Toothpastes contain cancer causing nicotine, finds study

Beware! Your favourite toothpaste could be
laced with cancer -causing nicotine.
A study by the Delhi Institute of
Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research
(DIPSAR) has found that many of the
toothpaste manufacturers are adulterating
toothpastes and toothpowders with high
quantity of nicotine.
"Out of the 24 brands of toothpastes studied
in 2011, seven brands - Colgate Herbal,
Himalaya, Neem paste, Neem Tulsi, RA
Thermoseal, Sensoform and Stoline - were
found to contain nicotine," said Professor S. S.
Agarwal of DIPSAR, which is affiliated to the
Delhi University and is funded by the Delhi
government.
"Colgate Herbal and Neem Tulsi, also a herbal
product, surprisingly had 18 and 10 mg of
nicotine, which is equivalent to the quantity
found in nine and five cigarettes respectively,"
Prof Agarwal added.
"Out of the ten brands of toothpowders
examined, six - Dabur Red, Vicco, Musaka Gul,
Payokil, Unadent and Alka Dantmanjan - were
found to contain nicotine. Payokil was found
to have the highest 16 mg of tobacco, which
is equivalent of what a person consumes after
smoking eight cigarettes," he said.
"Vicco was found to have used tobacco
consecutively for three years in its
toothpowder, while Dabur Red resumed mixing
tobacco in 2011 after stopping it in 2008,"Prof
Agarwal said.
The findings were, however, strongly refuted by
the manufacturers of some of the dental
creams and toothpowders named by DIPSAR.
According to the Cigarettes and Other
Tobacco Products Act, 2003, tobacco cannot
be added to non-tobacco products like
toothpastes and toothpowders.
Section 7(5) of the Act lays down that every
tobacco package should have nicotine and tar
contents along with the maximum permissible
limits, which is not being done by these
toothpaste manufacturers.
Moreover, as nicotine and tar are carcinogens,
the manufacturers should mention them
among contents along with their permissible
limits on the packages to help people make an
informed choice.
Prof Agarwal said that he has now written to
the Union ministry of health and family
welfare, drug controller-general of India and
Delhi drug controller about the rampant
tobacco adulteration in toothpowders and
toothpastes. " Addition of tobacco is banned
under central excise but it is still being added;
do they forward it to the drug controller-
general of India? Nicotine action is believed to
be responsible for the drug induced feeling of
pleasure and addiction, said Prof Agarwal.
Denying the presence of nicotine in his
products, Sanjeev Pendharkar, Director, Vicco
Laboratories said that the DIPSAR report was
brought to their notice earlier as well. "The
matter was also investigated by officers of the
Drugs Control Administration, Goa. They did
not find anything adverse and the samples
drawn by them also did not show presence of
nicotine," he asserted.
"We tested samples of Vicco Vajradanti paste
and powder and the raw materials used in
them. We found that both finished products
and raw materials did not show presence of
nicotine. The findings of DIPSAR are totally
wrong. It has not disclosed the source of
sampling. Our products do not contain any
nicotine or fluoride," Pendharkar iterated.
He demanded tests in a government-approved
laboratory and "our in-house laboratory," to
substantiate his claim.
Refuting the findings of DIPSAR, a corporate
official of the Himalaya Drug Company said,
"We do not add nicotine to our toothpaste.
Tests conducted have proved that our product
is absolutely nicotine-free. The product was
analysed for the presence of nicotine using
highly sensitive Liquid Chromatography Mass
Spectrometry (LC-MS) technique.
The results showed that nicotine was not
detected. In polyherbals, many phytochemicals
are present which can best be estimated by
LCMS, hence we follow this sophisticated
procedure."Asked for comments, a Dabur India
spokesman said, "We would not be able to
comment unless we see the study and the
methodology used." Prof Agarwal stood by his
findings. He said these companies "are lying
just to safeguard their interests." He said he is
ready to provide the companies with details of
the methodology used.
"Nicotine in toothpastes can have the same ill
effects as that in tobacco products like
cigarettes and paan products. The nicotine is
absorbed by the tongue and saliva in the
mouth. It can lead to staining of teeth too and
damage the whole enamel," warned Dr Rakesh
Malhotra, senior dental surgeon, Centre for
Advanced Dentistry. Toothpaste that contains
nicotine can be as addictive as other nicotine
products, he added. Nicotine can be absorbed
by the lips, tongue, the floor of the mouth, the
top roof of the mouth, cheeks and the gums
leading to problems like oral inflammation and
cancer.
"Oral ingestion of nicotine can lead to oral
cancer and cancer causing agents can also
get into the lining of the stomach, esophagus
and into the bladder," Dr Malhotra said. Other
side- effects of nicotine consumption include
drooling. Children are particularly impacted by
this, and may even report a burning sensation
in the mouth.
According to Dr R C Jiloha of the psychiatry
department, G. B. Pant Hospital, "Nicotine is
distributed throughout the body, mostly to
skeletal muscles and binds to the receptors in
the brain, where it influences the cerebral
metabolism."
Health hazards
It can also be absorbed by the lips, tongue,
floor of the mouth, top roof of the mouth,
cheeks and gums leading to problems such as
oral inflammation and cancer. "Oral ingestion
of nicotine can lead to oral cancer and cancer
causing agents can also get into the lining of
the stomach, esophagus and the bladder," he
added.
"Toothpastes containing nicotine can have the
same ill effects hitherto attributed to tobacco
products such as cigarettes and paan
masala . The nicotine in the toothpaste is
absorbed by the tongue and saliva in the
mouth. It can lead to staining of teeth too and
damage the whole enamel," Dr Rakesh
Malhotra, senior dental surgeon, said.