{"id":435,"date":"2018-05-01T07:20:40","date_gmt":"2018-05-01T07:20:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/healing-health-wellness\/?p=435"},"modified":"2018-08-20T05:42:25","modified_gmt":"2018-08-20T05:42:25","slug":"the-safety-of-sage-essential-oil-part-i-camphor-thujone-toxicity-oh-my","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saratoga.com\/healing-health-wellness\/2018\/05\/the-safety-of-sage-essential-oil-part-i-camphor-thujone-toxicity-oh-my\/","title":{"rendered":"The Safety of Sage Essential Oil Part I: Camphor, Thujone, \u201cToxicity\u201d Oh My!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u00a0\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Nightmare Down Chemistry Lane Continues\u2026 Using Isolated Compounds to Scare the Droppers Out of Essential Oils Lovers\u2019 Hands!<\/strong><\/p>\n

My scientifically-induced trauma keeps resurfacing as studies continue to extrapolate isolated compounds found in essential oils to essential oils\u2019 effects. Due to the misleading hype in recent headlines that used this logic to blame certain essential oils into shame, calling them potential endocrine disruptors<\/a>, I\u2019ve released a series to set the science straight.<\/p>\n

One by one, I aim to defend the good name of individual victims that are being wrongly accused. I started with Ms. Clary sage oil<\/a>, due to the sclareol-scare-all-hype. This essential oil was an excellent example that its actions cannot be based on isolating one constituent. Sclareol was reported to supposedly act similar to our own endogenous hormones based on its chemistry, but it doesn\u2019t. Neither dose sage oil.<\/p>\n

Next, I busted the myth that clary sage and fennel<\/a> are \u201cestrogenic\u201d or act as estrogen mimickers once and for all by reporting on human trials. Any of the \u201chormonal effects\u201d of these essential oils are related to their balancing properties, synergism of the oil, and the individual\u2019s unique biochemistry.<\/p>\n

Before I get into the unfounded claims of the estrogen activity of sage oil, I want to finish the general overview and \u201csafety concerns\u201d with it. Just as hormonal effects can\u2019t be construed by one compound, neither can toxicity.<\/p>\n

This story appears all too much like a sequel to the fennel-estrogole debate<\/a>. Two compounds in sage oil, camphor and thujone, also been mistaken as equivalent to the essential oils. Warnings have been issued based on this compounds actions in petri dish and rodent studies and from cases of overdosage and resultant human responses.<\/p>\n

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Thujone<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rodent studies, and a fly study, have reported that there is concern for seizure activity with exposure to this constituent. (source<\/a>, source<\/a>, source<\/a>, source<\/a>, source<\/a>, source<\/a>) Yet similarly to fennel\u2019s companion estragole, there\u2019s evidence that mice, rodents, and human\u2019s liver (in vitro) may detoxify thujone differently. (source<\/a>, source<\/a>) Furthermore, mode of delivery is often not comparable to proper usage in human beings. (More on this later)<\/p>\n

I found one abstract that reported that eleven essential oils, including sage, may cause seizures in humans, but I was not able to get the full article. The abstract appeared to be more of a caution based on a survey and the content of ketones in these essential oils. (source<\/a>)<\/p>\n

If you want a thorough review of the outcomes and some of the trials done with thujone, toxnet<\/a> will keep you busy for a few hours\u2026or days, with its pages of reviews on animal studies and petri dishes. Just search the word \u201csage oil\u201d on this website page using the nifty \u201cCTRL and F\u201d-button-click-trick and see if you can find a human clinical trial that reports on the actual essential oil causing seizures with proper dosage.<\/p>\n

If you do, comment below\u2026because I didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

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Camphor<\/strong><\/p>\n

Regarding camphor, there were several cases I found in the literature. The first \u00a0two cases<\/a> spew its danger and warn against in use. Below is the whole story.<\/p>\n

In the first case, the father gave the child one teaspoon (equivalent to about 98 drops) of camphorated oil.<\/p>\n

As a result, the child experienced seizures, was rushed to the hospital, and\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026recovered completely. *<\/p>\n

(Please note, 1-2 drops are a typical serving of essential oils, this is an overdose.)<\/p>\n

In the second case, the child ingested 20ml of the oil, given by her parent!!<\/p>\n

That is more than a full bottle of an essential oil.<\/p>\n

The child experienced seizures and needed emergency care.<\/p>\n

Again, the child fully recovered.*<\/p>\n

Please moms, dads, guardians, do not let your child swallow more than one bottle of an essential oil!<\/p>\n

Three cases of seizures in children were reported with illegal imported camphor, which also appears to be related to overdosage issues (abstract<\/a>). Again, no fatalities. *<\/p>\n

*Please note that these cases were not regarding sage essential oil.<\/p>\n

Due to the above, camphorated (cotton seed oil) was taken off the market in the United States,<\/a> but it is still available in Canada as an over-the-counter.<\/p>\n

WebMD<\/a> recommends not taking camphor by mouth and using dilution on the skin.<\/p>\n

According to the general guidelines I found online (source)<\/a>, one article (source<\/a>) and a consensus statement in 2006<\/a>, issues arise with camphor taken at 30mg\/kg.<\/p>\n

One study cites<\/a> in 10% camphor oil, there is 500mg of camphor, in 5ml.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s break that down:<\/p>\n