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Not Everything Natural is Nice

Soaps and shampoos that contain essential oils can cause excessive breast development in young boys, according to unpublished research from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

Researchers began looking into the link between breast development and lavender and tea tree oil after a Denver-area pediatric endocrinologist asked them to find out whether these essential oils were hormonally active. The doctor had grown suspicious after treating a series of boys with enlarged male breasts – an extremely rare condition for children.

Upon investigation, he found that at least five of the boys had been using personal care products that contained lavender and tea tree oils so he asked the family to stop using them. Within months, the condition had disappeared.

That prompted the doctor to call researchers at NIEHS. What they found was that both oils “turned on” genes regulated by estrogen and “turned off” genes that were regulated by androgens, or male hormones.

The oils can be found in numerous shampoos, hair gels, soaps and other personal care products. Researchers also suspect the oils may be causing early breast development in young girls.

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To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org