Lavender oil linked to abnormal breat development in boys!

February 1, 2007

Lavender makes boys grow breasts: study

February 1, 2007 - 3:00PM

Source: ABC

Lavender oil has been linked to abnormal breast development in boys.

Photo: ABC TV

Researchers say the lavender and tea tree oils found in some soaps, shampoos,

hair gels and body lotions can produce enlarged breasts in boys.

American scientists say the plant oils have been linked to abnormal breast

development in three boys.

Paediatric Endocrine Associates scientist Dr Clifford Bloch says the development

was reversed when the boys stopped using the oils.

His team's study, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine,

suggests the oils can act in ways similar to the hormone oestrogen.

" This report raises an issue of concern, since lavender oil and tea tree oil are

sold over the counter in their 'pure' form and are present in an increasing

number of commercial products, including shampoos, hair gels, soaps and body

lotions, " the report said.

" Whether the oils elicit similar endocrine-disrupting effects in prepubescent

girls, adolescent girls or women is unknown. "

Early onset

While it is very common for boys to develop temporary breast enlargement as they

go through puberty, the condition is very rare in young boys.

Doctors call the condition prepubertal gynaecomastia and often find no

explanation for it.

The researchers have found the condition in three otherwise healthy boys, aged

four, seven and 10.

" I got wind of it because I was given a clue by a patient, " Dr Bloch says.

He says that case involved the four-year-old boy, " who was using absolutely

nothing on his skin except a lavender oil preparation that his mother had

obtained from a homeopath " .

Dr Bloch says she used to rub it on her son's chest and body every night because

lavender, in complementary medicine circles, is said to have healing properties.

The boy's breasts returned to normal several months after he stopped using the

balm.

Dr Bloch then began to see lavender crop up in other cases, including that of

the 10-year-old, who was using a hair styling gel and shampoo that contained

both lavender oil and tea tree oil.

The seven-year-old had been using lavender-scented soap and skin lotions.

Hormones mimicked

In laboratory tests, scientists at the US National Institute of Environmental

Health Sciences (NIEHS) found that tea tree and lavender oil can mimic the

action of the female hormone oestrogen.

They can also block male hormones that control both masculine characteristics

and inhibit the growth of breast tissue.

But NIEHS researcher and co-author Dr Ken Korach is cautious about saying the

essential oils cause the breasts to grow.

" Although we found an association between exposure to these essential oils and

gynaecomastia, further research is needed to determine the prevalence of

prepubertal gynaecomastia in boys using products containing lavender and tea

tree oils, " Dr Korach says.

- Reuters/ABC Science Online

http://www.bigpond.com/news/topstories/content/20070201/1838208.asp

Interesting story eh, could not help but send it on.

Bless you all,

Leslie

February 1, 2007

Here's what I wrote in response to this nonsense " scientific report "

on another group today, first quoted part is from Tony Burfield:

>Hi all,

>

>Derek Henley & chums have published a study on Prepubertal

>gynecomastia in 3 young boys which they allege is " probably " caused

>by lavender or tea tree oils in cosmetic products (shampoo etc). The

>full article can be paid for from

>http://content.nejm.org:80/cgi/content/short/356/5/479?query=TOC

>Cropwatch already made a response

>http://www.cropwatch.org/nlet4art1.htm when preliminary findings on

>this research were presented by Henley & Reuter to the Endocrine

>Society's 20th Annual Meeting at Boston on 25th June 2006.

Absolute rubbish. Three? That's their study group? Never been

replicated? Bad science, irresponsibley accepted bythe You can read

it for free but you do have to register, I believe:

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/16593076.htm

>They all went back to normal when they stopped using skin lotions,

>hair gel, shampoo or soap with the natural oils.

What reputable study only has only three boys? Did they also eat Cheerios

for breakfast, maybe sniff glue, are they obese, have they consumed

lots of meat and dairy that may have hormones in them? No other

external factors were looked at. The fact that the medical community

and newspapers accepted it and published it says more about their

lack of ethics and standards than the study says about the EOs in

shampoos. I'm fearful this is some sort of opening salvo to bring the

IFRA/EU controls to the USA.

>Several of us are looking at the full article quite intently at

>present - its all over the newspapers & media, and of course is

>potentially damaging to the essential oils cause. Anyone with any

>points to make please get in contact via info .

