A popular mouthwash brand “could increase risk of” cancer, some scientists have warned today.
The expert even went as far to say “most people should not be using” Listerine Cool Mint, as a study claims to have shown it has links with esophageal and colorectal cancer.
Experts from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, found that two species of bacteria were more prevalent after three months of daily mouthwash use. The scientists discovered two species of bacterium – Fusobacterium nucleatum and Streptococcus anginosus – which have both been linked to cancer,were more abundant in the mouth after daily usage.
It is believed that the alcohol in the mouthwash may increase the level of bacteria inside the mouth, according to the academics. Professor Chris Kenyon, a scientist at the university who worked on the study, told the Daily Telegraph that using the mouthwash “could increase their risk of cancer and various infections.”
The expert also said: “Most people should not be using it and if they do use it, they should use the preparations without alcohol and limit the use to a couple of days.”
But Kenvue, an American consumer health company which owns Listerine in addition to other popular brands like Johnson’s Baby and Aveeno, says it believes “the trial lacks several important design controls and adequate rigour” to reach such conclusions.
Prof Kenyon, though, says the finding was made during an investigation into the impact of daily mouthwash use on STI risk among gay men. The 59 participants used Listerine daily for three months followed by three months of placebo mouthwash or vice versa.
While the experiment only included Listerine, Professor Kenyon stressed that similar levels of bacteria would likely be found using other alcohol-based mouthwashes.
A spokesperson for Kenvue told the Mirror: “Studies on the impact of Listerine on oral health have been published in hundreds of peer-reviewed publications for more than a century, making it one of the most extensively tested oral mouthwash brands in the world. We continuously evaluate the latest science. There is no evidence that Listerine causes cancer.”
In an earlier statement to the Telegraph, a spokesperson for the company based in New Jersey, US, said: “Kenvue welcomes and encourages scientific advancements and exchanges to promote everyday health. Based on our initial review, the published trial lacks several important design controls and adequate rigour to make any conclusions about potential impact to human health.”
