Along with University of Michigan colleagues Elaine Larson, RN, PhD, and Stuart Levy, MD, researcher Allison Aiello, PhD, has conducted some of the largest and most rigorously designed studies examining the safety and effectiveness of antibacterial products.

In one of their studies, 238 families were asked to either use triclosan-containing cleaning and hygiene products for a year or similar products without the antibacterial agent. Skin testing conducted before, during, and after the intervention suggested that both cleansing techniques were equally effective at killing germs.

An FDA advisory panel considered the question of the effectiveness of antibacterial products in the fall of 2005; the panel overwhelmingly concluded that there was no evidence proving that antibacterial soaps were more effective than regular soaps for preventing infection.

There was talk at the time of restricting the labeling or advertising of new antibacterial products, but the agency has taken no formal action.

Studies in a University of Michigan laboratory first showed that triclosan can cause some bacteria to become resistant to widely used antibiotics. However, but this has not been shown outside the lab.

Why antibacterial may not help

• Antibacterial components of soaps (usually triclosan or triclocarbon) need to be left on a surface for about two minutes in order to work. Most people wash off the soap before the antibacterial ingredients can do their job.

• Some bacteria actually benefit us. The normal population of bacteria on our bodies not only eats our sweat, but also helps defend us against truly harmful, invasive bacteria.

• Many common diseases are viral in nature, and are therefore not prevented by antibacterial products.

• Some scientists theorize that bacteria may develop a resistance to bactericidal agents over time.

Source: Howstuffworks.com

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