Emu Oil

Emu oil is derived from the Emu bird Dromaius novaehollandiae, a species native to the Australian continent. The subspecies of Emu that used to live on the island of Tasmania was eradicated by European settlers during the 18th century.

Emu oil is extracted from commercially farmed Emu birds. Emu farming is a relatively new occurrence, but Emu farmers and Emu oil producers can today be found in many different parts of the world, not only in Australia.

In Australia, Emu farming has occurred since 1987 and the first slaughtering of a commercially farmed Emu took place in 1990. The first commercial Emu farm was located in Western Australia. Today, all Australian states (with the exception of Tasmania) protect their wild Emu populations by license requirements and the commercial extraction of Emu oil is based exclusively on captive bred specimens.

Outside Australia, a majority of the worlds Emu farmers and Emu oil producers are located in North America, China and Peru. In the United States, you can find over 1 million Emu specimens in captivity. Getting Emu birds to breed in captivity is not very difficult, but it should not be kept in small cages where it is forced to be inactive since this will cause severe digestive problems for the bird. Emus should instead be kept in large open pens where they can graze. Most farmers also feed their Emu birds grain.

In addition to being farmed for their valuable Emu oil, Emus are bred for their tasty meat and exclusive leather. Emu eggs and feathers are used as decorations; the eggs can for instance be carved. Even though the Emu is a bird, its meat is considered to be red meat rather than white meat since it is read and have the pH value of red meat. The average fat content in Emu meat is low and the amount of cholesterol is also low. The most appreciated parts come from the tight of the bird and from the big muscles located in the drum or lower leg. Emu birds are typically slaughtered when they are between 50 and 70 weeks old.

Emu oil is derived from Emu fat and used in a wide range of different products, including cosmetics, ointments and dietary supplements. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regard Emu oil as an unapproved drug. Studies indicate that Emu oil may have anti-inflammatory properties, but more research is needed before anyone can know for sure. Emu oil producers are therefore not allowed to print unsubstantiated claims on Emu oil products marketed in the United States. Many other countries have similar legislations to protect consumers from health claims that can not be backed by reliable scientific studies.

One of several interesting studies regarding the properties of Emu oil was carried out by Binford P, Handelman G, Nicolosi R, Orthoefer F, Scollin P, Tao R, Wilson T and Yoganathan S at the Forsyth Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. In this study, 50 microL of 2% croton oil was applied to the inner left ear of anesthetized mice. This oil is known to induce inflammation. The inflamed ears was then treated with 5 microL of emu oil, or liquefied chicken fat, or fish oil, or olive oil, or flaxseed oil, or left untreated. The results of this study indicate that topical emu oil may possess anti-inflammatory properties when used to treat inflamed mice ears.

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