Template:Short description

Emu oil is an oil derived from body fat harvested from certain subspecies of the emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae, a flightless bird indigenous to Australia.<ref name="aea-emu">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="emu_farming">Template:Cite book</ref>

Unadulterated emu oil can vary widely in colour and viscosity anywhere from an off-white creamy texture to a thin yellow liquid, depending on the diet of the emu and the refining method(s) used.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Industrially refined emu oil is composed of a minimum of 70% unsaturated fatty acids. The largest component is oleic acid, a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. Emu oil also contains roughly 20% linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid) and 1–2% linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid).<ref name=":0" /> Fully refined emu oil has a bland flavour.<ref name=":0" />

Emu oil has previously been wrongly promoted as a dietary supplement with the claim it can treat a variety of human ailments, including cancer and arthritis.<ref name=usda/>

ResearchEdit

Since 2015 two small human studies have been done, one for use as a skin moisturizer and the other for use as an insect repellent.<ref name=Jeengar2015>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Commercial emu oil supplements are not standardised and vary widely in their potency.<ref name=whitehouse>Template:Cite journal</ref> The U.S. Food and Drug Administration highlighted emu oils in a 2009 article on "How to Spot Health Fraud", pointing out that many "pure emu oil" products are unapproved drugs.<ref name=usda>Template:Cite journal</ref>

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

Template:Fats and oils