Tea Tree Essential Oil Activates White Blood Cells

Tea Tree Essential Oil Activates White Blood Cells

Researchers at the Department of Research, Lombard, USA, say that tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) works by activating white blood cells in the body.

According to them, tea tree oil has been used since the 1920s as a topical antiseptic and has been found to be more effective than the drug, Phenol.

Their results showed that the tea tree oil increased the activation of white blood cells in the blood serum. The report concluded that one reason why tea tree oil appears to be such an effective topical antiseptic is the beneficial effect it exerts activating whiteblood cells.

Source : Biological activity of Melaleuca alternifola (Tea Tree) oil component,terpinen-4-ol, in human myelocytic cell line HL-60.Budhiraja SS; Cullum ME; Sioutis SS; EvangelistaL; Habanova ST J Manipulative Physiol Ther,22:447-53, 1999 Sep http://www.internethealthlibrary.com/Plant-Remedies/tea-tree-oil-research.htm