By: the natural health industry
For those relieved to find that there are natural products containing Citronella that actually do work to repel bugs, (so you could avoid using Deet), well you better stock-up, because these products are in the process of being axed by Health Canada. Better yet, do something about it! Call your MP, protest directly to Health Canada, or to the Health Minister.
“But why?”…you ask in bewilderment. “Why are these products being ordered off the market, especially when Deet has caused so many side-effects?” The answer involves establishment manipulation of science. You see citronella contains a substance called methyl-eugenol. When methyleugenol alone was administered internally to mice, (via a stomach tube), tumors arose at multiple sites. [http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/twelfth/profiles/Methyleugenol.pdf] Oral administration and intraperitoneal injections in rats produced similar results. The conclusion reached, and stated right off the top is that Methyleugenol is “Reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen”, so citronella is being pulled based on “reasonable anticipation”. But there are problems with Health Canada’s rationale.
Humans applying citronella oil to their skin is obviously not equivalent to forcing oral ingestion of one of its isolated constituents into the stomachs of mice/rats, or injecting it into their body cavities, (i.e. methyleugenol). Why? In addition to the obvious reasons, when it comes to natural substances, the whole simply doesn’t equal the sum of the parts.
To illustrate this, consider a presentation put on by Bruce Ames, PhD., at the Seventh International Symposium on Functional Medicine. Bruce Ames is the scientist who came up with the Ames Test for carcinogenicity. Using this test you can take a compound, and assess its potential to cause gene mutations, and based on the outcome say how likely it is to cause cause cancer, or not. One of Dr. Ames’ points at this presentation was that you have to be careful about drawing conclusions from this, and as an example he used fruits and vegetables. He said several times that if you take any fruit or vegetable, and break it down into its constituent compounds, and test them individually, invariably about half of them will cause cancer (i.e. test positive)….yet fruits and vegetables themselves don’t cause cancer. They are protective against cancer! Thus, the effect of the whole cannot be assessed from the parts, and you definitely can’t draw direct conclusions from one constituent.
Likewise, you can’t draw accurate conclusions about citronella by testing isolated methyleugenol. But of course, outcomes from the Ames test on methyleugenol are being used as evidence to withdraw citronella, even though methyleugenol can be found in bananas, black pepper and bilberries, and the EPA in the U.S. considers Citronella to be safe. [http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/3105red.pdf] .
The amount of double-speak surrounding the issue is incredible. Even though topical preparations of citronella are being pulled, Canadian health stores have had product seized, and verbal stop-sale warnings have been issued to suppliers, citronella’s addition to cigarettes is just fine, because it doesn’t increase carcinogenicity. (See “toxicity” heading at this link: [http://tobaccoinformation.bhp.doh.gov.tw/toxicfolder/011.%E5%B8%9D%E5%9C%8B%E8%8F%B8%E8%8D%89/057.pdf]. And when talking about Deet carcinogenicity, despite Swedish human studies showing that an increased rate of exposure increased testicular cancer, http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/consultations/deet/carcinogenicity.html , the conclusion was to “interpret the results with caution”, and that, “These data do not necessarily suggest that long-term use of DEET could cause testicular cancer.“ Also take a look at the “Health Effects in Humans” tab at this link, where it states: “Case reports of toxicity from DEET exposure have been documented in the medical literature, and range in severity from mild skin irritation to death.” Death! Or as reported on ABC’s Primetime Live segment on the issue: rashes, dizziness, and seizures, in adults, and brain disorders, seizures, and even (yes) death in children from Deet. See also: [http://www.toxicsinfo.org/pests/lyme_deet.htm] .
Compare this to the documented side-effects for Citronella. Web MD states: “Citronella oil seems to be safe for most people when applied to the skin as an insect repellant. However it might cause skin allergies in some people.” [http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-627-CITRONELLA%20OIL.aspx?activeIngredientId=627&activeIngredientName=CITRONELLA%20OIL]
Hmmm…skin allergies versus death for documented side-effects…and the one that produces death is remaining on the market.
To approve a natural health product Health Canada requires two human trials to approve its claim, even if there is a mountain of test-tube evidence for one or more of its constituents. But to pull citronella they are using “reasonable anticipation” that one of its constituents may pose a threat to humans. Of course, “may” automatically implies “may not”, and there’s zero actual data that citronella is dangerous to humans.
But it doesn’t end there. Suppose you say, “OK, I won’t use citronella topically, I’ll just use it on patches stuck to my clothes, something many have found very effective. But no, Health Canada is ordering these off the market also. So I found it no coincidence when just the other day I saw a commercial for Johnson & Johnson’s OFF repellant clip-on device. Now this is starting to make sense.
Do you get the picture? The boom has come from above, i.e. multi-nationals/pharmaceutical companies with Health Canada in their back pocket…and the agency is only too willing to comply. After all if we get another West-Nile scare, bug-repellant is big business. Given methyleugenol’s presence in several other essential oils, such as rose, basil, anise, and nutmeg to name a few, don’t be surprised if these also come under attack in the future.
Once again, bureaucratic regulation based on a false premise of public protection is being used to make competition for the big boys illegal. (Sound familiar? It’s happening to our supplements as well.)
I have to ask…how far as Canadians are we going to let this go, without holding our politicians and bureaucrats accountable? So if this upsets you, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! Call them and let them know exactly how you feel…politely of course. Remember to request a response.
Find your MP using your postal code: http://www.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/HouseOfCommons/MemberByPostalCode.aspx?Menu=HOC
Contact the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, ph: 613-957-0200
by email: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/contact/ahc-asc/minist-eng.php
or write to:
The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, P.C., M.P.
Health Canada
Brooke Claxton Building, Tunney’s Pasture
Postal Locator: 0906C
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9
Contact Glenda Yeates, Deputy Minister of Health, ph: 613-957-0212
by email: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/contact/ahc-asc/deputy-sous-eng.php
or write to:
Deputy Minister’s Office
Health Canada
Brooke Claxton Building, Tunney’s Pasture
Postal Locator: 0906C
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9
Just more deceipt or utter incompatence from our Government. Bought and paid frontman of the multinational corparations . power and profits corrupts everything