It is sobering when everyday items we trustingly pick off racks at the supermarket turn out to be a health hazard. Most consumers still hesitate before buying Maggi noodles because of the excessive quantities of lead that were reported in them back in 2015. Now, researchers have foisted some serious allegations on <keyword id="22097595" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Listerine" source="keywords">Listerine</keyword> mouthwash — a household item worldwide — saying that its regular use can cause <keyword id="6355291" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cancer" source="Orion">cancer</keyword>. <br /><br />But how seriously should you take these claims?<br /><br />In 1879, a St. Louis-based doctor named his germicidal concoction of essential oils after Joseph Lister. Before Listerine went on to become the #1 dentist-recommended mouthwash brand, it started out as a humble disinfectant, cleaning agent, cure for dandruff, hair tonic, deodorant, and even a "beneficial remedy" for various bacterial and viral diseases. But hey, who doesn’t have a bit of an identity crisis in their early days?<br /><br />It didn’t take long for a marketing dude to recognise its potential as an oral antiseptic and popularise it. While it did take time to catch on, Listerine turned out to be a huge hit among people — nobody wanted stinky breath, after all. The mouthwash has had quite a journey since its discovery over 130 years ago. But its premise remains the same — germ removal.<br /><br />Many of us have cultivated the habit of using the mouthwash for a quick rinse. This is probably why all the recent headlines this week linking Listerine to cancer had our eyes widening in horror. However, the narrative seems to have been twisted a tad bit. So before you yeet your mouthwash in the trash can, you might want to understand the context behind what the researchers have really said.<br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="A crucial link" comment="subhead" text="A crucial link"><span data-til="noop">A crucial link<br /></span></cmsannotation>Scientists in Germany were trying to determine if mouthwash use could impact the incidence of STIs in gay men. The 59 participants used <keyword id="22080958" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="listerine-cool-mint" source="keywords">Listerine Cool Mint</keyword> mouthwash every day for three months and another three months of a placebo rinse.<br /><br />In the case of Listerine, the researchers found high concentrations of two species of bacteria in their mouths at the end of the three-month period — <em><keyword id="22097596" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fusobacterium" source="keywords">Fusobacterium</keyword> nucleatum </em>and <em>Streptococcus anginosus. </em>Both of these bacterial species have previously been linked to cancers like oral and colorectal.<br /><br />The <a href="https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.001830">study</a>, published in the <em>Journal of Medical Microbiology</em>, stated that “Listerine use was associated with an increased abundance of common oral opportunistic bacteria previously reported to be enriched in periodontal diseases, oesophageal and <keyword id="6386751" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="colorectal-cancer" source="Orion">colorectal cancer</keyword> and systemic diseases”.<br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Listerine may not directly cause bacterial proliferation" comment="subhead" text="Listerine may not directly cause bacterial proliferation"><span data-til="noop">Listerine may not directly cause bacterial proliferation<br /></span></cmsannotation>Some might argue that the ethanol in Listerine was triggering this surge in bacterial counts since there are pre-existing links between these bacterial species and alcohol consumption. In fact, Professor Kenyon, who worked on the study, suggested that if you did want to use a mouthwash, an alcohol-free kind might be a better option.<br /><br />You might be wondering how this is possible since alcohol is associated with killing germs — that should’ve been the whole point of adding ethanol to the blend, wasn’t it? However, Listerine is only around 20% alcohol, which isn’t nearly enough to destroy all the bacteria in your mouth. It is, instead, likely used as a preservative and carrier for the other active ingredients in the mouthwash, as per sources.<br /><br />But the alcohol content can cause dehydration and the lack of beneficial salivary enzymes could sometimes shift the power dynamics in favour of the cancer-causing villains like <em>Fusobacterium nucleatum </em>and <em>Streptococcus anginosus.