Biology:Emu oil
Emu oil is an oil derived from body fat harvested from certain subspecies[which?] of the emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae, a flightless bird indigenous to Australia, and used in Aboriginal and Alternative medicine.[1][2]
Unadulterated emu oil can vary widely in colour and viscosity anywhere from an off-white creamy texture to a thin yellow liquid, depending on the diet of the emu and the refining method(s) used.[3] Industrially refined emu oil is composed of a minimum of 70% unsaturated fatty acids. The largest component is oleic acid, a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. Emu oil also contains roughly 20% linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid) and 1–2% linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid).[3] Fully refined emu oil has a bland flavour.[3]
Emu oil has previously been wrongly promoted as a dietary supplement with the claim it can treat a variety of human ailments, including cancer and arthritis.[4]
Research
Since 2015 two small human studies have been done, one for use as a skin moisturiser and the other for use as an insect repellent.[5]
Commercial emu oil supplements are not standardised and vary widely in their potency.[6] The US Food and Drug Administration highlighted emu oils in a 2009 article on "How to Spot Health Fraud", pointing out that many "pure emu oil" products are unapproved drugs.[4]
See also
- Snake oil
- Ostrich oil
- List of ineffective cancer treatments
References
- ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". https://aea-emu.org/faq/.
- ↑ Devantier, Alecia T; Carol, Turkington (2006). Extraordinary Jobs in Agriculture and Nature. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 978-0-8160-5854-9. https://archive.org/details/extraordinaryjob0000deva_c5q6. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Emu Oil Trade Rule 103: RULE 103 – DEFINITIONS OF GRADES AND QUALITY OF EMU OIL USED FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES". https://aea-emu.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/emu-oil-trade-rule-103.pdf.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kurtzweil, Paula (30 April 2009). "How to Spot Health Fraud". U.S. Food and Drug Administration 33 (6): 22–6. PMID 10628313. https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/EmergencyPreparedness/BioterrorismandDrugPreparedness/ucm137284.htm. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
- ↑ "Review on emu products for use as complementary and alternative medicine". Nutrition 31 (1): 21–7. January 2015. doi:10.1016/j.nut.2014.04.004. PMID 25441585.
- ↑ "Emu oil(s): A source of non-toxic transdermal anti-inflammatory agents in aboriginal medicine". Inflammopharmacology 6 (1): 1–8. 1998. doi:10.1007/s10787-998-0001-9. PMID 17638122.
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