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Dr. Mercola
August 28 2008

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Be Careful of Incense as it Can Cause Cancer

Regularly inhaling incense smoke could put people at risk of cancers of the respiratory tract, according to new research.

In a study of more than 61,000 people who were followed for up to 12 years, investigators found a link between heavy incense use and various respiratory cancers.

Incense is usually derived from fragrant plant materials such as tree bark, resins, roots, flowers and essential oils. Past research has already found that burning these materials can produce potentially cancer-causing substances, including benzene and polyaromatic hydrocarbons.


Sources:

  Reuters August 25, 2008




 
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Comment on This Article Community Comments (4)
 
 
Posted On Aug 28, 2008
Incense, scented candles, plug-ins, etc are what you call hormone disrupters that causes estrogen dominance in the body which completely throws off the proper ratio of hormones, namely estrogen and progesterone.  The growing field of Functional Endocrinology which I am part of has been mapping this out for years.  These products can be tied to ANY cancer influenced by hormones and need to be eliminated all together.  I address this with all women I see in my office whether they are in the prevention, treatment, or recovery phase of cancer.  These things are nasty and can throw the system off just like birth control pills.  Besides respiratory cancers, they definitely affect the body much deeper and much more profound.  Get this out of your home immediately...Expect to hear more research about this.

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Posted On Aug 28, 2008
I've long worried about folks breathing the smoke of incense. It makes sense that burning organic matter could create carcinogens, just as it does when you cook food at high temperature (frying).

NHC, you are absolutely correct that breathing these substances affect the body at much deeper levels. Forget the plug-ins and scented candles; most of these products are artificial and can cause all kinds of issues

I am a certified aromatherapist and although I have used tea light candles in the past, I am moving more toward warming the oils more gently in order not to oxidize them. Various oils have profound effects on different systems of the body. I cringe when I see so-called health spas using essential oil burners with tea lights, allowing the water in the reservoir to evaporate away, thereby burning the oil on the surface of the burner and then never cleaning them. What kind of health benefit do they think they are getting, breathing a mixture of burnt oils that have cooked to the point of fusion with the burner?

Being careful with the air we breathe is good medicine. Keep warning folks about the dangers in these products. Even natural essential oils can be harmful if not used properly.

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Posted On Aug 30, 2008
I don't think there is enough information as to what they were actually looking at.  Were these incense "heavy users" living in a fog of smoke all day?  Were they using incense laden with chemicals?  Considering incense has been used in so many cultures throughout the ages, it seems unlikely to me that average incense use is putting people at some huge risk for cancer.

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Posted On Aug 30, 2008
I think this simply Reuters taking creative license again. This article leaves out too much detail in order for the "educated" reader to form an opinion on. Many cultures have used incense for centuries without all of the ill effects claimed in this article! What comes next? Smelling the flowers in your garden as a cause for cancer??? Most naturally-based incense should be considered far less of a health-threat than most "perfumes" bought at a store. Perfumes are very rarely made from natural ingredients anymore, and therefore more of a health concern. It is very common to see some people react to perfumes adversely. Most have not such of a problem with good quality, naturally-based incense.

I must say that this article is alarmist in the extreme and shows even further the lack of credibility of the media!

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