By Jimmy Downs

Saturday Nov 17, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- Here is a new study published in Pharmazie suggesting again that using nanoparticles like silicon dioxide in foods, dietary supplements, and cosmetics is a bad idea because these particles induce the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), which damage DNA and cellular components and can cause mutation and cancer development.

Nanoparticles such as titanium dioxide and silicon dioxide are widely used in foods, dietary supplements, and cosmetic products while their toxicity has not been adequately evaluated.  Recent studies from Russia, India and other countries have indicated that nanoparticles can get into cells and disrupt DAN potentially causing genomic instability, mutation or cancer development.

The World Health Organization has recognized inhaled nanoparticles as human carcinogens.  But studies also suggested nanoparticles like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide topically applied on skin through sunscreens and ingested nanoparticles like titanium dioxide and silicon dioxide can travel to various organs causing health problems as well.

The current study led by T. Yoshida of Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University in Osaka, Japan and colleagues found that amorphous silica nanoparticles induce ROS generation in Langerhans cells.

For the study, different sized amorphous silica particles were tested in XS52 cells, a Langerhans cell-like line for reactive oxygen species. It was found that cells exposed to "amorphous nanosilica particles (nSPs) with a particle size of 70 nm induced a higher level of ROS generation than did exposure to micron-sized amorphous silica particles."