</em><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What Listerine had to say about the whole ordeal" comment="subhead" text="What Listerine had to say about the whole ordeal"><span data-til="noop">What Listerine had to say about the whole ordeal<br /></span></cmsannotation>The study says, “Listerine use was associated with an increased abundance of common oral opportunistic bacteria”. However, the authors add that “the findings suggest that the regular use of Listerine mouthwash should be carefully considered”. This implies that the study’s findings are not conclusive and may need further scrutiny to establish a clear link.<br /><br />A spokesperson for the company that owns the Listerine brand, told the Daily Mail that “Based on our initial review, the published trial lacks several important design controls and adequate rigour to make any conclusions about the potential impact on human health.”<br /><br />Plausible correlation due to other factors such as dietary habits, smoking, alcohol consumption or already poor hygiene — all of which are also linked to <keyword id="67539" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="oral-cancer" source="Orion">oral cancer</keyword> — have not properly been accounted for in the study. The sample size is also pretty small and doesn’t necessarily represent an entire population. As pointed out by the brand itself, some participants could have used mouthwash <em>after </em>the development of oral cancer. However, this potential reverse causation has also not been acknowledged in the study.<br /><br />While we strongly advise getting your primary healthcare provider’s opinion on whether or not you should include Listerine in your oral care routine, we do think it is too early to label the mouthwash a harbinger of cancer.<br /><br />This link between alcohol-based mouthwashes and cancer is not without merit, but more research is needed to establish a stronger association between the two. In the meantime, if you do feel some sense of loyalty towards Listerine but want to go the alcohol-free mouthwash route, the brand does already have zero alcohol options.<br />

What’s the deal with the "Listerine mouthwash causes cancer" claim?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In its Thursday earnings results, <keyword id="92247" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Johnson-Johnson">Johnson &amp; Johnson</keyword> said that sales of Tylenol, Zarbee's Naturals, and Listerine mouthwash have spiked in the time of <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>.</li><li>Based on the company's results, consumers are especially keen to purchase over-the-counter medications and oral care products during the COVID-19 pandemic.</li><li>On the other hand, shoppers are eschewing skincare and beauty products as more and more people remain isolated at home.</li></ul><p>Johnson &amp; Johnson's Thursday earnings results give a clear picture of the products that consumers are most keen to stock up on during the coronavirus pandemic.</p><p>The medical and consumer goods company racked up $18.3 billion in sales over its second quarter, seeing a 10.8% year over year decline in sales. In its earnings statement, Johnson &amp; Johnson said that this drop was "primarily driven by the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic." </p><p>"Our second quarter results reflect the impact of COVID-19 and the enduring strength of our Pharmaceutical business, where we saw continued growth even in this environment," Johnson &amp; Johsnon CEO and chairman Alex Gorsky said in a statement.</p><p>The brand's consumer health category declined by 3.4% in terms of worldwide sales, due to the pandemic's negative hit to skin and beauty products, as well as women's health care products and baby care products. But it wasn't all bad news for the category. The earnings results also revealed that over-the-counter medications and oral care products like Tylenol, Listerine mouthwash, Zarbee's Naturals have soared during the pandemic. Zarbee's Naturals makes vitamins and immune support products. </p><p>Johnson &amp; Johnson also saw its worldwide pharmaceutical sales bolstered, with growth of 3.9%. The company credited immunosuppressive drug Stelara, anti-cancer drug Darzalex, plaque psoriasis drug Tremfya, and a range of other medications with driving those sales. But medical device sales overall plummeted 32.5%. The coronavirus pandemic threw the medical world into chaos as hospitals and clinics postponed <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-pandemic-hospitals-postpone-elective-procedures-2020-3">elective procedures</a>.</p><p>In addition to being one of the many brands with sales affected by the pandemic, Johnson &amp; Johnson is also one of a number of contenders in the race to develop a COVID-19 <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jj-coronavirus-vaccine-timeline-sped-up-enter-clinic-in-july-2020-6">vaccine</a>. </p><p>"We are bringing together our best minds, our global footprint and our sophisticated supply chain technology to deliver on our commitment to provide the vaccine on a not-for-profit basis for emergency pandemic use, globally," Gorsky said. "We know the need is urgent, and every day we commit to doing our part to find a solution for the global good."</p>

