Paraben is a synthetic compound that began appearing in food and beauty products in the 1950s, acting as a preservative to lengthen the product's shelf life. Although parabens help preserve products, recent research identifies some dangers of paraben exposure and intake. The U.S. Food & Drug Association allows small amounts of paraben in products, but because paraben is present in so many products, we are overloading our bodies without realizing.
Research shows strong links between high levels of parabens with many health problems, the most outstanding being breast cancer. Breast tissue that has been analyzed and contains traces of paraben indicates paraben has the chemical capability to enter skin and stay there. The tissue that contained parabens also happened to be an area that breast cancer frequently begins and occurs.
Parabens are still allowed by the FDA, but as more research is being conducted and people are being informed, many are trying to avoid paraben at all costs. Paraben is unnecessary in many of the products it exists in, and other less-effective yet safer preservatives are beginning to hit the market.
This article interested me because with the increasing number of health problems we are facing in today’s society, people are constantly trying to better their quality of life by using safer products. I do my best to eliminate food and beauty products that may contain harmful chemicals and encourage others to do the same. I also thought it was scary that a preservative is present in many everyday products is a possible cause of cancer and other serious health conditions. It’s crazy to think that ingredients with the chemical ability to enter our skin and create cancerous growths in tissue are allowed on store shelves.
Submitted by Emma Stancey
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