Kitchen Germs - Diet & Nutrition - MSN Health & Fitness
It's Sweeps Week!
I just love a good advice column. Especially when it is good advice. This particular article Kitchen Germs - Diet & Nutrition - MSN Health & Fitness is kind of a mixed bag, however. Right of the bat, it gives you some bad advice when the author states "Common soaps only help wash the germs off your skin. Better to wash with good antibacterial soaps, which clean your hands and kill germs. Don’t be concerned if you’ve read about building up resistance or creating 'supergerms.' You will not be attacked by mutant bacteria."
That is true, washing with soap and water is probably the easiest way for one to remove transient bacteria, some of which are potential pathogens, but keep in mind that most so-called "antibacterial soaps" contain agents such as trichlosan, the overuse of which could lead to more resistant strains of bacteria, really don't significantly reduce transients any more than mild soap and water and cost more simply because they claim to be "antibacterial." The rest of the article looks OK and has some good advice. Microbes are a part of our lives. The more we understand them, the less likely they are to cause great difficulties and the less paranoid we behave.
I just love a good advice column. Especially when it is good advice. This particular article Kitchen Germs - Diet & Nutrition - MSN Health & Fitness is kind of a mixed bag, however. Right of the bat, it gives you some bad advice when the author states "Common soaps only help wash the germs off your skin. Better to wash with good antibacterial soaps, which clean your hands and kill germs. Don’t be concerned if you’ve read about building up resistance or creating 'supergerms.' You will not be attacked by mutant bacteria."
That is true, washing with soap and water is probably the easiest way for one to remove transient bacteria, some of which are potential pathogens, but keep in mind that most so-called "antibacterial soaps" contain agents such as trichlosan, the overuse of which could lead to more resistant strains of bacteria, really don't significantly reduce transients any more than mild soap and water and cost more simply because they claim to be "antibacterial." The rest of the article looks OK and has some good advice. Microbes are a part of our lives. The more we understand them, the less likely they are to cause great difficulties and the less paranoid we behave.
posted by Dr. Joe at 11:41 AM
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