Johnson & Johnson's latest numbers find consumers have given up on skin care but not Listerine, as the pandemic stretches on

<h2><strong></strong></h2><ul class="summary-list"><li>Green pee can be caused by green or blue food dye in things like cereals, ice cream, and candy.</li><li>If you have a UTI, your urine may appear green because of bacteria called pyocyanin.</li></ul><p>If you look into the toilet and see green, you might get startled. Green pee is rare, but in most cases it's not cause for concern, says <a href="https://www.poison.org/kelly-johnson-arbor-bio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor</a>, a toxicologist and medical co-director for the <a href="https://www.poison.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Capital Poison Center</a>. </p><p>"Because our kidneys are constantly filtering out waste products from the blood, the color and odor of urine can change on a frequent basis," Johnson-Arbor says. </p><p>Most often, green urine is caused by dyes added to food, medicine, and personal care products like mouthwash, says<a href="https://www.northwell.edu/find-care/find-a-doctor/urology/dr-anurag-kumar-das-md-11512124?utm_source=provider_listing&amp;utm_medium=partner&amp;utm_campaign=doctor_dot_com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Dr. Anurag K. Das</a>, chief of urology at <a href="https://www.northwell.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Staten Island University Hospital</a>. </p><p>"But sometimes it could be a more serious issue," including liver disease or a urinary tract infection (UTI), Das says. </p><p>Here are seven possible causes of green pee, and how to deal with each. </p><h2>1. Food Dyes</h2><p>Food dyes, blue and green in particular, are the most common cause of green urine. </p><p>For example, <a href="https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Indigo-carmine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indigo carmine</a>, also known as Blue #2, is a common food dye that can cause green urine, Das says. It's <a href="https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/humannutrition/nutrition-topics/eatingwell-budget/meals-documents/IdentifyingFoodsThatContainSyntheticFoodDyes.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> in breakfast cereals, drinks, ice cream and candy. </p><p>When your body filters those dyes out, they're secreted in your urine, creating the green tinge.</p><p><strong>What to do about it: </strong>Just wait. Green pee caused by food products will be most vibrant in the <a href="https://www.annlabmed.org/journal/view.html?doi=10.3343/alm.2013.33.6.457" target="_blank" rel="noopener">six hours</a> after you consume the food. It should resolve entirely within a day or so. </p><h2>2. Medications</h2><p>Like foods, many medications contain colored dyes. So do medical products and anesthetics used during surgery or other in-office medical procedures. These can cause your urine to appear green when they're filtered out of your body. </p><p>Common medications associated with green pee are:</p><ul><li><a href="https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Methylene-blue#:~:text=Methylene%20blue%20is%20an%20organic,role%20as%20an%20EC%201.4." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Methylene blue</a>, found in many over-the-counter pain relief medications and is used in many surgical procedures. </li><li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a681027.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indomethacin</a>, an NSAID medication used to treat arthritis</li><li><a href="https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682388.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amitriptyline</a>, an antidepressant </li><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430884/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Propofol</a>, an anesthetic </li></ul><p><strong>What to do about it:</strong> If you have green pee after surgery or a medical procedure, it will likely only last a day or two, until the one-time medication clears your system.</p><p>"Don't worry, as this is a benign side effect that should not cause other unwanted symptoms or require specific treatment," Johnson-Arbor says.