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Verify: Can consuming turpentine oil hurt your health?

Social media users claim taking turpentine oil can help with multiple health issues. But is it safe?
Credit: Lucas, Liza

It’s a health craze you may have seen on YouTube or shared by celebrities.

Taking turpentine, turpentine oil or using a turpentine cleanse as a natural remedy for a cold or other ailments. Beyond the hype, does following the craze mean endangering your health? The Verify team took a look at the claims and the research.

THE QUESTION

Is the turpentine cleanse dangerous?

THE ANSWER

Yes, experts warn consuming turpentine can jeopardize your health.

WHAT WE FOUND

YouTube videos present a variety of approaches for consuming turpentine oil as part of a cleanse, at times accompanied by a sugar cube similar to the recommendation of comedian Tiffany Haddish. Haddish was quoted by GQ magazine earlier this year encouraging turpentine use for curing a cold, gaining clarity or as a general cleanse.

“The government doesn't want you to know that if you have a cold, just take some turpentine with some sugar or castor oil or honey and it'll go away the next day,” Haddish said in a GQ magazine interview.

Haddish’s interview prompted mix of backlash and support online.

As Haddish references in her interview, researchers and archivists have traced the use of turpentine oil as a home remedy. Extracted from pine trees, the oil can be purchased online or in select health stores.

Yet, it's natural source doesn't guarantee it's safe.

“The recent proclamation touting the health benefits of agents like turpentine and castor oil (made by celebs and other social media sites) have given those of us in the poison prevention and awareness business a reason for pause and concern,” Gaylord P. Lopez, Director of Georgia Poison Center, told 11Alive in an email.

“Simply put, the statements are dangerous and irresponsible. No scientific literature has ever advocated nor investigated the use of turpentine for the common aches, pains, and the common cold. For children in particular, serious consequences even death could occur if the right set of circumstances were present,” Lopez said.

11Alive Medical Correspondent Dr. Sujatha Reddy confirmed that while there is a history of using the oil, the warnings against consuming the substance should be taken seriously.

"What we’re seeing is people are ingesting and taking tablespoons or teaspoons of the oil thinking it has medicinal properties,” Dr. Reddy said. “But ingesting it can cause some major problems. Just because it's from a tree, doesn't make it safe,” adding the fumes from the turpentine paint thinner can be particularly toxic to pregnant women.

The fumes of the turpentine paint thinner can also really be toxic to pregnant women, according to Dr. Reddy.

Risks and symptoms of turpentine oil poisoning are documented by the Library of Medicine and range from kidney failure, vision loss, unconsciousness and seizures.

"Historically, people have used turpentine oil topically for injuries and wounds and that type of thing and for that purpose, if you’re not allergic, it's probably ok to apply to your skin. It probably won't hurt you,” Dr. Reddy said.

The Verify team also reached out to Georgia-based seller of the oil, Diamond G. Forest Products. According to an email response, the company does not “give any health-related advice regarding our products.”

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