It's common knowledge nowadays that household chemicals pose a risk to our health. Most of us have made the switch to low-tox or natural products for the basics - dish liquid, surface sprays and laundry powder - in order to avoid damage to our health as much as possible. We understand that exposure to household chemicals can lead to health issues such as asthma, dermatitis, and deeper damage to our central nervous system, liver and kidneys.
But one thing is rarely discussed: the impact of everyday cleaning products on our microbiome.
So why does that even matter, anyway?
Firstly, let's clarify - what is the human microbiome?
We actually have many microbiomes (communities of microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and their genetic material) in and on our bodies - not just in the gut, but also our eyes, skin, mouth, respiratory tract and urogenital tract. These function like a vital organs to support digestion, provide nutrients, train our immune system and protect against disease. An unhealthy gut microbiome, for example, has been implicated in many diseases ranging from obesity to asthma and dementia.
Although diet substantially contributes to changes in the gut microbiome, the impact of environmental chemicals on the microbiome are often overlooked.
We know that antibacterial cleaning products have the capacity to change the environmental microbiome ( the dynamic community of microorganisms and their genetic material inhabiting natural habitats like soil, water, air, and plant surfaces.) So let's go one step further - if these chemicals can disrupt the delicate and necessary balance of microbes in our environment, what are they doing to our human microbiome?
Extensive research now clearly demonstrates that exposure to household disinfectants is associated with alterations in the composition and function of the human microbiota, leading to dysbiosis. Research (especially post COVD-19) has also demonstrated clear links between household cleaning products and the occurrence of disease and antibiotic resistance.
During the years of the COVD-19 pandemic, the emphasis on cleanliness and consequent extensive (excessive?) use of detergents, antiseptics and other cleaning products in the home caused a dramatic decrease in microbial load on household surfaces. The frequent use of domestic detergents has the capacity to alter the environmental microbiome as cleaning products do not discriminate between useful and harmful bacteria. According to the Hygiene Hypothesis, although sanitisation, urban living and access to antibiotics can keep us safe from infectious disease, this reduction in exposure to non-pathogenic commensal strains of bacteria is playing a significant role in the increasing prevalence of allergic diseases. Intense household cleaning can lead to a build up of potentially dangerous chemicals, reducing beneficial microbial communities found around our homes, even while reducing harmful bacteria and viruses.
And it's not just an issue for those of us using chlorine-based or other heavy-hitting chemicals: numerous studies demonstrate that low-dose exposure to chemicals in detergents (even in those labelled "low tox" or "biodegradable" have significant effects on our microbiota composition and function.
So which products and chemicals do I need to look our for?
The biggest culprits are detergents, soaps and sanitisers, and anything that uses the word "antibacterial" or "sanitise". Be aware also of dishwasher detergents and tablets, quats (such as the very common benzalkonium chloride or Cetrimonium chloride), sodium lauryl sulfate, chlorine bleach, and PFAS chemicals (a group of man-made chemicals used extensively in polish, wax, cleaning products), which have been specifically found to harm specific strains of bacteria that play a pivotal role in nutrient absorption in humans); the product doesn't need to specifically be antibacterial to cause harm to our microbiome.
Triclosan specifically has a profound impact on gut microbiome by inducing small changes at both compositional and functional levels. Considering that healthy gut microbiome plays an essential role in the body’s immune response to infection and in maintaining overall health triclosan exposure has been linked to negative health outcomes including endocrine disorders, antibiotic resistance, colonic inflammation, childhood obesity and the development of cancer cells.
It's important to note that exposure to these chemicals during early life may cause disturbances in metabolism and gut microbiota which accumulate over time, and last a lifetime.
One thing is very clear: there is a cost to being too clean, and the healthiest home environments are those which take into consideration the necessary and delicate balance of natural eco systems the surround us.
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