, the mixture of menthol and essential oils was then marketed as a general germicide and a cleaning solution before finally taking off as a solution for chronic halitosis, aka bad breath. The brand is now a worldwide name, being sold globally as a way to improve oral hygiene and reduce the risk of problems with your teeth.
But that is, allegedly, not all it can do. Apparently, new research has shown that Listerine might cause cancer if you use it frequently enough. This terrifying finding has made its way intothat Listerine could be related to some increased risk of cancer, it’s not very likely. The new research doesn’t show much of a connection at all.looking at mouthwash and the oral microbiome, the tiny organisms—such as bacteria—that live in your mouth.
found that there was a weak association between the two, perhaps due to the alcohol’s effect on mouth tissue—though the authors write that they did not find the evidence sufficient “to accept the proposition that the use of mouthwashes containing alcohol can influence the development of oral cancer.” We know that alcohol isn’t good for you. Alcohol causes all sorts of problems with the body, including a wide range of cancers in pretty much every organ system.
Either way, this new research is incredibly unconvincing and doesn’t add anything to our understanding of mouthwash and cancer. Since there were no differences between Listerine and the placebo control, it’s quite likely that Listerine had no problematic impacts on the oral microbiome. If you like mouthwash, there’s no reason to stop using it, at least based on this data.