Copaiba oil for health

I am loving this oil! Copaiba essential oil is both anti-inflammatory and an antiseptic. Throughout history Amazonian traditional medical practitioners often used Copaiba resin to promote the health of the respiratory, digestive, urinary, cardiovascular, and immune systems. It is now suspected to be an anti-inflammatory compound and a study conducted in 2007 found that  beta-caryophyllene, which is an potent anti-inflammatory agent, is the predominant compound in the oil. (1).

Copaiba oil has been used in rodent models of disease, and one study looked at its effects on the repair of abdominal defects in rats when treated withVicryl(c) mesh.  It was found that rats given copaiba oil showed an improvement in the inflammatory response after surgery but didn't improve the amount of abdominal adhesions or collagen fibres (2). Copaiba oil may also block the detection of pain stimuli (3, 4 )and so may be considered both an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever. I have recently heard that a friend of a friend, who is undergoing chemotherapy and who had included this in a essential oil mix found symptoms associated with chemo greatly diminished after applying to feet.

In addition there has been suggestions that Copaiba oil may be beneficial in preventing liver damage in rats. In one study, researchers administered copaiba oil to the rats for 7 days. Copaiba oil protected against liver damage arising from paracetamol use. The study however, only analysed the effects within 24 hours after injury so we need further studies to understand whether longer periods using the oil will have the same effects (5). Also large oral doses were shown to increase bilirubin, which is an indicator of liver disease.

Copaiba oil appears to have antioxidant and anti-lipoperoxidative properties 6, and induces neuroprotection by modulating the inflammatory response following an acute damage to the central nervous system (7, 8. )There is also evidence that Copaiba increases gastric emptying time in a rodent model (9), and has anti-fungal promoting properties (10).

A 2012 study investigated the effects of copaiba oil-resin could possibly be used as an anti-inflammatory after acute damage to the motor cortex in rats. The results of the study suggested that the treatment induces neuroprotection by modulating inflammatory response following an acute damage to the central nervous system (10).

While this research suggests that Copaiba oil is a naturally occurring anti-inflammatory compound it is very important to remember that these studies are conducted in rodent models and therefore it is difficult to extrapolate to humans results. However there is much evidence that essential oils do have therapeutic properties when used in aromatherapy, and that they have been used by ancient medical practitioners to prevent, treat and cure. Also oils such as Copaiba have other components. Research conducted at doTERRA discovered that Copaiba is rich in copaene, bergamotene, and humulene - which are sesquiterpenes that have been shown to have several beneficial health properties. In vitro research has shown that copaene may have powerful antioxidant properties (11).   Bergamotene is compound of interest as in vivo research suggests that it assists proper immune system function when taken internally (12). This study reported that in a preliminary clinical trial three patients affected by chronic psoriasis took bergamotene orally, and also applied topically, and reported a significant improvement of the typical symptoms such as erythema, skin thickness, and scaliness. Furthermore experimental research indicates that the internal use of humulene may support a proper inflammatory response (13).