Tea tree oil is not (and cannot be) linked to gynecomastia
The article to which you refer: Prepubertal gynecomastia linked to lavender and tea tree oils. Henley DV, Lipson N, Korach KS, Bloch CA; NEJM; 2007; 356(5):479-85 incorrectly links tea tree oil to gynecomastia.
The abstract states:
Most cases of male prepubertal gynecomastia are classified as idiopathic. We investigated possible causes of gynecomastia in three prepubertal boys who were otherwise healthy and had normal serum concentrations of endogenous steroids. In all three boys, gynecomastia coincided with the topical application of products that contained lavender and tea tree oils. Gynecomastia resolved in each patient shortly after the use of products containing these oils was discontinued. Furthermore, studies in human cell lines indicated that the two oils had estrogenic and antiandrogenic activities. We conclude that repeated topical exposure to lavender and tea tree oils probably caused prepubertal gynecomastia in these boys.
In this article the authors state that "...gynecomastia coincided with the topical application of products that contained lavender and tea tree oils..." The simple fact is that only one of the three products actually contained tea tree oil and that in such low concentration it was virtually undetectable.
It is intensely frustrating for the tea tree industry that this statement is still being promulgated without any evidence to back up the statement. I recommend an article by leading Aromatherapist Robert Tisserand on this subject (http://www.naha.org/articles/Tisserand,%20R.%20Gynecomastia2_2007.pdf ). There are several other references to the issue on our website www.attia.org.au if further reading is required.
In his paper Tisserand (2007) states"…the shampoo was said to contain 'very low concentrations' of tea tree oil, and the content in the hair gel was 'virtually undetectable'. Lavender oil concentration was not checked (Neustaedter 2007)." This article is unbiased, meticulously researched, well referenced and I strongly urge that it is read.
Others have refuted the original work by Henley et al including Kemper et al (2007) who stated:
The study by Henley et al. (Feb. 1 issue) raises many questions. Product names were not provided. Did the authors contact manufacturers to report concerns or ask about constituents? The variability, adulteration, and contamination of herbal products have been widely reported, as have discrepancies between labels and contents. Plastic containers may contain phthalates, known endocrine disrupters. What was actually in the products cited in this report?"
Kemper et al is available here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17568039.1
Other publications refuting the original work by Henley et al are:
Dean CJ, (2007): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17575591.1
Kurtz JL, (2007): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17575593.1
Kalyan S, (2007): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17575592.1.
I would like to reiterate that it is intensely frustrating for the tea tree industry that this article is still being quoted. The Henley et al work was poor science and sloppy reporting that has caused totally unwarranted and massive harm to the tea tree industry. The fact is that tea tree oil was not present at all in two of the three topically applied products therefore linking gynecomastia to tea tree oil is at best tentative and at worst incompetent.
Estrogenic and antiandrogenic activity in tea tree oil
In the work by Henley et al (2007) the authors stated "…indicated that the two oils had estrogenic and antiandrogenic activities…"
Tisserand (2007) in his rebuttal states: "The composition of the essential oils tested is not given, nor is any other information about them, apart from the supplier. Since they do not appear to be organically grown, biocide content is a possibility." This once again indicates the sloppy nature of the work by Henley et al.
In addition to the 2007 article, Tisserand (2010) has reviewed the estrogenic activity of substances found in clary sage oil. This article is available here: http://roberttisserand.com/2010/04/is-clary-sage-oil-estrogenic/
In summary, a genuinely estrogenic substance must have some chemical relationship to estrogen. This is the only way that it could interact with estrogen receptor sites and there is no other known mechanism for an estrogenic action. (It has to fit the receptor sites that exist to respond to the presence of estrogen.) The only functional group found in essential oils that could meet this requirement is the phenols. Tea tree oil contains no phenols. Further, any in vitro test that shows an estrogenic action and where the effect cannot be explained through chemical structure is highly suspect and almost certainly due to some kind of artificial effect i.e. not actually estrogenic at all.
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