what are the health risks of eating soap?

Question

a close friend of mine has been eating soap since she was a baby, and is now 17, so far she hasnt had any health problems or illness, what should i do? cos shee wont listen to me.

Answer 1

upset stomach

Answer 2

I wouldn't have thought eating soap will cause her any long term damage - although the incresed levels of chemicals wont help her in the long run, but then we are exposed to all sorts of chemicals every day, so one could argue she's no more at risk than anyone else.

A bigger question is - exactly WHY does she feel a need to eat soap? Is it an obsessive compulsive thing? A need to keep clean? If it is, then maybe her problem needs some sort of therapy to help her correct what is, on the face of it, rather unusual behaviour.

Ultimately though - there isn't anything you can do. You've told her your thoughts, but if she doesn't want to listen and continues to eat soap regardless, then you just have to let her do what she wants to do, and be her friend anyway.

Answer 3

Apart from the gruesome taste, there are no reported toxic side effects.

That is not unexpected, as toxic soap would not be a wise product!........... This also applies to over-the-counter unmedicated shampoo.

The basic component of soap is Stearic Acid, or Sodium Stearate.

The FDA toxicity indications are freely available on the web and they show the big "?" in all the boxes, except one, which is a NO. The "?" indicates that nobody has actually investigated the detailed probability of toxic side effects........... which surprises me somewhat!

However it has been around for some centuries now.

Answer 4

Soap, or dish-washing liquid specifically, sometimes contains mild bleach, a mixture of compounds, and other other chemical surfactants. They are abrasive and can do severe damage to the stomach, even if there are no symptons showing yet.
The fact that your friend is eating soap could be a serious underlying psychological problem. And why was she eating soap as a baby? Shouldn't her parents/guardian be stopping her? This could be a form of neglect. She needs to talk to a professional before the situation worsens.
Good luck.

Answer 5

no health risks at all!! since the golden days mothers have used soap to put into the mouths of bad behaved children and as we all know moms do know best!!!
the only downside is DIARRHEA!! LOL

Most soaps are non -toxic in the classic sense - you won't be poisoned or killed. But you will suffer some uncomfortable physical effects like diarrhea and vomiting. Let us know if your digestive system can whistle, because that's how 'clean' it will be, hehehe.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002739.htm

Answer 6

soap is usually the sodium salt of a fatty acid such as palmitic acid or oleic acid so it shouldn't be harmful. The body may be able to emulsify it and absorb it as the fatty acid, in which case it will be metabolised in the normal way. I am not to sure what the frangrances and other ingredients will do. If she has had no ill effects up to now hopefully nothing at all.

It wouldn't be my choice of snack food.

Answer 7

If she has been eating it for that long then she isn't going to listen to you is she? I just would like to know one thing, WHY does she eat soap? Sorry but it sounds to me like she is not all there to be honest!

Answer 8

I don't know never heard of anyone eating soap!! but once saw a guy drink washing up liquid thinking it was a shot, he had the squits and was sick all weekend.

Answer 9

Perhaps you should just let your friend eat the soap. 16 years of habit are hard to break.

Answer 10

ive never heard of n e 1 eating soap before :S

Answer 11

she may need professional help. Imagine her on a date in a restaurant and she order soap on a rope like Alf used to.