Mouthwash with chemical content that exceeds the allowable limit might do the user more harm than good, the Consumers’ Foundation said yesterday.
Mouth rinses are commonly used to get rid of germs and prevent bad breath.
However, there are concerns about the safety of some products, because there are currently no standards regulating their contents, the foundation said.
Using the standards set for toothpaste, the foundation inspected 15 mouthwashes bought in supermarkets and cosmetic shops and found that six had a pH lower than 5 and one contained enough chlorhexidine gluconate to be labeled as over-the-counter medication.
An oral environment with a pH lower than 5 can easily lead to cavities caused by the overgrowth of acidic bacteria, and the inspection the average pH value of all tested products was about 7, the agency said.
The concentration of three different chemical substances — triclosan, fluoride and chlorhexidine — in mouthwashes was also tested.
Triclosan is commonly found in antibacterial hygiene products, but can cause tumors or hormonal imbalance if used excessively.
Health authorities have set the limit for the concentration of triclosan in toothpastes. at 0.03 percent
The foundation did not find any mouthwashes exceeding this limit.
Fluoride, which is widely used to prevent cavities, can cause damage to teeth and bones if used in large doses. The national standard (for toothpaste) is 1,500 parts per million and all items were found to be within these limits as well, the foundation said.
However, one brand of mouthwash tested had a chlorhexidine gluconate concentration higher than is allowed in a general commercial product.
The foundation warned consumers against using mouthwash for periodontitis prevention, as most mouthwashes on sale contain little or no antibacterial substances.
In addition, swallowing mouthwash with fluoride can be extremely harmful to a person’s health, especially children’s, it said.
Alain Robert, known as the "French Spider-Man," praised Alex Honnold as exceptionally well-prepared after the US climber completed a free solo ascent of Taipei 101 yesterday. Robert said Honnold's ascent of the 508m-tall skyscraper in just more than one-and-a-half hours without using safety ropes or equipment was a remarkable achievement. "This is my life," he said in an interview conducted in French, adding that he liked the feeling of being "on the edge of danger." The 63-year-old Frenchman climbed Taipei 101 using ropes in December 2004, taking about four hours to reach the top. On a one-to-10 scale of difficulty, Robert said Taipei 101
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Taiwanese and US defense groups are collaborating to introduce deployable, semi-autonomous manufacturing systems for drones and components in a boost to the nation’s supply chain resilience. Taiwan’s G-Tech Optroelectronics Corp subsidiary GTOC and the US’ Aerkomm Inc on Friday announced an agreement with fellow US-based Firestorm Lab to adopt the latter’s xCell, a technology featuring 3D printers fitted in 6.1m container units. The systems enable aerial platforms and parts to be produced in high volumes from dispersed nodes capable of rapid redeployment, to minimize the risk of enemy strikes and to meet field requirements, they said. Firestorm chief technology officer Ian Muceus said
MORE FALL: An investigation into one of Xi’s key cronies, part of a broader ‘anti-corruption’ drive, indicates that he might have a deep distrust in the military, an expert said China’s latest military purge underscores systemic risks in its shift from collective leadership to sole rule under Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), and could disrupt its chain of command and military capabilities, a national security official said yesterday. If decisionmaking within the Chinese Communist Party has become “irrational” under one-man rule, the Taiwan Strait and the regional situation must be approached with extreme caution, given unforeseen risks, they added. The anonymous official made the remarks as China’s Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia (張又俠) and Joint Staff Department Chief of Staff Liu Zhenli (劉振立) were reportedly being investigated for suspected “serious
RSS