A common chemical in everyday products like hand lotion, toothpaste, mouthwash, nasal spray, lozenges, deodorant, intravaginal sponges, and eye drops is toxic to mitochondria.
Using the wrong personal care products can make you tired and destroy your health. Just the other day, I was using some of that cleaning slime, and it left a weird residue on my hands. I read the label, and sure enough, this chemical was in there, too, so be on the lookout.
Mitochondrial toxins decrease energy production causing fatigue, brain fog, and other unwanted symptoms. The chemical I’m talking about is a Quat.
A Quat is a quaternary ammonium salt. Quats are a group of chemicals (such as cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) and benzalkonium chloride (BAK)) used as preservatives, surfactants, antistatic agents, and active ingredients in disinfectants and sanitizers like Clorox wipes.
Research shows that putting quats on your hands, skin, mouth, eyes, and in your vagina impairs mitochondrial function and inhibits estrogen signaling [1, 2, 3, 4].
Quats also cause asthma and irritation to the skin and lungs. Overexposure to quats can cause several bacteria to evolve into superbugs like MRSA, which are antibacterial-resistant.
Of 1,600 antiseptics, additives, and drugs, quats were the most mitochondrially toxic class, inhibiting ATP synthesis and mitochondrial O2 consumption [1].
Impaired mitochondrial function is behind 85-90% of all chronic diseases, based on the work of Dr Douglas Wallace, who founded the field of mitochondrial genetics [5].
The FDA approved quats for use in these products and never thought to test their safety on mitochondria. It’s not a surprise. The FDA isn’t looking out for you, and you’ve got to question everything. Your personal care products are a very big deal if you want to stay young, avoid disease, and have kids.
How can you tell if a product has quats or QACs? The quats category contains several different commonly used ingredients. To avoid quats or QACs, avoid products with ingredient labels using the words “quaternium” or “-onium chloride,” like benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chlorides, and many others, and are often noted as “biodegradable fabric softening agents” or “catatonic surfactants”.
Invest in all-natural personal care products and cleaners, or make your own to keep you and your family healthy. If you have a favorite natural product(s) I’d love to hear about it!
Best,
Nathan
