Is increasing use of antibacterial cleaners actually making us more susceptible to bacterial infections?
This is not likely for several reasons. Most products that are advertised as antibacterial are weak in their action. A brisk swipe with brand whatever is very unlikely to kill because outside of incineration, the chemical killing of organisms takes time, more time than the average person is willing to wait. The principle effect of such swabbing is due to simple washing of the surface being treated. Another reason is that the antibacterial materials are not antibiotics. They exert their effect by chemical denaturing of the bacteria, thus the death of an organism is an all-or-none phenomenon. In contrast, antibiotics affect the metabolism of the bacteria and interfere with it. If the bacteria develop an alternative metabolic pathway, then the antibiotic will no longer have a target, whereas an antibacterial will always be able to denature its target, be it protein, lipid or carbohydrate. How do you protect yourself and your family from an outbreak of this type? If you frequent restaurant
