Are the consequences of tea tree oil anti-fungal or merely anti-inflammatory?

Our complete understanding of the reason for dandruff shifted with a landmark article revealed in 1984. As an alternative of counting on secondary sources, opinions, editorials, and opinion items, the creator regarded on the main literature, the unique research. He was “amazed to learn the way overwhelming was the proof of aetiology,” the true reason for dandruff, “and the way it had been ignored as a result of it was so nicely buried underneath the mountain of error since Malassez (1874)” put forth a bogus concept. We now know that dandruff is triggered by a fungus that lives and feeds on the human scalp. There are the 2 main implications: First, how “alarming” is it {that a} bogus concept can stay unchallenged within the medical literature for a century regardless of proof on the contrary? Second, if it’s a fungus, what about attempting tea tree oil, which incorporates elements which have anti-fungal exercise in opposition to a spread of fungi.

As I focus on in my video Does Tea Tree Oil Work for Dandruff and Athlete’s Foot?, the latter was an concept primarily based on research that discovered that tea tree oil in a petri dish can combat off pathogenic pores and skin fungi, as you possibly can see under and at 1:07 in my video. You don’t know if it really works for dandruff, although, till you set it to the check.

100 twenty-six women and men have been randomized both to every day use of a 5 p.c tea tree oil shampoo or a placebo for a month. As you possibly can see under and at 1:22 in my video, the placebo labored somewhat bit, lowering dandruff severity by about 10 p.c, however the tea tree oil shampoo labored higher, lowering dandruff severity by about 40 p.c. Within the tea tree oil group, “just one affected person truly achieved a whole response, as did one affected person within the placebo group. Thus, it seems that 5% tea tree shampoo would require ongoing software for management of dandruff.”

Talking of fungus, what about tea tree oil within the remedy of athlete’s foot? That will truly be our commonest fungal pores and skin an infection, affecting as much as one in ten. A few hundred sufferers have been randomized into one in all three teams: a ten p.c tea tree oil cream, Tinactin (an antifungal drug), or a placebo cream. After one month, the fungus was worn out in 85 p.c of the drug group, however solely a couple of quarter of the placebo and tea tree oil teams have been cured, as you possibly can see under and at 2:31 in my video. That is considerably stunning, since tea tree oil can kill off the fungus in a petri dish, however apparently, not on toes.

This jogs my memory of a few of the oral well being knowledge on tea tree oil. Research have proven it might probably wipe out some oral pathogens in a petri dish, however what occurs if in case you have individuals swish a tea tree oil resolution round of their mouth, in contrast with placebo and swishing with a medicated chlorhexidine mouthwash? After 4 days with out brushing their tooth, as with the placebo, the tea tree oil had no impact on dental plaque buildup, whereas swishing with the medicated mouthwash saved the plaque at bay a bit, as you possibly can see under and at 2:56 in my video.

So, if tea tree oil doesn’t affect the quantity of plaque, it presumably wouldn’t assist with gingivitis, the gum irritation that’s attributable to plaque buildup. However, no, right here’s the twist. True, there isn’t any discount in plaque with a 2.5 p.c tea tree oil gel, but there’s a important discount in gingivitis scores. “Since decreased gingival [gum] irritation occurred…with no concomitant lower in plaque scores, its mechanism of exercise may have been anti-inflammatory slightly than antibacterial.”

Would possibly the identical factor be taking place in that athlete’s foot examine I discussed earlier? From a mycological remedy standpoint—that’s, a fungal remedy standpoint—tea tree oil didn’t actually do any higher than placebo. And, though the drug remedy worn out the fungus in 85 p.c of circumstances, a few of these sufferers didn’t truly discover an enchancment in signs and even felt worse after utilizing the drug, “in all probability a mirrored image of the minor irritant aspect impact” of Tinactin. If, as an alternative of mycological remedy, you checked out symptom enchancment, tea tree oil works in addition to the drug, as you possibly can see under and at 4:14 in my video. “This can be the idea for the favored use of tea tree oil within the remedy of tinea pedis,” athlete’s foot. Folks ought to understand, although, that it’s simply symptomatic reduction, and so they’re not essentially eliminating the underlying trigger. After all, it “is feasible {that a} increased focus of tea tree oil would have higher antifungal properties and even higher efficacy within the remedy of tinea pedis.”

And, certainly, as an alternative of utilizing a ten p.c tea tree oil cream, in case you use one which’s 25 or 50 p.c tea tree oil resolution, you may get mycological remedy charges above that of placebo, although nonetheless not so good as the drug. At these excessive concentrations, nonetheless, a few of the sufferers “making use of tea tree oil developed average to extreme dermatitis,” breaking out in a rash. However, if in case you have a affected person who doesn’t need to use the medicated lotions, then a 25 p.c tea tree oil software has an honest likelihood of knocking out their athlete’s foot with out being too dangerous, although the usual over-the-counter antifungal lotions may match even higher.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Tea tree oil incorporates elements with anti-fungal exercise in opposition to a spread of various fungi.
• Dandruff is triggered by a fungus residing and feeding on the human scalp. Researchers discovered {that a} 5 p.c tea tree oil shampoo labored higher than placebo in lowering dandruff severity, 40 p.c in contrast with 10 p.c, respectively.
• Athlete’s foot could also be our commonest fungal pores and skin an infection, however a ten p.c tea tree oil cream was not as efficient a remedy as Tinactin (an antifungal drug). Tinactin worn out the fungus in 85 p.c of the drug group, however solely a couple of quarter of the placebo and tea tree oil teams have been cured.
• Swishing a tea tree oil resolution within the mouth doesn’t appear to impact dental plaque buildup with out toothbrushing, not like medicated mouthwash, but it surely does seem to lead to important discount in gingivitis, the gum irritation attributable to plaque. Tea tree oil’s mechanism of exercise could also be anti-inflammatory as an alternative of antibacterial.
• Within the athlete’s foot examine, the ten p.c tea tree oil cream labored in addition to the drug Tinactin for symptom enchancment. Nevertheless, utilizing a 25 or 50 p.c tea tree oil resolution achieved mycological remedy charges increased than that of placebo (although nonetheless not so good as the drug), however at these increased concentrations, some sufferers broke out in a rash. A 25 p.c tea tree oil software might be able to remedy athlete’s foot with out being too dangerous, however customary antifungal lotions may match higher.

Can’t get sufficient about tea tree oil? Then watch:

For these inquisitive about Flashback Friday: What’s the Greatest Mouthwash?, click on the hyperlink to be taught extra.

You may additionally be inquisitive about Pure Therapy for Zits and Fungal Infections. I’ve produced movies on one other inflammatory pores and skin situation, eczema (atopic dermatitis), too. See Eczema Therapy with Coconut Oil, Mineral Oil vs. Vaseline and Greatest Meals to Keep away from for Eczema.

In well being,

Michael Greger, M.D.

PS: For those who haven’t but, you possibly can subscribe to my free movies right here and watch my reside displays: