The truth about mouthwash: Our experts' guide to whether YOU should use it after study found link to cancer By Caroline Jones Published: 07:27 EDT, 19 June 2024 | Updated: 07:27 EDT, 19 June 2024 e-mail View comments A swill of mouthwash is part of many people's daily dental routines. But while around a quarter of the UK population uses mouthwash, there's growing evidence to suggest it may do more harm than good: a new study has found that antiseptic mouthwash may raise users' risk of oesophageal and bowel cancer , while other recent research has linked its use to high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes , with its bacteria-killing properties - which is why people use it - thought to be to blame. The latest study, by the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, showed that using Listerine Cool Mint mouthwash every day for three months increased the numbers of two species of bacteria - Fusobacterium nucleatum and Streptococcus anginosus – which have been linked to gum disease as well as oesophageal and colon cancer.
It's believed that the alcohol in the mouthwash may be to blame, by altering the delicate balance of the mouth's microbiome and wiping out some 'good' bacteria and allowing these 'bad' bacteria to proliferate. Scientists from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, found that two species of bacteria were more prevalent after three months of daily mouthwash use (stock image) SHOULD YOU BE USING MOUTHWASH? THE EXPERT VERDICT Want to know y.