</p><p>However, if you think it's caused by a prescription that you will be taking long term, speak with your doctor, Das says. It's likely harmless, but it's always a good idea to let doctors know about any side effects from new meds. </p><h2>3. Personal care products</h2><p>Personal care products and cosmetics also contain dyes. If you accidentally consume them, they could turn your urine green. </p><p>One example is Listerine mouthwash, which can cause green urine if you accidentally swallow it because of its ingredient <a href="https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Thymol" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thymol</a>, Johnson-Arbor says. Breath mints, cosmetics and other products with blue or green dyes can have a similar effect. </p><p><strong>What to do about it:</strong> "Don't be alarmed, as these changes are not harmful to the body," Johnson-Arbor says. "The discoloration should go away after you stop using the products, and it's unlikely that affected individuals will have additional worrisome symptoms or require medical treatment." </p><p><strong>Important:</strong> If you accidentally ingest a product that's not meant to be ingested, call poison control online at <a href="http://www.poison.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.poison.org</a> or by calling 1-800-222-1222.</p><h2>4. Urinary tract infection</h2><p>Some UTIs are caused by a bacteria called <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/hai/organisms/pseudomonas.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pseudomonas aeruginosa</a>. These bacteria create <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/pyocyanin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pyocyanin</a>, a blue-green tinged compound that can leave your urine looking green. If you have a UTI, you'll likely notice other <a href="https://www.urologyhealth.org/urology-a-z/u/urinary-tract-infections-in-adults" target="_blank" rel="noopener">symptoms</a> including:</p><ul><li>Pain or burning during urination</li><li>Frequent urination</li><li>Abdominal and lower back pain</li><li>Cloudy or foul-smelling urine </li><li>Fever</li></ul><p><strong>What to do about it:</strong> Talk to your doctor. UTIs need to be <a href="https://www.urologyhealth.org/urology-a-z/u/urinary-tract-infections-in-adults#Treatment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">treated</a> with antibiotics. If they're left untreated, they can lead to serious complications including <a href="https://www.sepsis.org/sepsisand/blood-poisoning/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sepsis</a>, Johnson-Arbor says. </p><h2>5. Liver disease</h2><p>Your urine may appear green if it <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003139.htm#:~:text=The%20usual%20color%20of%20urine,dark,%20or%20blood-colored." target="_blank" rel="noopener">contains</a> any bilirubin. Bilirubin is a byproduct of the breakdown of red blood cells. In healthy people it's cleared away by the liver, but having bilirubin in your urine can be an <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/bilirubin-in-urine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">early sign</a> of liver disease. </p><p>If this is the cause of your green urine, you'll notice that the green continues over time. You may also experience other<a href="https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/bilirubin-in-urine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> symptoms</a> like:</p><ul><li>Nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite</li><li>Fatigue and weakness</li><li>Swelling in the abdomen, ankles, and legs</li><li>Itching</li><li>Jaundice, a yellow tinge to the skin and eyes</li></ul><p><strong>What to do:</strong> Talk to your doctor and ask for a <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/bilirubin-in-urine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bilirubin urine test</a>. If bilirubin is in your system your doctor will do additional tests like <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/cirrhosis.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cirrhosis</a> or <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/bileductdiseases.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blocked bile ducts</a> to diagnose liver disease. Depending on your diagnosis, your doctor will prescribe medications and lifestyle changes As your liver <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">health</keyword> improves you may notice green urine resolve. </p><h2>6. Blue diaper syndrome </h2><p><a href="https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/blue-diaper-syndrome/#:~:text=Blue%20diaper%20syndrome%20is%20a,may%20also%20develop%20kidney%20disease." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blue diaper syndrome</a> is a very rare disease that mostly affects babies. </p><p>It happens when the body can't break down tryptophan, a nutrient found in animal-based foods like milk and eggs. Blue diaper syndrome can lead to hypercalcemia, causing blue or green-tinged urine. </p><p>A child with blue diaper syndrome might have trouble gaining weight, or be diagnosed with failure to thrive, a condition where a baby is not gaining weight or meeting developmental milestones. Diarrhea, vomiting, and changes to appetite are also symptoms. </p><p><strong>What to do about it:</strong> Talk to your baby's pediatrician. They may be able to diagnose the disease based on a urine sample. People with blue