Popular shampoos may contain toxins linked to nerve damage ?

[H2O]

The title of this post is basically borrowed from the article linked below. Just thought I'd drop this here as I ran across it and it seemed relevent and cogent. The article is dated January of 2005 but is informative and doing a search on the boards here didn't reveal a lot of noise about this chemical additive...an additive that the article claims is present in "Head and Shoulders" shampoo among other popular brands.

"Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found a correlation between an ingredient found in shampoos and nervous system damage. The experiments were conducted with the brain cells of rats and they show that contact with this ingredient called methylisothiazoline, or MIT, causes neurological damage.

Which products contain this chemical compound MIT? Head and Shoulders, Suave, Clairol and Pantene Hair Conditioner all contain this ingredient."

http://www.newstarget.com/003210.html


If nothing else it is a timely reminder that we must not let our enthusiastic ventures into self-treatment preclude us from scrutinizing all products including ones we may currently take for granted as "safe".

I have no other information supporting or refuting the veracity of the researchers conclusions and author's claims....but I haven't yet attempted to search further on this topic as I just ran across this article today. Perhaps others have more info...

 

[sublime]

You should check the book out called "The 100 year lie". It speaks to how these toxic chemicals that are in our every day products are never really tested for saftey let along the synergistic effects of any of the chemicals.

 

[H2O]

I'll definitely check it out...thanks sublime

 

[barnabas]

Maybe you should talk to Fox Mulder, he has experience with this sort of thing ..alternatively you could buy a compound in the remote desert and grow your own food organically...but look out for chem trails.

 

[sublime]

:sleep:

 

[H2O]

:lol: yeah...actually Fox Mulder has a pretty healthy head of hair !!

In all seriousness, I wasn't trying to uncover a "conspiracy" per se...just saying informed consumerism is a good thing. We cannot always rely on the FDA to make the right decisions for our health. This is true especially for products we are going to let sit on our heads and soak in, as we are aiming for sub-dermal penetration with some of these shampoos such as Head and Shoulders.

It's obviously the cumulative effect of our exposure to many different products over a period of time that MAY be a concern for some. Then again you gotta die of something.

The quote below is based on the findings of the University of Pittsburgh study which started the uproar I believe :

The physiological effects of MIT (specifically in shampoos and cosmetics) reside in the reduced communication between two neurons. Synaptic transmission is impeded by MIT; the basic result is a mal-development of the nerve’s axons and dendrites: the axon sends an electrical impulse through a tube (myelin sheath) to the axonal terminals where the impulse is received by the next nerve’s dendrites. The chemical that empowers this impulse (synaptic transmission) is an enzyme called focal adhesion kinase; FAK is both responsible for the growth of axons and dendrites and the signaling of impulses. But FAK has to be pushed to perform its function, so phosphates cling to FAK’s amino acid chain (a process called tyrosine phosphorylation). But with any amino acid chain, if a sequence is changed or some part is impeded or damaged, the desired function changes or fails to operate. MIT’s feature of mortifying the parts of other chemicals leads in to this; MIT’s dissolving capabilities restrict and eat away the FAK enzyme, and as this enzyme is being partially destroyed, new axons and dendrites cannot be made, thus preventing full electrical impulse and the ability to receive impulse

Here's the EPA's RED factsheet issued in 1998. Ok who the hell knows...it's just an article I ran across for god sakes !!

http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/factsheets/3092fact.pdf

So you see it...uh...hold on...Mulder's knocking on the door...I'll be back...

 

[CCS]

I wish they'd dump other chemicals, including some vinegar onto brain cells and see if they die. The mere fact that a chemical put directly onto a brain cell kills it does not convince me it is bad in shampoos. They should discuss the concentration used and the concentration in the body after a shampooing. This study is worthless without that info.

Pure water will kill any body cells. Just inject a little into your vein and you will die soon.

 

[sublime]

CCS - Of course but we are speaking (and the study does as well) to regular usage of the product.

It would have been better to post this.

http://www.natural-health-information-centre.com/sodium-laureth-sulfate.html

H2O - With the medical community in such support of non-natural chemicals they continue to perpetuate their beliefs that they are safe for human use, sort of like cigarettes.

 

[Boru]

Oh Dearie Me. The Nizoral type shampoo my doctor prescribes for me is Ketopine 2% shampoo with Ketonconazole and also contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate. Bugger.
I must have a look at Nizoral to see if it is Sodium Laureth Sulfate free. Fat chance I suppose.

 

[CCS]

almost every shampoo has SLS. look at the ingredients. And most of them have PEG-32 or 8. What are those? If you are worreid about shampoos, your tootpaste better be safe, since it has much higher absorption.

 

[sphlanx2006]

Pure water will kill any body cells. Just inject a little into your vein and you will die soon.

I dont want to go offtopic but is this true? Sounds socking!

 

[CCS]

If you are dehydrated and ate some salt before hand, I'm sure you could handle a little. But a pint or eve a cut may kill you. Gatorade can re-hydate you faster because your body will take more in since it has salt in it. The body wants to have a certain amount of salt in the blood, and it is picky. If there is too little water, water will diffuse out of the cells and into the blood. If there is too much water and not enough salt, water will osmose into the cells, making them bigger until they explode.

If a cup or so is too much, a faster way to kill yourself is to inject a small amount of air into the vein. 4mL should do it. When the air gets to the heart, the heart will stop. So if you are ever at the hospital and see a buble in your IV, make sure the nurse fixes it. A small buble probably won't kill you, but it can be painful and mess other stuff up.

 

[Boru]

Bugger, Colgate has CLC too, better go organic then.

 

[sublime]

I would be more worried about the flouride in your toothpaste. That stuff is freaking toxic.