Dishwashing detergents contain harsh chemical surfactants for removing grease, stuck-on food, and oil from the dishes within a couple of minutes using minimal water.
Anyone who has ever washed a greasy pan will know how powerful these detergents are at cutting through this grime.
A team of researchers at the Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), an associated institute of the University of Zurich (UZH), has now questioned the safety of chemicals used in dishwashing detergents.
The team used a new organoid technology that allows researchers to generate three-dimensional cellular structures resembling intestinal cell models. The intestinal cell models revealed chemical residue from these detergents can damage gut health.
This damages the delicate, one-cell-thick natural protective layer in the gut and contributes to the onset of chronic diseases.
“We assume that defective epithelial barriers play a role in triggering the onset of two billion chronic illnesses,” says Cezmi Akdis director of the Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research who helped develop the epithelial barrier hypothesis during his more than 20 years of research in this field.
“This means that potentially toxic substances remain on the dishes, where they then dry in place.”
Alcohol ethoxylates are identified to be the culprit!
These chemicals are often used in detergents and surface cleaners to help displace debris from household objects.
Earlier alcohol ethoxylates were considered non-toxic to human cells. The researchers suggest that further research is needed into the health effects of alcohol ethoxylates. But till that time make sure dishes at your home are rinsed free of detergent residues.
