If you’re washing your hands with antibacterial soap, thinking you’re doing everything you can to fend off germs this season... Think again.
Back in 2013, after data suggested that long-term exposure to certain ingredients used in antibacterial products could pose health risks, manufacturers were asked to provide the Food and Drug Administration with data on the safety and effectiveness of certain ingredients. That included data from clinical studies proving these products were better than non-antibacterial washes in preventing illness or reducing infection.
The verdict?
The manufacturers failed to prove that 19 antibacterial ingredients were safe to use over the long term. Or were any more effective than using plain old soap and water.
Because of this, the FDA banned the sale of these chemicals in hand washes and soaps. Manufacturers have a year to take them out of their products. The agency is still on the fence on the safety and value of hand sanitizers and wipes.What’s more? Scrubbing with antibacterial products day after day may be doing the exact opposite of what you want to be doing.
We need to be exposed to germs to develop a healthy, well-regulated immune system. Exposure to germs is what allows the immune system to develop and fine-tune itself to differentiate between irritants that are harmful and irritants that are helpful.
By depriving the system the opportunity to learn which germs can help and which can hurt, the body may become hypersensitive to any irritant that comes its way.
Coming clean
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the best way to avoid getting sick and spreading germs is to wash your hands:
Wet your hands with clean water and apply soap.
Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap.
Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. (That’s about the length of the "Happy Birthday" song sung twice.)
Rinse your hands well.
Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
If soap and water aren’t handy, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.
For extra protection
During the winter and all year long, keeping your immune system in tip-top shape is essential. Adding ENDUR-C® Vitamin C with Rose Hips to your daily routine can help. Each sustained-release tablet provides a slow and steady amount of vitamin C that promotes optimal levels.*
Due to our advanced wax matrix technology, our formula keeps C in the body longer, eliminating excess loss in the urine. It also causes less digestive upset typical of regular forms of high-dose vitamin C.*
Vitamin C works to fortify your body’s immune defenses in two key ways. First, it protects the delicate membranes that line your nose, mouth, throat and intestinal tract. Next, it plays a central role in the production or activation of key immune cells. And, getting enough vitamin C every day has benefits beyond immune health. After all, it’s needed by every cell in your body to work at peak performance.
Still need inspiration? Here are a few more key benefits:
Protects your body from free radical damage. As an antioxidant, vitamin C can neutralize the damage done by smog, smoking, other environmental toxins and sunlight. In the blood, vitamin C also helps recycle and reactivate another antioxidant, vitamin E.
Promotes healthy skin. Vitamin C is essential for the formation of collagen, the foundation of all connective tissues in your body, including skin, bones, teeth and tendons.
Promotes a healthy nervous system. Vitamin C plays a role in the synthesis of biochemical messengers that allow nerve cells to communicate. In fact, the central role of vitamin C in neurotransmitter synthesis likely explains its high level in the brain.
The bottom line
For immune health, you can’t beat a balanced diet with plenty of whole foods. (Here at Endurance, we’re pretty partial to the Mediterranean diet. Look for more on that next week.) Pass on those antibacterial soaps and start rub-a-dub-dubbing with good ol’ soap and water. And finally, to fill any nutrient gaps, make ENDUR-C® part of your daily routine.*
About Endurance Products Company
Endurance Products Company has been a trusted source of quality dietary supplements since 1978. Our sustained-release and extended-release tablets feature a unique vegetable wax matrix that releases nutrients in a slow, steady manner over a period of hours for optimal nutrient absorption and retention.
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
