Dr Zac Turner busts the myth on whether deodorant can cause cancer

It’s a product most Australians use every day, but could it cause cancer? Our expert Dr Zac has examined the research and busted this popular myth.

Welcome to Ask Doctor Zac, a weekly column from news.com.au. This week, Dr Zac Turner busts the myth on whether deodorant causes cancer.

QUESTION: Hi Dr Zac, have you ever had a flat-mate that smells? Like my one smells really bad, and its not because she doesn’t shower, it’s because she doesn’t wear deodorant!

She refuses to wear any underarm deodorant because she says it will give you cancer. Is this true? Is there any way you can naturally stop yourself from being smelly? Emily, 21, Melbourne

ANSWER: A great question, and one that reflects the ongoing trend of people questioning if their everyday habits are actually healthy for them.

When it comes to making sure you don’t have a ripe pong in the day, slapping on deodorant or antiperspirant in the morning is not harmful. Researchers have not found any compelling evidence to suggest they are.

A conspiracy popped up in the “mindful” community a few decades ago which claimed deodorants or antiperspirants may cause cancer, specifically breast cancer, due to a few outlier studies showing this. The majority of evidence out there shows there are no carcinogenic effects.

I think this calls for another episode of Dr Zac’s Mythbusters, don’t you? The conspiracy largely centres around the idea aluminium in antiperspirant prevents us from getting rid of toxins in our sweat, which clog up lymph nodes and lead to breast cancer.

This is a big misconception as breast cancer starts in the breast and spreads to the lymph nodes. As well, there is no evidence which shows aluminium can lead to cancer.

I think we can consider that myth busted. Now on to how to naturally stop smelling.

Body odour is when the bacteria on your skin mixes with your sweat, which releases that foul smell. Deodorant combats this by blocking the odour with a nicer scent, whereas antiperspirants block the sweat glands, reducing the amount of sweat released.

Dr Zac says most evidence shows deodorant doesn’t cause cancer.

If you don’t like the look of the chemicals and additives on deodorants/antiperspirant cans, natural alternatives do exist however they tend to be less as effective.

There are a few Dr Zac tricks to keeping smelling fresh:

• Wash your body regularly! You should be showering right after exercising, working out or after a long-day of work. This will help keep your body clean and prevent any bacterial growth which can result in body odour.

• Use Coconut Oil as a body lotion. It’s antimicrobial properties limit the growth of bacteria.

• Try adding Fenugreek seeds to your diet, they help flush out toxins from your body and control the spread of bacteria.

• Ditch your fancy gym clothes made from man-made fibres like spandex or polyester as they are bacteria heaven. Cotton or linen is best to work out in to limit smell.

The bottom line is no studies have confirmed any connection between the use of deodorants and antiperspirants or their ingredients to increase cancer risk, so there’s no reason to break that morning routine.

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Dr Zac Turner has a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Sydney. He is both a medical practitioner and a co-owner of telehealth service, Concierge Doctors. He was also a registered nurse and is also a qualified and experienced biomedical scientist along with being a PhD Candidate in Biomedical Engineering

Originally published as Dr Zac Turner busts the myth on whether deodorant can cause cancer