A chemical known as triclosan, which is widely used in various consumer goods, has been found to increase the risk of osteoporosis in women. Triclosan was used in products like soap, mouthwash and even toothpaste because it is an antibacterial agent. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently banned it from being used in certain body washes and bar soaps.
Previous research has found a link between endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDCs) like triclosan and osteoporosis. However, this is the first study to investigate triclosan, according toYingjun Li, PhD, a faculty member at the Hangzhou Medical College School of Public Health in China.
For the study, researchers examined data collected of almost 1,848 premenopausal and postmenopausal women in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The team discovered women who had bone issues were likely to have extremely high levels of triclosan in their urine.
"We used a cross-sectional design, which wasn’t suitable to establish cause-and-effect relationships," Li told a news portal. Adding, "We can’t say triclosan exposure will cause osteoporosis."
The team revealed the prevalence of osteoporosis was particularly significant in the intertrochanter, which is the femur area. “This may indicate that triclosan exposure has more influence on the intertrochanter than other regions on the femur. However, no mechanistic studies supporting our hypothesis were found for now,” Li told a news portal.
More research is needed to understand what the primary mechanism could be in relation to bone health as scientists still don't have enough knowledge on EDCs and their effects on bone health. "Osteoporosis is a complex disorder and involves many factors, among which environmental EDCs such as triclosan might be one,” Andrea C. Gore, PhD, a professor and chair of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Texas at Austin, told a news portal.
However, experts urge people it is better to take caution and avoid using products that contain triclosan“There’s no good reason to utilize products with triclosan in them. It offers no advantage over traditional methods of cleansing,” Dr Elena A. Christofides, an endocrinologist from New York City, told a news portal.
The study's findings were originally published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
