methyl salicylate aka wintergreen oil

[Guest guest]

Read in the paper today that a 17 year old track star used excessive

amounts of muscle rubs (Ben Gay or Icy Hot) and her body absorbed high

enough levels of methyl salicylate ( wintergreen oil0 to cause her

death. How sad.

 

Best,

 

Bobbi Guerra

[Guest guest]

Here's something I have been posting on groups for years.

 

Wintergreen is not a genuine essential oil. Methyl salicylate is not

present in the living tissues of the plants from which it is

extracted, but instead is the result of enzymatic hydrolysis occurring

during the processing of the plant materials. Therefore, it should be

considered as being 'naturally derived' in the same manner as are the

chemicals extracted from coal or crude oil. Any suppliers who claim

their oil is " natural " are stretching the meaning of the term way

beyond what most people accept.

 

Wintergreen and birch even if genuine (most are not) consists mainly

of the chemical methyl salicylate.

 

Methyl salicylate can be useful for pain relief from rheumatic and

arthritic conditions as once absorbed it is changed by the body into

salicylic acid. However, its use does require a good deal of care and

expertise, which the average aromatherapist is NOT TRAINED FOR.

Neither are most makers of cottage industry cosmetics. It should

never be applied all over the body in general massage, but should be

reserved for treating painful areas.

 

Methyl salicylate is believed to be readily absorbed through human

skin and can result in dangerously high blood levels of salicylic

acid. There is some indication that this can result in foetal

abnormalities, reduced survival rates and reduced growth rates. Due

to this it should never be used on women of child-bearing age, and

therapist's need to be most cautious about not absorbing too much

themselves.

 

Parts of birch trees have been used in traditional medicine for

hundreds of years, but the extracted oil/chemical is a relatively

modern development.

 

The sale of Wintergreen (methyl salicylate) in the USA is common, yet

it is also commonly sold in illegally labelled containers, or in

larger volumes than the law dictates. In 2006 the Office of Consumer

Protection started to enforce the law on a few suppliers, but many

continue to sell these materials without proper warnings. Several

manufacturers of anti arthritic type creams do not give proper

warnings on the extreme dangers of misusing the synthetic chemical

methyl salicylate.

 

Martin Watt

http://www.aromamedical.com

 

, Bobbi <herbalsoaplady wrote:

>

> Read in the paper today that a 17 year old track star used excessive

> amounts of muscle rubs (Ben Gay or Icy Hot) and her body absorbed high

> enough levels of methyl salicylate ( wintergreen oil0 to cause her

> death. How sad.

>

> Best,

>

> Bobbi Guerra

>