Mouthwash twice a day 'puts diabetes risk 50 per cent higher'

Using mouthwash twice a day increasing a person's chances of contracting diabetes by 50 per cent, a new study has claimed.

Scientists in the US claim those using over-the-counter mouthwash twice a day run a significantly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The author of the study, Professor Kamudi Joshipura, says mouthwash kills helpful as well as harmful bacteria, destroying those that protect against diabetes and obesity.

Prof Joshipura, a professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, found the risks were heightened for all mouthwash users, regardless of sex, weight or diet.

He said: "Most of these antibacterial ingredients in mouthwash are not selective.

"In other words, they do not target specific oral bacteria. Instead, these ingredients can act on a broad range of bacteria [including the protective ones]."

Another study, published earlier this year, found that some mouth bacteria help protect against both diabetes and obesity.

Leading diabetes experts in the UK have so far said it is too early to comment on whether dropping mouthwash could help protect against the condition.