Liver and essential oils

[Guest guest]

Hello Jonas

Wait, wait! Don't chuck out your basil! It may not be good for the liver, but

has

plenty of other uses. I would say though, just be careful that you have a sweet

basil, also known as European basil. The basil from the Comores, India, or

anywhere in the east (often with the same Latin name for both types,

unfortunately),

sometimes known as exotic basil, contains up to 99% methyl chavicol (estragole)

which is a definite no-no. This might, in large doses, be carcinogenic - has

been

found to be so in mice. I do not think though that using any basil on someone

with

liver damage is a good idea. (No, I am not advocating testing on animals, just

quoting research - don't want to get into that debate!)

 

I do not know Nikki Goldstein's work, but maybe she was commenting that basil

(in

small doses) is fine for the liver, so long as the liver is healthy.

 

Fennel also contains some methyl chavicol, but by far the largest component is

trans-anethole which is also a bad idea for liver-damaged people.

 

< Because in herbal medicine, fennel in herbal tea is used to help the liver.>

 

Yes, but, the essential oils are hugely more concentrated than the herb itself.

So

while fennel tea or lots of basil on your tomato salad is fine, using the

essential

oil is not in liver disease. I do use European basil, and fennel, for other

things.

 

Tarragon and pennyroyal are contraindicated in aromatherapy - far too toxic.

 

By the way, I do not have all this information in my head - just at my

fingertips!

The book to get for a serious essential oil study is Essential Oil Safety by

Robert

Tisserand and Tony Balacs, published by Churchill Livingstone (I have no

personal

interest here - this is not an advert!!).

 

Go well

Helen in Cape Town