“Gut bacteria are millions and millions of microbes living inside your intestines,” says Dr. Yoshua Quinones, MD, a board-certified internist at Medical Offices of Manhattan. “They help digest food, produce vitamins, support your immune system and protect against harmful germs.”
It may seem strange that you may be trying to protect yourself from deadly illnesses by doing just one common thing, yet it can “wipe out” gut bacteria. Medical doctors say that limiting exposure to germs in the environment by using too much hand sanitizer can hurt the microorganisms in the stomach.
Skin, being the largest organ and a barrier, often becomes the first to show signs of gut health issues. Although the alcohol in hand sanitizers effectively kills germs, excessive use can have negative consequences.
Alcohol-based sanitizers strip away our skin’s natural oils, leading to dryness, fissures, and a damaged skin barrier. This, in turn, changes the variety, kinds, and behavior of the skin microbiome. The skin and digestive system work together in a significant way. Keep in mind that your entire body is interconnected.
According to Dr. Quinones, there is a risk of reducing your exposure to good bacteria if you use hand sanitizers too frequently, as they destroy both harmful and beneficial germs on the skin. Read the article
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