In a shocking incident, a scientist has claimed that a popular mouthwash brand can increase the risk of cancer. According to the scientist, using Listerine Cool Mint mouthwash every day could increase the risk of developing esophageal and colorectal cancer.
After three months of daily mouthwash use, two species of bacteria were more prevalent, Boffins from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, found.
The bacteria-Fusobacterium nucleatum and Streptococcus anginosus – which have both been linked to cancer were more abundant in the mouth after daily usage.
According to a report by Daily Mail, the alcohol in the mouthwash may increase the level of bacteria inside the mouth.
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.”
“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,” he claimed.
During an investigation into the impact of daily mouthwash use on STI risk among gay men, the scientists made this shocking discovery. As a part of this study, 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, Daily Mail reported.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson of Kenvue, which owns the Listerine brand, said, as quoted by Daily Mail, that “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.”