Why not eat/drink EOs?

[FlybyStardancer]

Nearly every resource I've found has stressed that EOs shouldn't be added to food/drink. Those that do say that their EOs are okay for food/drink I don't fully trust.

But one thing I do question... Why aren't you supposed to consume EOs? And why is it okay for them to be used in lip balms, which inevitably get consumed in small amounts?

The reason I'm asking is this. I am incredibly picky when it comes to food/drink. I Do Not like water. I've tried pretty much every suggestion you can think of, and it's all been nasty. The only drinks I do like are diet soda, juice, and hot chocolate. None of them are good for drinking in large amounts, but they're the only things I can make myself drink. However, at one point I had a glass of water while there was still homemade lip balm with orange EO on my lips, and I noticed that I didn't actually mind it much.

So I'm left with a problem... There's a potential solution to finding me something I could drink, but the additive is not meant for internal consumption. Where are the studies? I've tried googling myself, but all I get are the blogs warning against it, or EO manufacturer marketing.

 

[green soap]

Some EOs are food grade, just ask your supplier.

When you put a slice of lemon in water the EO from the skin goes in the water, so it is the same thing. Also, a drop of spearmint in water is really good. However, the extraction process in some EO might make them not food safe so it is best to ask.

 

[Lin]

Some EOs are safe to consume, some are toxic to consume. So I'd say to "why not eat/drink EOs" because you shouldn't consume toxic products. There's a difference between using a small amount of something on your skin, and ingesting it. Even for skin use there are safe levels and EOs need diluting with a carrier oil. As for lip balms, personally I wouldn't use an EO that was not safe to consume in a lip balm. Just like you can't use any FO in lip balm, you need lip safe ones (called flavor oils

And in EOs that ARE safe to consume, you need to ensure that the quality is there for safety to consume. That its a pure EO of high quality. One of the signs of poor quality is an EO that is safe to consume, but is labeled to not ingest.

 

[FlybyStardancer]

The only EOs I have in the house are from Mountain Rose Herbs. When I decided to play around with EOs in products, I was worried about low-quality EOs harming them, so decided to go with the place that I couldn't find negative reviews for. And I was thinking only citrus EOs, maybe peppermint.

MRH has lip balm recipes on their site that call for their EOs (including the one I used-sweet orange), and my lip balm is loosely based on their recipes. lol

 

[Lin]

I have a sweet orange, and chocolate mint with peppermint EO balms.

 

[DeeAnna]

The philosophy of not consuming essential oils (meaning the concentrated smelly stuff that comes in expensive little bottles) is that a person can get in serious trouble really, really quick. That's not to say people don't do it, just ingesting EOs should be done with careful purpose. It's my understanding that essential oils are routinely consumed as medicine in France, where internal use of EOs has a relatively long history. I'm certain people consume EOs throughout the rest of the world as well; it's just not as commonly known from what I gather.

No reputable supplier of EOs would dream of telling the uneducated public that it's fine to ingest EOs, given the potential for misuse and potentially lethal side effects. For example, one gram of thyme oil is the EO collected from perhaps 100 grams -- about 1/4 of a pound -- of thyme leaves. Practically no one would dream of eating 1/4 lb of thyme leaves at one sitting, but some people, without realizing the potential for harm, would think nothing of putting several drops of the EO in a potion and tossing it down to see what it would do.

It's also true, however, that every time you eat citrus or herb-crusted chicken or drink root beer soda or garlic buttered French bread, you are consuming tiny doses of essential oils with the food. Your experience with the lip balm is another example. It only takes a tiny bit of EO in food or drink to create a distinct scent or flavor. I add a drop or two of sweet orange EO when making cakes and cookies. The tip of a toothpick dipped in thyme EO -- far less than a drop -- can be used to flavor an entire meat dish. I sometimes add a drop of peppermint EO to flavor an entire pitcher of sweet tea. Would I ingest an EO that's not normally found in food? Not without expert guidance.

So there you go.

Another idea to consider that might be safer and easier would be to make infusions of the flavors you like. One example would be infusing fresh citrus slices, berries, or other fruits in water.

 

[FlybyStardancer]

I've tried squirting an orange slice into water--the flavor just comes out 'muddied' and awful to me. If I'm drinking something fruit-flavored, the flavor of the fruit needs to be strong. That's why I can't stand juice cut with water, or putting just a little bit of fruit in water. And I'd also be worried about the sugars in the fruit being too much.

(Didn't I say I was picky? Heh.)

 

[AnnaMarie]

I just had sparkling water last night with orange and lime eo's, and it was very nice. The guacamole was also flavored with lime eo. I've also taken 4 thieves oil (one drop in mouth which kicked out my cold). Tomorrow I am going to pick up another eo blend that is taken internally as well. Some oils such as wintergreen are a very different story... Unfortunately, there are just too many careless people out there and given the litigious country we live in you can't blame people for taking the overly cautious route. I've been to a couple of Doterra presentations which has helped to inform me. I also have read books that identify toxic eo's. It's not that you can't take in eo's you just have to educate yourself well before you do- and as the others said, make sure of the quality of the product.
Cheers!
Anna Marie
-I personally believe we would be doing ourselves a favor to utilize eo's routinely in our healthcare more, but that would involve ALOT of education.

 

[AustinStraight]

I've been putting citrus oils in my water for about a year and a half now, it tastes really good (especially grapefruit) and doesn't add anything to the water but flavor. Just one drop is enough to add a light flavor to a water bottle. I also took the Thieves oil blend internally through the winter - 3 drops in a gelatin capsule, once a day for a week while the rest of the family was sick. I'm still alive! :grin:

 

[My Mountain Soaps]

you may not find the scientific research data that you are looking for online. You will have to read up at the library. Based on the info i have read there, i personally would not consume EO's. I wish for the life of me i could remember the name of a book i read, it was a true scientific study about eo's, albeit it was a study done in the 70-80's it was VERY informative. But what i learned from it is that eo's should not be given to children under the age of ten either orally or applied to the skin simply because of the ratios. For example, an adult can handle x amount applied to the skin, but a child needs much less and is much more sensitive.
Also, you simply do not know how each individual person will react to the eo. So it simply isnt wise to advise someone to ingest them.
Also, there has been minimal study on EO's by the FDA, and when last i researched, the studies werent conclusive enough to say yeah or nay by the FDA.
then even though the seller says such and such eo can be used up to 4&5%, based on my research i wouldnt use anything more than 3%, i even take the extra measure and soap at 2%. i wish i would have stolen that book from the library, there has been so many times i wish i could refer to it! i hope this helps.

 

[My Mountain Soaps]

yes thank you AnnaMarie, it is Robert Tisserands Essential oil safety : a guide for health care professionals!!!!!!!! thank you, i have been wanting to get ahold of that book for ages!!!

 

[AnnaMarie]

yes thank you AnnaMarie, it is Robert Tisserands Essential oil safety : a guide for health care professionals!!!!!!!! thank you, i have been wanting to get ahold of that book for ages!!!

I am interested in reading this book. I have another book, "Advanced Aromatherapy" that is excellent and informative. I do occasionally consume eo's, but only oils that are GRAS. I do think there is a lot of value in eo's, but it needs to be approached with caution and respect. It would be nice to see a lot more current research....
Cheers!
Anna Marie

 

[My Mountain Soaps]

he has a second edition out now, i plan on finding that one to read as well.