launching a wide range of activities in research, public education, regulation and innovation.

The future of our health depends on it.

Dr. Chezmi A. Akdis is director of research at the Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma in Davos.

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