Handbags

This post is more for the girls, but also appropriate to the guys if you carry or use a manbag. A friend recently forwarded an email on bacteria tests conducted on women's handbags by Microbiologist Amy Karen of Nelson Labs (Salt Lake). The email said "most of the ladies we talked to told us they wouldn't be surprised if their handbags were at least a little bit dirty. It turns out handbags are so surprisingly dirty, even the microbiologist who tested them was shocked".

It went on to say: "nearly all of the handbags tested were not only high in bacteria, but high in harmful kinds of bacteria. Pseudomonas can cause eye infections, staphylococcus aurous can cause serious skin infections, and salmonella and e-coli found on the handbags could make people very sick".

"In one sampling, four of five handbags tested positive for salmonella, and that's not the worst of it. "There is fecal contamination on the handbags," says Amy. Leather or vinyl handbags tended to be cleaner than cloth handbags, and lifestyle seemed to play a role."

The advice was to treat your handbag the same as you would a pair of shoes - do not put it on the kitchen bench, your work desk, or any other area where food might be prepared or you might place food down while you are eating.

Be aware of where you place your bag, especially in public. Always use a hook if you can when using public ammenities and clean the bottom of your bag regularly.

If you suffer an upset tummy my advice would be to try a really high quality probiotic to help restore intestinal balance. We promote one of the leading market probiotics at the Health Highway and would be happy to discuss your options.

If we can help you with your health in any way, please get in touch with us at the Health Highway.