Sep
Parabens" are chemical compounds that are developed or used to preserve products and keep bacteria and fungi in check. As parabens work efficiently and can be produced very cheaply, they are used in countless product groups in modern production. Parabens can be found in shampoos, creams, cosmetics and even food. For a long time it was thought that parabens were harmless.
The chemical structure:
2004 - first doubts about safety
In 2004, the first study was published which was able to prove that parabens were present in unexpectedly high concentrations in breast cancer tissue. It was also confirmed that parabens were able to mimic the hormone oestrogen in the body, a hormone that is associated with the development of breast cancer.
However, it remained unclear whether the parabens only accumulated in the diseased tissue by chance or whether they also caused the cancer. Since then, numerous other studies have been published on parabens and their effects in the body. For example, it has been established that parabens can also be detected in urine.
2012 - new studies shock
The researchers of the first study from 2004 published a new study on parabens in 2012, and again the results surprised the general public (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jat.1786/abstract).
The study analysed 5 different parabens in more detail and showed that they were present in considerable concentrations in breast cancer tissue. In a next step, the parabens present there were analysed more closely and found to be intact. This means that the parabens did not enter the body via food (and therefore the digestive tract), but were absorbed directly through the skin.
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Based on her first study in 2004, Dr Darbre was initially of the opinion that deodorants were the largest source of parabens in breast cancer tissue. However, she was able to disprove this in the 2012 study: Women who had never used deodorant in their lives also had paraben accumulations in breast cancer tissue. The study concluded the following: Not only do parabens enter the body directly through the skin, but once they are in the body, they migrate to certain places - for example, to the breast tissue.
And finally, Dr Darbre was able to prove what she had been trying to prove since 2004: parabens can cause cancer by converting healthy cells into malignant cells (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22744862).
What does that mean for us?
In our modern lives, parabens are found in a wide range of products, including food, medicines and personal care products. It is therefore all the more important to avoid products that contain parabens. You can recognise parabens by the ending -paraben - and if you want to play it safe, choose natural foods instead of ready-made products and indulge in natural cosmetics.
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