Ok I know what you're thinking. "You can't be serious right? What does having clean countertops have to do with gaining weight?"
Well, you might be surprised.
A new study from the Canadian Medical Association Journal has found a surprising link between common household disinfectants and childhood obesity.
Common disinfectants are a staple in most households but they may be contributing to child hood obesity. Disinfectants came about in the age when we all thought that bacteria was the enemy to be eradicated but research is showing that we might have been a little over zealous in our desire to destroy all bacteria.
Common household disinfectants are now being linked to changes in the gut microbiome and not for the better.
In an effect not to demonize disinfectants, there is some benefit to using these household staples. Using disinfectants does decrease the amount of harmful bacteria like Haemophilus which contributes to bacterial flu in infants and Clostridium which, depending on the species, can cause infections ranging from diarrhea to botulism.
While decreasing these bacterial species is certainly beneficial, research has found that with a decrease in the harmful bacteria there was an increase in Lachnospiraceae. Lachnospiraceae is a member of the Clostridia family.
It is an anaerobic bacteria which means it exists without oxygen. Lachnospiraceae has been linked to the development of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and even colon cancer. In animal studies, mice who didn't have the bacteria were given Lachnospiraceae. These mice suddenly developed high blood sugar and an increase in fat in the liver [1].
Previous research has shown that a high fat diet contributes to an increase in Lachnospiraceae as well as Streptococcaceae with an increase of Lachnospiraceae being linked to disinfectants.
Surprisingly the link to increased Lachnospiraceae wasn’t witnessed with eco friendly cleaning products.
I use Whip-It multicleaner for almost everything and I love it! It has a blend of essential oils and plant enzymes and it has no dyes, bleach, artificial colors, or volatile organic compounds (VOCs). You can get it here.
The human microbiome is so intricate that research has only elucidated a fraction of it's importance in keeping us healthy. We would be wise to avoid or reduce anything that boosts of eradicating all bacteria because of the special relationship we have with our gut microbiome.
You can read the whole study here: Postnatal exposure to household disinfectants, infant gut microbiota and subsequent risk of overweight in children.
Disclaimer: I don't make any commission for any sales of Whip-It made nor was I paid to review the product. I just love it and wanted to share this helpful product.
References:
1.Kameyama K, Itoh K. Intestinal Colonization by a Lachnospiraceae Bacterium Contributes to the Development of Diabetes in Obese Mice. Microbes and Environments. 2014;29(4):427-430. doi:10.1264/jsme2.ME14054.
