Ruminations

Proceed With Caution...

"Our society deems essential oils as safe, however they possess a diverse amount of chemicals and should be used with caution because some of these chemicals are potential hormone] disruptors."
"Lavender oil and tea tree all pose potential environmental health concerns and should be investigated further."
Dr. Jeffrey Tyler Ramsey, scientist, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

"[The purported connection between tea tree oil and increased levels of estrogen is] a putative link that has been made and is being overstated and perpetuated."
"[Case studies] are not definitive in their own right."
Letter, journal Reproductive Toxicology, 2013

"Not everyone exposing themselves to such oils has adverse effects, so it is possible there are particular individuals who may be more sensitive to the effects of the chemicals, or perhaps are using the products in excess."
"There is a complex relationship between estrogen, testosterone and other hormones in the body, that cannot be replicated in these experiments."
"Clearly, the longer-term effects of such exposure are unknown."
Ieuan Hughes, pediatrician, University of Cambridge, England

At the March 2018 meeting in Chicago of the Endocrine Society, attendees were introduced to new research conducted at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences by scientists Jeffrey Tyler Ramsey and Dr. Kenneth Korach. Their research indicates that some commonly used and readily attainable essential oils such as lavender and tea tree have the potential to disrupt hormones, leading to abnormal breast growth in prepubescent boys.

The scientists with NIEHS studied eight chemicals found in both lavender and tea tree oil and which are also common to at least 65 other essential oils. The chemicals were tested in the laboratory on human cells to determine how estrogen and testosterone receptors were affected. It was determined through this study that the chemicals stimulated the cells to encourage prepubertal gynecomastia, identified as breast growth in prepubescent males.

In 2007, researchers at NIEHS first found evidence of this phenomenon when the research team studied three young boys who had begun, prior to puberty, to develop breasts -- with no underlying medical conditions that might explain this physiological abnormality. All three of the boys, however, used topical over-the-counter products containing lavender oil and tea tree oil. The boys were instructed to cease using the products, leading breast growth to stop.

The hypothesis was drawn that chemicals found in these essential oils were acting to disrupt normal hormones and in the process increasing levels of estrogen, simultaneously lowering levels of testosterone and promoting abnormal breast growth in the boys. Despite the findings, there is no general agreement in science that such oils have negative health effects when used correctly, and nor is there evidence that such "natural" therapy offers positive effects.

Tea tree oil, derived from Australian tea trees, is known for its antibacterial effect with people using it to aid in acne control, to treat athlete's foot, and to rid themselves of fungal infections. Some believe it is a natural remedy for dandruff and lice. It is also used commercially in some household cleaning products. But it is not a non-toxic natural product. It is meant solely to be used topically, not ingested. The National Capital Poison Center in the U.S. has seen over ten percent of people who had swallowed tea tree oil seeking medical attention, in 2011.

Natural remedy websites claim lavender to be indispensable as an essential oil. The oil, derived from the lavender flower is reputed to have a relaxing, calming effect on people; said as well to aid in sound sleep, and marketed as an aromatherapy tool for the reduction of pain and swollen, sore muscles or joints. Its purported efficacy as an anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antibacterial natural agent is legendary. Scientific evidence on the usefulness of the product in the control of dandruff, use in preventing motion sickness is scant. The oil is used as well in many cosmetic products.