diaper syndrome need to eat a diet low in calcium, protein and vitamin D. </p><h2>When to see a doctor</h2><p>It's normal to see an array of colors when you look into the toilet after peeing. Most of them — whether they're green or another color — are entirely normal. Others should prompt a call to your doctor. </p><p>"While many causes of urine discoloration are benign and are caused by foods or medications, some urinary color changes warrant medical attention," Johnson-Arbor says. </p><p>Red or brown urine can indicate blood in the urine. That's associated with serious conditions including kidney stones, infections, and even cancer. Even if you have blood one time, call your doctor. </p><p>In addition, you should <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003139.htm#:~:text=The%20usual%20color%20of%20urine,dark,%20or%20blood-colored." target="_blank" rel="noopener">call your doctor</a> if you:</p><ul><li>Suddenly have a strange urine color that doesn't go away after a day or so. </li><li>Have urine that smells foul.</li><li>Notice green or blue urine from your child.</li><li>Have symptoms including fever or weakness.</li></ul><h2>Insider's takeaway</h2><p>Green urine can be alarming, but in almost all cases it's nothing to be concerned about. </p><p>"The most common cause of green-colored urine is products that are consumed such as dyes and personal care products," Johnson-Arbor says. If that's the case, your urine will be back to normal within a day or so. </p><p>However, if your urine stays green and you experience any other symptoms like pain while urinating, fatigue or changes to appetite, talk with your doctor. </p>

6 reasons why your pee is green and what to do about it, according to urologists

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5646085c11231499028b4de9-964-723/3576024711_c4d93875ba_o.jpg" alt="Man Holding Breath" data-mce-source="Via Flickr" /><p class="source"><span>Via Flickr</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Take note, Listerine.</p><p>In the near future, the cause of our stinky morning breath could be the thing that helps us beat it.</p><p>Our body is filled with trillions microorganisms. Some of those microbes hang out in our mouth, which is nice and humid. While we sleep, our mouths sometimes dry out, which can kill off some good bacteria and cause gas-emitting bacteria to thrive. That's the reason you sometimes wake up with a putrid-smelling mouth.</p><p>But, there's a solution, and its name is S<em>treptococcous salivarius K12. </em>Researchers think the bacteria strain could soon be put into a lozenge or spray and used as a probiotic, or beneficial mix of bacteria, to knock out the bad bacteria that causes bad breath. </p><p>The delicate balance of microbes living inside each one of us, collectively called our microbiome, help keep our body running. Unfortunately, things we do - like taking antibiotics, for example - can wipe out many of these beneficial microbes, throwing off the balance.</p><p>Susan Perkins, one of the curators of a <a href="http://www.amnh.org/calendar/the-secret-world-inside-you">recent exhibit</a> at the<span> American Museum of Natural History focused on the microbiome</span><span>, told Business Insider she wouldn't be surprised if we started using bacteria to treat morning breath within the year.</span></p><p>A <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16553730">2006 study</a> of 23 people with halitosis, or bad breath, found that<span> those given <em>S.</em> <em>salivarius K12</em> lozenges had lower levels of <span>smelly breath</span>. </span>The participants started by using an antimicrobial mouthwash followed by either a placebo lozenge or one with <span><em>S</em>. </span><em>salivarius K12. </em>They found that the addition of the bacteria reduced the levels of smelly breath better than the mouthwash on its own. </p><p>Ideally, this probiotic could be used in addition to mouth washes like <a href="http://www.listerine.com/mouth-coach/why-rinse-for-oral-health">Listerine</a>, which kill all the bacteria - good and bad - in your mouth. Andrea<span> </span><span>Azcarate-Peril, the director of the University of North Carolina's Microbiome Research Core, told Business Insider that a</span>ntibacterial solutions like mouthwash and hand sanitizer are being overused to the point where they could be doing more harm than good.</p><p>"<span>We are just too clean," she said.</span></p><p><span>But probiotics aren't a perfect solution either. At least not yet. We still don't know everything about the bacteria in our bodies, and not every probiotic works for every person. Plus, probiotics still aren't regulated by the FDA, so it's a little tricky to know if the supplements people are taking are actually doing what they say they are. </span></p><p><span>Even so, the probiotics industry is expanding. T<span>he hope is to eventually use these probiotics to treat everything from cancer to bad body odor, said Perkins.</span></span></p><p><span><span>In the meantime, keep your eye out for <span><em>S</em>. </span><em>salivarius K12. </em></span></span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/food-bacteria-food-poisoning-5-second-rule-myth-2015-7">We found out if the 5-second rule is a real thing</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="E3bWI0djqjbAi-9oxkjDbuv_AC8cFxU1" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'E3bWI0djqjbAi-9oxkjDbuv_AC8cFxU1',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