I'll write more, if you wish, later today, but let me know if you can use this.

However, I want everyone to notice the next to last paragraph in the article:

Gynecomastia is very common in boys during the hormonal changes of

puberty. But it also occurs as a rare condition in younger boys, men,

and girls before puberty.

WTH? That completely invalidates the study, right there. This article

is some kind of red herring. Absolutely unbelievable.

Anya McCoy

of Natural Perfume http://anyasgarden.com

Artisan Natural Perfumers Guild http://artisannaturalperfumers.org

Natural Perfumers Community Group

February 3, 2007

Several of us in the UK have been taking this report apart piece by

piece. Tony Burfield will hopefully pull all the comments together into

an article and/or reply which doubtless will be posted here.

What I spotted though was that the consultant responsible for the unit

that did the research, got general funding from Pfizer, Eli Lilly and

other drug companies. Ever heard of pleasing your masters!!

Martin Watt

http://www.aromamedical.com

, " zentub " <zentub wrote:

>

> Lavender makes boys grow breasts: study

> February 1, 2007 - 3:00PM

> Source: ABC

>

> Lavender oil has been linked to abnormal breast development in

boys.

February 3, 2007

________________________________

On Behalf Of

Saturday, February 03, 2007 2:51 AM

Re: Lavender oil linked to abnormal breat

development in boys!

Several of us in the UK have been taking this report apart piece by

piece. Tony Burfield will hopefully pull all the comments together

into

an article and/or reply which doubtless will be posted here.

What I spotted though was that the consultant responsible for the

unit

that did the research, got general funding from Pfizer, Eli Lilly

and

other drug companies. Ever heard of pleasing your masters!!

Martin Watt

http://www.aromamedical.com <http://www.aromamedical.com>

<%40> , " zentub " <zentub wrote:

>

> Lavender makes boys grow breasts: study

> February 1, 2007 - 3:00PM

> Source: ABC

>

> Lavender oil has been linked to abnormal breast development in

boys.

Hi Martin,

I am certainly not supporting this shoddy research and sympathetically

acknowledge your inference, however, I think we need to be absolutely

accurate. " General " funding is not what is stated. Let me quote the

statement: " Dr. Bloch reports receiving grant support and lecture fees from

Eli Lilly, Genetech, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Tercia, and Serono. No other

conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported. "

This disclosure statement does not indicate that funding for this particular

study came from any of those pharmas, but it does not specifically state

that it doesn't. One would assume (in the ethical world we perceive it to

be) that the disclosure indicated past project funding and lecture fees,

however, in this day and age, one cannot assume anything. The statement is

certainly ambiguous and certainly begs ethical questions if funding for the

research came from any of those companies, and I think we would be wise to

question whether that wording might be intentionally ambiguous. Certainly,

any omissions or lack of clarity in the statement in this regard begs closer

investigation.

Don't think any of us here have the journalistic clout, nor subpoena power

to get the facts behind that disclaimer, it's going to take a whole new

government to reverse current watered-down regulation. Better to attack the

science itself.

Be Well,

Marcia Elston http://www.wingedseed.com

" Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot. " Hausa Saying from

Nigeria

February 4, 2007

________________________________

On Behalf Of

Saturday, February 03, 2007 2:51 AM

Re: Lavender oil linked to abnormal breat

development in boys!

Several of us in the UK have been taking this report apart piece by

piece. Tony Burfield will hopefully pull all the comments together

into

an article and/or reply which doubtless will be posted here.

What I spotted though was that the consultant responsible for the

unit

that did the research, got general funding from Pfizer, Eli Lilly

and

other drug companies. Ever heard of pleasing your masters!!

Martin Watt

http://www.aromamedical.com <http://www.aromamedical.com>

<%40> , " zentub " <zentub wrote:

>

> Lavender makes boys grow breasts: study

> February 1, 2007 - 3:00PM

> Source: ABC

>

> Lavender oil has been linked to abnormal breast development in

boys.

Hi Martin,

I am certainly not supporting this shoddy research and sympathetically

acknowledge your inference, however, I think we need to be absolutely

accurate. " General " funding is not what is stated. Let me quote the NEJM

publication: " Dr. Bloch reports receiving grant support and lecture fees

from Eli Lilly, Genetech, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Tercia, and Serono. No

other conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported. "