Mosquito-borne
diseases like malaria and Dengue Fever are on the rise world-wide, from “first-world”
Florida in Southern USA and Southern Australia to gorgeous tropical South East
Asia, Africa, India and South America.
Yes, they make a lot of people very sick; malaria alone killed an
estimated 1,238,000 people globally in 2010, according to a University of
Queensland study published in the prestigious Lancet magazine. Staggering numbers. And that doesn’t count the number of people
who just got miserably feverish and sick for months on end, nor does it account
for the substantial number of deaths from Dengue Fever. So that smart thing to do is use a proven mosquito
repellent like DEET, right? I mean,
safety first, right? Agreed, safety
first. But if you’re truly concerned
about health and safety, then DEET as a choice for mosquito protection is very
wrong. Here’s why.
DEET (developed
and originally manufactured by those same caring and health-conscious US army people
who created Agent Orange during the Vietnam War) has been officially classified
by the USFDA as a Group D carcinogen (cancer causing agent) and is believed to
be an endocrine disruptor, which means it has effects on the reproductive and
hormone systems in the body. Important
to note that many cancers are oestrogen dependent, so a disturbed hormone level
and response in the body can contribute to the growth and development of many cancers. DEET has been proven to be a neuro-toxin and
to cause both kidney and liver damage.
It is a skin irritant and can cause scarring. DEET is currently being studied for its
contributing role in birth defects and developmental problems in children,
hence it is NEVER to be used on children under 6 years of age. DEET has been detected in ground-water around
the world and is also a serious environmental contaminant.
But
the natural sprays don’t work well or, if they do, only for a little while…
For an
essential oil to be effective as an insect/mosquito repellent, it has to be at
a high enough concentration. Many natural
insect sprays use only 5% concentration, which is simply not enough. Why so
low? Many of the people making the
product either aren’t well trained or well read, or are looking to optimize
profit and/or maybe not so very interested in your long-term health.
Citronella
oil is the most common ingredient in most natural insect repellent sprays, but
it is also the least effective over time.
Why do most people choose to use it so much? Because it’s relatively cheap. Other oils like basil and clove are
incredibly effective but expensive and need to be used carefully at very specific
concentrations so as not to burn the skin.
And some oils like neem that are highly effective insect repellents and
anti-malarials are simply not known for that purpose; for example, Thai people eat
neem leaves with curry (called sadao locally) to prevent intestinal parasites but
mostly don’t know about it’s wonderful medicinal uses as an oil for the skin or
as an anti-malarial insect repellent.
So what evidence
is there for good natural alternatives to DEET?
Field studies on the mosquito
repellent action of neem oil. Sharma SK, Dua VK, Sharma
VP. Source: Malaria Research Center (Field Station), BHEL
Complex, Ranipur, Hardwar, India.
Abstract : Repellent action of neem oil was evaluated
against different mosquito species. 2% neem oil mixed in coconut oil provided
96-100% protection from anophelines, 85% from Aedes, 37.5% from Armigeres
whereas it showed wide range of efficacy from 61-94% against Culex spp.
Therefore, neem oil can be applied as a personal protection measure against mosquito
bites.
Phlai Essential Oil, Sweet
Basil Essential Oil The plant oil
group was comprised of Phlai (Zingiber cassumunar) and Sweet basil
(Ocimum basilicum). Both substances were effective as repellents and feeding
deterrents against An. minimus (205 minutes protection time and a biting rate
of 0.9%), Cx. quinquefasciatus (165 minutes protection time and 0.9% biting
rate) and Ae. aegypti (90 minutes protection time and 0.8% biting rate). Southeast
Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2010 Jul ;41 (4):831-40 21073057
Citronella Essential Oil Essential oil from citronella grass
(Cymbopogon nardus) exhibited protection against biting from all 3 mosquito
species: for An. minimus, Cx. quinquefasciatus and Ae. aegypti, the results
were 130 minutes and 0.9%, 140 minutes and 0.8%, and 115 minutes and 0.8%,
respectively. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2010 Jul ;41
(4):831-40 21073057
Clove Essential Oil In a 2005 study that compared the repellent
activity of 38 different essential oils, researchers discovered that clove oil offered
the longest duration of protection against all mosquito species involved in the
lab experiments. http://altmedicine.about.com/od/healthconditionsdisease/a/insect_repellents_oils.htm
Lemongrass Essential Oil Lemongrass oil is effective for repelling
mosquitoes, according to a 2009 study conducted at Obafemi Awolowo University,
which found that a preparation including lemongrass oil was as effective at
repelling mosquitoes as commercially available insect repellents.
www.livestrong.com
Other tips: cover up,
wear light colors and don’t drink alcohol.
It is believed the increased CO2 in perspiration from drinking alcohol and
eating a high sugar diet (yes, that includes fruit) attracts mosquitoes. Eating garlic and Vitamin B has also been
shown to repel and reduce the rate of mosquito bites. And using a fan outside during the
mosquito-biting hours is smart, safe and easy – mosquitoes HATE moving air.
So if you’re serious about your long term health and safety,
don’t use a DEET-based repellent, use other strategies to reduce the risk of
biting, and make sure any spray you do choose is both effective and 100%
natural.
Footnote: Arun Thai Natural’s 100% Natural Insect
Repellent Spray uses a neem oil concentration of 3.5% against the reported
study results, which used 2%. It also
contains 5 other proven effective essential oils – basil, phlai, clove,
citronella and lemongrass. Neem oil is
effective for up to 12 hours. http://arunthainatural.com
