Is Toilet Paper Bad For You?
Short answer
Some toilet paper is bad for you. Many manufacturers dye the paper with chlorine and chlorine dioxide—which are carcinogenic agents. Recycled toilet paper may contain equally dangerous BPAs. To reduce your risk, opt for unbleached and BPA-free toilet paper.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
Toilet paper is a basic household necessity. In fact, we each use about 21,000 sheets of it per year. And to put that in perspective, that’s the approximate length of 23 football fields.
That’s a ton of toilet paper—which raises some important questions. Is your toilet paper safe? Or could it be bad for you?
Every day, our bodies absorb hundreds (potentially even thousands) of chemicals from the toiletries, cosmetics, and other personal hygiene products we put onto our skin. Toilet paper is no different: we wipe our most intimate areas with it, exposing ourselves to potentially dangerous ingredients like chlorine, chlorine dioxide, BPA and others.
Chlorine and chlorine dioxide are used to bleach the paper to obtain its signature white color. This manufacturing process results in the carcinogens dioxins and furans. The U.S. Environmental Protect Agency has studied and reported on the dangerous effects of both, stating that they are “likely to be a cancer causing substance to humans.” The EPA also notes that high levels of exposure to dioxins and furans result in hormone fluctuation. In animal studies, this has led to changes in fetal development, reduced fertility, and a suppressed immune system.
The paper manufacturing process leads to other problems—particularly when it comes to recycled toilet paper. Although it seems like it would be a greener alternative, a recent study published by the Environmental Science & Technology journal found contamination during the recycling process led to BPA presence in 80 of the 99 toilet paper types tested. Similar to dioxins and furans, BPA is dangerous because it can also lead to hormone disruption.
Other toilet paper ingredients to watch out for include formaldehyde and fragrance. Formaldehyde is used to boost the wet-strength of many different paper products, but the National Toxicology Program has classified it as a known carcinogen. “Fragrance” is a blanket term that could mask hundreds of different ingredients—including known skin irritants and other carcinogens.
To reduce your risk, you don’t have to install a bidet or start using scraps of re-washable fabric. Just use common sense and read toilet paper ingredient labels. Look for unbleached varieties—these are brown or beige in color and will be a little rougher in texture than what you’re typically used to. Also, seek out BPA-free paper products; these have not been recycled which means they’ve never been exposed to BPA or chlorine bleach. Avoid anything that uses formaldehyde or fragrance.
Possible short-term side effects
Possible long-term side effects
- poor immune system
-
hormone imbalance
-
decreased fertility
-
birth defects
-
cancer
Ingredients to be aware of
Benefits
- convenient / gets the job done
Healthier alternatives
- natural, unbleached toilet paper
Please turn your Ad Blocker off to see this content. Thank you!