Kya aapke tooth paste mein Nicotine hai?

The glistening smile on your face may fade off when I tell you the tooth paste you use to shine your teeth can potentially discolour and decay your teeth or could even prove fatal on a long run!

Recent studies by scientists at Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research (DIPSAR) have revealed the use of significant content of nicotine in some of the leading brands of tooth pastes in India. I was appalled reading the reports of the same in The Journal of Toxicology detailing the statistics of tobacco related oral cancers in India, the use being based on ludicrous myths about tobacco. Though nicotine has some established therapeutic values in low doses, I don’t need to elaborate on the harmful effects of nicotine (ranging from addiction to respiratory & cardio problems), which clearly outweighs its benefits.

Out of the twenty four brands subjected to testing, some brands- Colgate Herbal, Himalaya, Neem paste, Neem Tulsi, Dabur Red, Sensoform and Vicco , were found to contain nicotine, in a quantity equivalent to  five-eight cigarettes. Of late, the awareness of high fluoride content in some famous brands of toothpastes (> permissible 1000ppm) which is as good as consuming poison, has fortunately welcomed the non-flouridated toothpastes like Meswak in the markets.

I can only sympathise with the sorry state of affairs in India where healthcare companies are minting money by fostering such brands adulterated with nicotine. Although the companies are gainsaying the same, the published results authenticate the claims. Its a wakeup call for the regulatory authorities in India and its about time they implement rigid prototcols for quality control of products meant for mass consumption.

The question is - what can we, as individuals do? Its as simple as this- Create awareness among people about it, so that people shun such products and go for other genuine brands. So, Keep smiling- with strong teeth and fresh breath! :-) 

You can find the details of the article published by DIPSAR at Journal of Toxicology, Volume 2012, Article ID 237506, 11 pages, doi:10.1155/2012/237506 (available without subscription).