Lavender and Tea Tree oils in soaps linked to breast enlargement in boys

[Guest guest]

Certain Oils Linked to Breast Growth in Boys

By JEFF DONN, AP

 

 

BOSTON (AP) - Lavender and tea tree oils found in some shampoos, soaps and

lotions can temporarily leave boys with enlarged breasts in rare cases,

apparently by disrupting their hormonal balance, a preliminary study suggests.

 

 

AP

Lavender and tea tree oils found in some shampoos, soaps and lotions can

temporarily leave boys with enlarged breasts in rare cases, apparently by

disrupting their hormonal balance, a preliminary study suggests.

 

While advising parents to consider the possible risk, several hormone experts

emphasized that the problem appears to happen infrequently and clears up when

the oils are no longer used. None of those interviewed called for a ban on

sales.

The study reported on the condition, gynecomastia, in three boys ages 4, 7 and

10. They all went back to normal when they stopped using skin lotions, hair

gel, shampoo or soap with the natural oils.

It's unclear how often this problem might crop up in other young children.

 

These plant oils, sometimes called " essential oils, " are added to many

health-care products, usually for their scent. The oils are sometimes found in

other household products or sold in purer forms. Tea tree oil is sometimes used

in shampoos for head lice.

 

The suspected effect in this study is blamed on some chemical within the oils

that the body processes like estrogen, the female hormone that promotes breast

growth.

 

The findings were being reported Thursday in the New England Journal of

Medicine. The federally funded study came out of the University of Colorado and

the environmental health branch of the National Institutes of Health. The

findings were first released last year at a science meeting.

 

The three boys were brought to their doctors with overdeveloped breasts that

looked like those of girls in early puberty. They were sore in one case. For

each boy, doctors could tie the problem only to their use over several months

of the natural-oil products.

The researchers suspected that the oils might be upsetting the boys'

hormonal balance. So they did a series of laboratory tests to check how these

oils work within human cells. The oils appeared to mimic estrogen and block the

male hormone androgen.

 

On product labels, the oils sometimes are listed by their scientific names:

Lavandula angustifolia (lavender oil) and Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree

oil). Such products do not require government approval to be sold unless they

make specific health claims.

 

Marijuana and soy products also have been linked to gynecomastia.

Dr. Clifford Bloch, a hormone specialist in Greenwood Village, Colo., who

treated the three boys, recommended that parents " be cautious " with such

products, especially for prolonged use. " I would not give these products to my

children, " he said in an interview.

Bloch said he also suspects the oil played a role in a handful of young girls

he saw for a similar condition, including a 17-month-old whose parents were

washing her bottles with a lavender-scented soap.

 

Others sounded less worried. " It takes very little estrogen to cause

gynecomastia in a young child, " said Dr. Richard Auchus, a University of Texas

Southwestern Medical Center hormone expert who knew of the study findings. " If

they're getting it for a brief period of time, that really shouldn't cause

long-term problems. "

 

Also, the research did not pinpoint any specific estrogen-like compounds in the

oils or look for them in a range of products. Chemist Steven Dentali, at the

industry group American Herbal Products Association, said that warning people

to avoid such oils " is premature without the additional basic research

needed to bolster the case that the issue here is both real and significant. "

 

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. Bloch, the study doctor, said it's unknown if such oils could hurt

women with estrogen-fed breast tumors.

01/31/07 18:00 EST

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I'm just wondering how pure these oils are? Most if not all the oils used in

these products are adulterated. Need to find out where they get their oils and

see if they are tested through AFNOR/ISO and ORAC for high quality. That's if

they are tested at all.

 

Have a great week.

Glenn

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

I highly doubt that marijuana has anything to with breast growth

especially if the child is a five year old and doesn't even know

what marijuana smells like much less....Its time we started picking

sense from nonsense and learn to think on our own and not think what

someone else tells you to think.

, HeiressArts wrote:

>

> Certain Oils Linked to Breast Growth in Boys

> By JEFF DONN, AP

>

>

> BOSTON (AP) - Lavender and tea tree oils found in some shampoos,

soaps and lotions can temporarily leave boys with enlarged breasts

in rare cases, apparently by disrupting their hormonal balance, a

preliminary study suggests.

>

>

> AP

> Lavender and tea tree oils found in some shampoos, soaps and

lotions can temporarily leave boys with enlarged breasts in rare

cases, apparently by disrupting their hormonal balance, a

preliminary study suggests.

>

> While advising parents to consider the possible risk, several

hormone experts emphasized that the problem appears to happen

infrequently and clears up when the oils are no longer used. None of

those interviewed called for a ban on sales.

> The study reported on the condition, gynecomastia, in three boys

ages 4, 7 and 10. They all went back to normal when they stopped

using skin lotions, hair gel, shampoo or soap with the natural oils.

> It's unclear how often this problem might crop up in other young

children.

>

> These plant oils, sometimes called " essential oils, " are added to

many health-care products, usually for their scent. The oils are

sometimes found in other household products or sold in purer forms.

Tea tree oil is sometimes used in shampoos for head lice.

>

> The suspected effect in this study is blamed on some chemical

within the oils that the body processes like estrogen, the female

hormone that promotes breast growth.

>

> The findings were being reported Thursday in the New England

Journal of Medicine. The federally funded study came out of the

University of Colorado and the environmental health branch of the

National Institutes of Health. The findings were first released

last year at a science meeting.

>

> The three boys were brought to their doctors with overdeveloped

breasts that looked like those of girls in early puberty. They were

sore in one case. For each boy, doctors could tie the problem only

to their use over several months of the natural-oil products.

> The researchers suspected that the oils might be upsetting the

boys'

> hormonal balance. So they did a series of laboratory tests to

check how these oils work within human cells. The oils appeared to

mimic estrogen and block the male hormone androgen.

>

> On product labels, the oils sometimes are listed by their

scientific names: Lavandula angustifolia (lavender oil) and

Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree oil). Such products do not require

government approval to be sold unless they make specific health

claims.

>

> Marijuana and soy products also have been linked to gynecomastia.

> Dr. Clifford Bloch, a hormone specialist in Greenwood Village,

Colo., who treated the three boys, recommended that parents " be

cautious " with such products, especially for prolonged use. " I would

not give these products to my children, " he said in an interview.

> Bloch said he also suspects the oil played a role in a handful of

young girls he saw for a similar condition, including a 17-month-

old whose parents were washing her bottles with a lavender-scented

soap.

>

> Others sounded less worried. " It takes very little estrogen to

cause

> gynecomastia in a young child, " said Dr. Richard Auchus, a

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center hormone expert who

knew of the study findings. " If they're getting it for a brief

period of time, that really shouldn't cause long-term problems. "

>

> Also, the research did not pinpoint any specific estrogen-like

compounds in the oils or look for them in a range of products.

Chemist Steven Dentali, at the industry group American Herbal

Products Association, said that warning people to avoid such

oils " is premature without the additional basic research

> needed to bolster the case that the issue here is both real and

significant. "

>

> 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. Bloch, the study doctor, said it's

unknown if such oils could hurt women with estrogen-fed breast

tumors.

> 01/31/07 18:00 EST

>

>

>