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What Do We Know About Emu Oil?
Emu oil is obtained from the back fat pad located on the back of the large flightless Australian bird, the emu. The scientific name for emu includes the term "Dromaiuus", or dromedary (camel). The emu eats well in spring, summer and fall and stores surplus fat in a 5-10 kg fat pad. This fat pad acts as sustenance during the winter.
During the winter, the female lays 20-50 dark green eggs, weighing about 500-600 grams each. She eats very little food during this season. The male emu sits on a clutch of 8-12 eggs continuously for 50 days and he does not eat, drink or defecate during this time. Therefore, the emus need the stored fat for survival. The kiwi of New Zealand is the only other bird which naturally lays its egg in the winter months.
The emu is a very old species, dating back 70-80 millions years to the time of the dinosaurs. It may well be the closest living relative to the dinosaur. Dinosaurs frequently laid green eggs, had small upper limbs, large powerful legs, and feathers and were warm-blooded. The special qualities of emu fat and oil likely enabled the species to survive over time. They are now farmed on all continents except Antartica.
The Australian aborigines, the oldest civilization on earth dating back fifty thousand years or more, have long used emu fat as a major part of natural healing-it can be considered their major first-aid treatment for skin injury and pain relief. Australia has been the first country to document and research the benefits of emu oil. In Australia, emu oil is accepted as a natural anti-inflammatory for pain relief and a contributor to skin healing.
Drs. Whitehouse and Snowden, both of Australia, published a scientific article in 1997 in Inflammo-Pharmacology demonstrating emu oil had significant anti-inflammatory effect topically equal to or better than ibuprofen by mouth. In 1996, Dr. A. Zemstov, a dermatologist, had published the first paper on emu oil in the medical literature. He showed that emu oil was non-comedogenic; that is, does not block skin pores or cause pimples. In addition, all study subjects preferred emu oil to mineral oil in this study.
Another study by Dr. M. Holick of Boston (1997) published in Drug and Cosmetic Industry, showed emu oil as enhancing skin healing and increasing skin thickness by 30% more than the control substance. Thinning of the skin and subsequent looseness and wrinkles are often markers of aging skin. Emu oil can both slow and even reverse part of this aging. Then in December 1998, Dr. M. Politis published an article on wound healing, comparing emu oil to polysporin, hydrocortisone and furasin. Emu oil performed better that polysporin and much better than either hydrocortisone or furasin. Dr. Politis' article on wound healing was in the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
The four articles listed above are all in the peer-reviewed literature. These help confirm the large numbers of stories and testimonials about emu oil. In addition, there are at least seven patents accepted in the USA in the last five years regarding emu oil.
How does emu oil work? This is still unknown. The following discussion presents two possibilities for the action of emu oil.
First, emu oil supplies the nutrition needed by injured skin. Emu oil penetrates well and has both essential fatty acids which are needed by every cell in the body. Secondly, emu oil may act to fine-tune two inflammatory pathways in our bodies. These pathways are responsible for the redness, swelling, pain and loss of use which occur. As a result of intervening in the inflammatory pathways, swelling, redness and pain are decreased and healing can proceed more quickly.
Both theories could also explain emu oil's action when taken by mouth. People report weight loss, lower blood cholesterol, lower blood pressure, decrease joint soreness and improved energy level. More studies may help to further define emu oil's benefits. In the meantime, emu oil is worth a try. It may help, and it has no bad side effects.
I graduated with an M.D. from the University of Saskatchewan in 1978. Following internship, I worked four years in General Practice in Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan. In 1983, I started a clinical and research training program in Anesthesiology for five years. Emu oil has impressed me for its a) carrier abilities across skin, b) its help in wound healing, c) its anti-inflammatory action and d) its pain relief. Shingles or burns are both greatly comforted with emu oil. I believe emu oil is the very best simple and inexpensive way to relieve shingles. In my opinion, emu oil has almost no side effects and is not toxic in any way. Rarely in health and wellness concerns do we have anything that works as well as emu oil often does. If in doubt, try it out! Emu oil - a little does a lot.
Article by Dr. W. E. Code, a member of the International Emu Oil Research and Standards Team, under the American Emu Association.
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