Ask Tufts Experts

I’ve heard that washing with antibacterial soap isn’t better for you than using regular soap. Can that be true?

Yes, according to a new study from Columbia University. Researchers there found no difference in the number of infections among people who used antibacterial hand soap and other cleaning products for a year and people who used comparable products that didn’t contain antibacterial agents. It makes sense, for two reasons.

First, the majority of infections are caused not by bacteria but by viruses. Second, washing with any soap gets rid of viruses and bacteria that cause illness. It’s vigorous rubbing with hot, soapy water that scrapes off germs.

Note: There’s a concern that the widespread use of antibacterial products could cause bacteria to become resistant to the products’ effects and therefore harder to kill. Thus, you’re better off using regular soap—unless you’re particularly vulnerable to bacterial infection due to, say, a compromised immune system.

The Nutrition Facts label on Pam cooking spray says it contains no calories. But how can that be? It’s made with canola oil.

There are no calories in a 1/3- second spray of Pam, but to cover a 10-inch skillet you need a 1-second spray, and that contains 7 calories, as it states elsewhere on the can. You’re still cutting calories dramatically though, since a teaspoon of oil poured from a bottle (also in about a second) has 40 calories; a tablespoon, 120 calories.