As a culture, we’re pretty obsessed with sanitation. But our obsessive overuse of antibiotics and hand sanitizers might actually be making us sick, grumpy, and fat.
I mean, you can’t even go to the grocery store without encountering a free hand sanitizing station. The grocery store. You know… those sanitizing wipes by the shopping carts and baskets? We’re crazy for cleanliness.
One sniffle will send many otherwise healthy people to their doctor’s office or urgent care, demanding antibiotics (that won’t even help treat a virus or the related symptoms). Our livestock is pumped full of antibiotics and hormones that we ingest without even realizing it. And our water supply is full of antibiotics that people flush or throw away.
But before you get upset and try to set me straight……
“But Dr. Kien, antibiotics save lives!”
“Dude, you’re a doctor and you know how many lives proper sanitation has saved and how it’s improved our quality of life.”
… let me just agree with you.
There are many times when sanitation and antibiotics are good.
For example, sanitation is good in public bathrooms, on blind dates, and during open heart surgery.
Antibiotics are good for strep throat, double ear infections, and gonorrhea. (OMG… yes I went there.)
But when our obsession with sanitation and antibiotics also makes us sick, grumpy, and fat… we need to find some balance.
Because we’re actually changing the very important ecosystem in our guts known as our microbiome. And that’s wreaking havoc on our health. Here’s how:
Overuse of antibiotics and hand sanitizers is making us sick.
Sure, antibiotics wipe out bad bacteria… but they’re like microscopic Rambos running loose in your body… and they take out the good bacteria, too. When your good bacteria are gone, yeast and candida take over and make a mess of your health and allergies, poor digestion, skin problems, and fatigue or brain fog can develop as a result.
A healthy microbiome also regulates immunity. So when it’s totally out of balance because antibiotics have killed off the good bacteria essential to a healthy microbiome, your body’s ability to fight off disease and infection is compromised.
Overuse of antibiotics and hand sanitizers make superbugs/antibiotic resistant organisms.
This is a true danger ! The more we abuse sanitizers and antibiotics, we can create new strains of microorganisms that are resistant to drugs. This poses a true danger to health of nation as a whole as these organisms cause very dangerous infections that are difficult to cure.
Overuse of antibiotics and hand sanitizers is making us grumpy.
Candida and yeast overgrowth have been shown to cause mood disorders. And when it comes to hand sanitizer… well… the FDA has said that some antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers containing triclosan and triclocarban may contribute to bacterial resistance (antibacterial resistant superbugs). They also seem to affect hormones which regulate many bodily functions including your mood.
Overuse of antibiotics and hand sanitizers is making us fat.
Healthy gut bacteria thrive when you eat a balanced diet low in sugar, processed foods, and alcohol. But the bad bacteria are like me when I was in med school – they love sweets, processed foods,
refined carbohydrates, and junk food. So when your microbiome is out of whack you’re going to crave unhealthy foods which leads to weight gain and a host of other symptoms.
So what are you supposed to do?
Well… I don’t want you to totally give up antibiotics or swea
r off hand sanitizers and good hygiene. But I do want you to realize that overusing antibiotics and trying to totally sterilize our environments isn’t the answer, either.
It’s OK to get dirty. Because your microbiome – the good bacteria that keep you healthy, happy, and at a healthy weight – thrive when they aren’t under constant attack.
You are your own best medicine.
You can start to heal yourself today by being more conscious of the small choices you make.
You are health,
Dr. Kien
PS – Please share this with someone that might benefit from reading about the connection between overuse of hand sanitizers and antibiotics with health and well being.
PPS – Are you up for a challenge? I dare you to go one week without using hand sanitizers or antibacterial soaps. Do you think you can do it? Share some updates on Instagram with #letsgetdirtychallenge. I can’t wait to see how you do!
