The Healthy Shopper
With Rita Tripp
What Are You Eating Now?
I found myself in one of the local supermarkets, standing in front of the toothpaste display. There were many different major brands to choose from.
I remembered why I had elected long ago to buy my toothpaste in a health food store. Picking up the first brand and reading the ingredients brought it all back.
When my two children started brushing their teeth, they always swallowed the toothpaste. I couldn't get them to spit it out and rinse. Frustrated, I read the label on the toothpaste we used then, and realized this was going into my children's stomachs and intestines where it could be absorbed. Here is what I found.
Crest Tartar Control
Ingredients:
Sodium Floride-used in toothpaste, insecticide, disinfectant. Can cause nausea and vomiting when ingested.
Sorbitol-found in ripe berries, cherries, plums, seaweed and algae. No known toxicity if taken externally. If ingested in excess, can cause diarrhea.
Hydrated Silica-a white powder from nature combined with water and is 12% of all rocks.
Glycerin-a by-product of soap manufacturing, used in creams, toothpaste to hold water and spread better. In concentration it is irritating to the mucus membranes, as used, non-toxic, non-irritating, non-allergenic.
Telrasodium Pyrophosphate-used in creams and ointments. In concentrated solutions can
be irritating to skin and mucus membranes.
Sodium Louryl Sulfate-from coconut oil, a detergent. Generally non-toxic to the skin.
P.E.G. "6-polymers of ethylene oxide, the higher the number, the harder the compound.
Carrogeenan-Irish moss, an algae from the ocean. Stabilizer non-toxic.
Carbomer 940-white powder, slightly acidic. used as a thickener. No known toxicity.
Sodium Sacchonin-an artificial sweetner, 300 times sweeter than sugar. On the FDA's priority list for safety testing.
FDC Blue #1-certified dyes made from reduction of Carbon Tetrachloride and Bengene with Aluminum Chloride.
Crest had the fewest ingredients in it. Of the four I looked at. Aqua Fresh Fluoride, Aim Fluoride, and Colgate MFP Fluoride Gel all had more artificial ingredients.
The brand my family now uses is Nature's Gate Toothpaste Anise flavor.
Ingredients:
Calcium carbonate, vegetable glycerin, soft water, sodium lauryl sulfate-from coconut oil, carrageenan, natural anise oil, sodium bicarbonate-vitamin C, calcium carrot powder.
It is now up to you to decide what is best for you and your family.
Tomorrow morning when you brush Your teeth look and read what you are Eating.
Ingredients description found in: A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients written by Ruth Winter.
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