Alpha Thujone

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What is it?  And is it safe?

Did you know… it is a clear, almost colorless liquid with a menthol-like odor?
Did you know… it occurs naturally in sage, cedar, mugwort, and tansy?
Did you know… it also occurs naturally in clary and yellow cedar?
Did you know… oils which naturally contain thujone are used in herbal medicines, food flavorings and as mite and rodent repellents?
Did you know… it won’t dissolve in water, but will in ethanol, diethyl ether, or chloroform?
Did you know… it is in the cedarleaf oil used in common cold products like Vick’s Vaporub?

Thujone does have some known toxic properties that has caused it to be banned from some products. However, it also is a direct food and product additive.  It has strict guidelines for its use.

History Lesson: The oldest known reference to medical use of wormwood dates from about 1552 BC, in the Egyptian Ebers Papyrus. In the middle-ages, wormwood was known and used primarily because of its assumed medicinal qualities. A recipe for an alcoholic drink based on dried leaves of wormwood (absinthe) was developed in 1789 by Dr Ordinaire. He used it as treatment for illness…

In the mid 1800s, Thujone was actually an unknown chemical.  Because of the combination of wormwood with alcohol in a drink called absinthe, many studies were conducted.  Dr. Valentin Magnan tested pure wormwood oil on animals and found it caused a reaction completely different than regular alcohol. Based on this information, it was quickly assumed that absinthe was more dangerous than plain alcohol because of the small amount of wormwood oil it contained.  Subsequent studies after 1970 have led to the conclusion that some of his theories were somewhat slanted based on his fear that absinthe was leading to the downfall of the French culture.

Cedar Leaf Essential Oil (with Thujone) is present in topical solutions and has been used with no ill effects at all.

Thus, my conclusion is, yes – Thujone the chemical while toxic all by itself, if used with wisdom, judgment and skill, can be effectively and safely used to treat various ills.  This must be why it occurs naturally in the EO in the first place.  Our good Creator put it there for a reason, to be used with wisdom, intuition and training.

Want to know a little more?  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thujone