Increased severity of ulcerative colitis

The Sydney Morning Herald reported on the finding of nano particles in our food supply here in Australia, despite no testing every carried out on the safety of these products by our food safety body.

History

The FDA has issued guidance clarifying the safe use of titanium dioxide pigment as a food colorant and has stated that titanium dioxide may be safely used in cosmetics, including those intended for use around the eye. FDA also regulates the safety and effectiveness of sunscreen active ingredients, including nanoscale titanium dioxide.

No. The titanium dioxide we use in our toothpastes has been proven safe by health experts around the world. It is used in our toothpastes as a white colourant, in a non-nano form as defined by European regulations. It is an approved colourant in cosmetics, and we comply with all the regulations applicable to it.

Micronized titanium dioxide doesn’t penetrate skin so there’s no need to be concerned about it getting into your body. Even when titanium dioxide nanoparticles are used, the molecular size of the substance used to coat the nanoparticles is large enough to prevent them from penetrating beyond the uppermost layers of skin. This means you’re getting the sun protection titanium dioxide provides with no risk of it causing harm to skin or your body. The coating process improves application, enhances sun protection, and prevents the titanium dioxide from interacting with other ingredients in the presence of sunlight, thus enhancing its stability. It not only makes this ingredient much more pleasant to use for sunscreen, but also improves efficacy and eliminates safety concerns. Common examples of ingredients used to coat titanium dioxide are alumina, dimethicone, silica, and trimethoxy capryl silane.

From dyes to flavorings, many people are becoming increasingly aware of the ingredients in their food.

A 2023 study published in the journal Particle and Fibre Toxicology set out to examine the impact of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in mice “on the course and prognosis of ulcerative colitis,” by creating an ulcerative colitis disease model. Researchers found that the titanium dioxide nanoparticles significantly increased the severity of colitis. They also “decreased the body weight, increased the disease activity index and colonic mucosa damage index scores, shortened the colonic length, increased the inflammatory infiltration in the colon.” Researchers concluded: “Oral intake of TiO2 nanoparticles could affect the course of acute colitis in exacerbating the development of ulcerative colitis, prolonging the ulcerative colitis course and inhibiting ulcerative colitis recovery.”

French researchers studied how and where E171 nanoparticles enter the bloodstream, first studying the route through pigs and then in vitro with human buccal cells, for a 2023 study published in the journal Nanotoxicology. The research showed that the nanoparticles absorbed quickly through the mouth and then into the bloodstream, before damaging DNA and hindering cell regeneration.