You've been fighting morning breath all wrong

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5646085c11231499028b4de9-964-723/3576024711_c4d93875ba_o.jpg" alt="Man Holding Breath" data-mce-source="Via Flickr" /><p class="source"><span>Via Flickr</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Step away from the mouth wash. </p><p>In the near future, the source of our stinky morning breath could be the thing that helps us beat it.</p><p>Our body is filled with <a href="ience/">trillions of microorganisms</a>, some of which hang out in our nice and humid mouths. But while we sleep, our mouths often get dried out, which can kill off some good bacteria. In their absence, the stinky gas-emitting bacteria thrive, which is why you sometimes wake up with a foul-smelling mouth.</p><p>But there could be a solution. Its name is S<em>treptococcus salivarius K12</em>. Researchers think the bacteria strain could soon be put into a lozenge or spray and used as a probiotic, or beneficial mix of bacteria, to knock out the bad bacteria that causes bad breath.</p><p>The delicate balance of microbes living inside each of us, collectively called our microbiome, help keep our body running. Unfortunately, when we take antibiotics or use an antibacterial hand wash, those actions can wipe out many of these beneficial microbes, which throws off the balance in our bodies.</p><p>So, researchers have been exploring ways to make it right, taking a particular interest in <em>S. salivarius K12</em>. A <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16553730">2006 study</a> of 23 people with halitosis (bad breath) found that those given <em>S.</em> <em>salivarius K12</em> lozenges had lower levels of smelly breath. The participants started by using an antimicrobial mouthwash followed by either a placebo lozenge or one with <em>S</em>. <em>salivarius K12</em>. They found that the addition of the bacteria reduced the levels of smelly breath better than the mouthwash on its own. A follow-up study in 2011 on 53 participants <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691511002821">demonstrated the safety of the probiotic</a>, though larger studies would likely need to happen before we all start adding doses of bacteria to our body. </p><p>Ideally, this probiotic could be used in addition to antiseptic mouthwashes like <a href="http://www.listerine.com/mouth-coach/why-rinse-for-oral-health">Listerine</a>, which kill all the bacteria - good and bad - in your mouth. Andrea Azcarate-Peril, director of the University of North Carolina's Microbiome Research Core, told Business Insider that antibacterial solutions like mouthwash and hand sanitizer are being overused to the point where they could be doing more harm than good.</p><p>"We are just too clean," she said.</p><p>But probiotics aren't a perfect solution either - at least not yet. <strong>We still don't know everything about the bacteria in our bodies, and not every probiotic works for every person.</strong> Plus, probiotics still aren't regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration, so it's a little tricky to know if the supplements people are taking are actually doing what they say they are. </p><p>Even so, the probiotics industry is expanding. Susan Perkins, one of the curators of an <a href="http://www.amnh.org/calendar/the-secret-world-inside-you">exhibit</a> at the American Museum of Natural History focused on the microbiome, told Business Insider in November that she wouldn't be surprised if we started using bacteria to treat morning breath within the year. Eventually, the hope is to eventually use these probiotics to treat everything from cancer to bad body odor, said Perkins.</p><p>In the meantime, keep your eye out for <em>S</em>. <em>salivarius K12, </em>possibly coming soon to a drugstore near you.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/food-bacteria-food-poisoning-5-second-rule-myth-2015-7">We found out if the 5-second rule is a real thing</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="E3bWI0djqjbAi-9oxkjDbuv_AC8cFxU1" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'E3bWI0djqjbAi-9oxkjDbuv_AC8cFxU1',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

You Searched For "listerine mouthwash cancer" and got 5 results

What’s the deal with the "Listerine mouthwash causes cancer" claim?

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