Emu Oil

Generic name: Dromaius Novaehollandiae
Brand names: Emu, Emu Oil

Usage of Emu Oil

Anti-inflammatory effects

Various potential mechanisms of action regarding anti-inflammatory activities of the fatty acids of emu oil have been theorized.Jeengar 2015

Animal and in vitro data

Interference with inflammatory cytokine production and antioxidant actions has been demonstrated in vitro.Abimosleh 2012 Also in vitro, reduced production of nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha has been demonstrated in macrophages.Miyashita 2018 In rodent models of arthritis, topically applied emu oil demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects,López 1999, Snowden 1997, Whitehouse 1998, Yoganathan 2003 with one experiment demonstrating efficacy comparable with oral ibuprofen.Snowden 1997

In another study in rodents, emu oil reduced the severity of colitis, as measured by colonoscopy.Chartier 2018 Reductions in macroscopic and microscopic lesions, and in clinical severity, have been demonstrated in other experiments of rodents with induced ulcerative colitis,Safaeian 2019, Sethuraman 2015, Vemu 2016 with one study reporting a decline in the expression of TNF-alpha.Sethuraman 2015

Clinical data

A clinical study evaluated topical pure emu oil for joint pain related to adjuvant aromatase inhibitor use in women with breast cancer (N=73). In the 3-month trial, no statistically significant benefit was observed with the use of emu oil over placebo, despite an improvement in pain scores over baseline for all enrolled participants.Chan 2017

Cancer

Animal data

Low-dose emu oil administered over 9 weeks was protective against colitis-induced colorectal tumors in a rodent study.Chartier 2018

Cardiovascular effects

Animal data

Hypocholesterolemic effects of dietary emu oil have been demonstrated in animal models of atherosclerosis.Fukushima 1999, Kamalakkannan 2016, Wilson 2004 Activity is attributed to high mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acid content.Jeengar 2015

Clinical data

Clinical studies are lacking. One report noted changes in blood flow–mediated vasodilation responses and blood pressure among 20 healthy young adults after a single oral dose of edible emu oil.Miyashita 2018

Dermatologic effects

Animal and in vitro data

In vitro, emu oil accelerated the growth rate of keratinocytes and demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties (inhibition of interferon gamma activity), which supports suggested wound healing properties of the oil.Bennett 2015 An in vitro study using murine melanoma cells suggests that emu oil reduces cellular melanin production, the implications of which are unclear.Ito 2016

The wound healing effects of emu oil and emu oil lotion were examined in rodent models of skin defects. Promotion of wound contraction, epithelialization, and infiltration of organized granulation tissue was demonstrated.Politis 1998 The efficacy of emu oil in healing of burns has been evaluated in rodent experiments,Afshar 2016, Li 2004 with one study reporting slow healing of burns and inflammation lasting longer than the comparator; however, emu oil had a positive effect on fibrogenesis and synthesis of collagen, and increased the number of hair follicles in the margins of the wound.Afshar 2016

Emu oil has been shown to penetrate into human skinMansour 2017 and has been evaluated as a transdermal vehicle for various chemical compounds including progesterone, anesthetic agents, and insulin.Akram 2013, Jeengar 2015, Viljoen 2015

Clinical data

In a small clinical study (N=10), emu oil was evaluated as a lubricant and aid in reducing scar formation in healed burns. Photoanalysis showed wound areas treated with emu oil healed significantly better (P<0.02) than those in the control group.Penturf 1998 A conference abstract reports the use of emu oil in children (N=125) with burns (5% to 60% body surface area) in a clinical study conducted in Chile.Lagniel 2007 In another clinical study evaluating emu oil for prevention of radiation-induced dermatitis, median times to peak rash, skin redness, peeling, and skin swelling tended to be slightly, but not significantly, longer in emu oil–treated patients than with placebo (cottonseed oil); area under the curve of Skindex-16 scores tended to be lower with emu oil, and overall quality of life was slightly better with emu oil. No differences in adverse events were observed between the 2 groups.Rollmann 2015

Clinical studies have demonstrated skin hydrating properties when emu oil–based lotion was applied to the skin of neonates and when emu oil–based cream was applied to breast areola skin in breastfeeding mothers.Zanardo 2016, Zanardo 2017

In another clinical trial, 126 participants with seborrheic dermatitis were randomized to emu oil, hydrocortisone, or clotrimazole treatment. Although effective, emu oil produced a lesser effect than standard treatment.Attarzadeh 2013

Insect repellent

Clinical data

In one study, emu oil applied to one hand of human volunteers acted as an insect repellent, reportedly reducing the number of mosquito bites.Jeengar 2015

Emu Oil side effects

Information regarding adverse reactions with emu oil use is lacking.

Topical emu oil was not associated with an increase in adverse events in a placebo-controlled clinical study evaluating efficacy in preventing radiation-induced dermatitis.Rollmann 2015

Before taking Emu Oil

Avoid use. Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.

Emu oil–based lotion has been applied to the skin of neonates and emu oil–based cream has been applied to breast areola skin in breastfeeding mothers to improve skin hydration.Zanardo 2016, Zanardo 2017

How to use Emu Oil

Emu oil has primarily been studied for topical application; clinical trials are lacking to provide topical or oral dosing recommendations.

Warnings

Research reveals no information regarding toxicity of emu oil. An in vitro study using murine melanoma cells suggests that emu oil reduces cellular melanin production, the implications of which are unclear.Ito 2016 When emu oil was used orally for intestinal repair of tissue injury or inflammation in rodents, no evidence of stimulation of activity that might lead to colorectal cancer was found.Mashtoub 2018 No harm to the intestinal mucosa was observed in rat models of various intestinal disorders administered emu oil, according to the C-sucrose breath test.Abimosleh 2012, Abimosleh 2013, Lindsay 2010

What other drugs will affect Emu Oil

None well documented.

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