Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine, Lillington, NC.
Reproductive and Developmental Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC.
Yale J Biol Med. 2020 Jun 29;93(2):291-305. eCollection 2020 Jun.
Essential oils (EOs) have risen in popularity over the past decade. These oils function in society as holistic integrative modalities to traditional medicinal treatments, where many Americans substitute EOs in place of other prescribed medications. EOs are found in a multitude of products including food flavoring, soaps, lotions, shampoos, hair styling products, cologne, laundry detergents, and even insect repellents. EOs are complex substances comprised of hundreds of components that can vary greatly in their composition depending upon the extraction process by the producer or the origin of the plant. Thus, making it difficult to determine which pathways in the body are affected. Here, we review the published research that shows the health benefits of EOs as well as some of their adverse effects. In doing so, we show that EOs, as well as some of their individual components, possess antimicrobial, antiviral, antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties as well as purported psychogenic effects such as relieving stress, treating depression, and aiding with insomnia. Not only do we show the health benefits of using EOs, but we also indicate risks associated with their use such as their endocrine disrupting properties leading to the induction of premature breast growth in young adolescents. Taken together, there are many positive and potentially negative risks to human health associated with EOs, which make it important to bring awareness to all their known effects on the human body.
在过去的十年中，精油（EOs）越来越受欢迎。这些油在社会中作为整体综合模式发挥作用，替代了传统的医疗方法，许多美国人用 EOs 替代其他处方药物。EOs 存在于多种产品中，包括食品调味料、肥皂、乳液、洗发水、发型产品、古龙水、洗衣液，甚至驱虫剂。EOs 是由数百种成分组成的复杂物质，其组成可能因生产者的提取过程或植物的来源而有很大差异。因此，很难确定哪些身体途径受到影响。在这里，我们回顾了已发表的研究，这些研究表明了 EOs 的健康益处以及它们的一些不良反应。通过这样做，我们表明 EOs 及其一些个别成分具有抗菌、抗病毒、抗生素、抗炎和抗氧化特性，以及据称具有缓解压力、治疗抑郁和帮助失眠等精神作用。我们不仅展示了使用 EOs 的健康益处，还指出了与它们的使用相关的风险，例如它们的内分泌干扰特性导致青少年提前出现乳房发育。总之，EOs 对人类健康有许多积极的和潜在的负面影响，这使得我们有必要了解它们对人体的所有已知影响。
