My father died of melanoma at 60. I had a scare last year for a rough discoloration on my bald scalp that turned out to be a mole which eventually vanished.
So anyway, out of curiosity I bought a 100 count box of Earl Twinning’s Gray tea a few weeks ago and I’m about half way through it. I’m not in love with the taste of the bergamot oil flavoring and the black tea potion seems kind of weak but it’s still “teaish” so I’m working my way though it. Curious about bergamot I looked it up and it says this -
Should I even be drinking this if I’m bald with a family history of skin cancer?
Applied to skin is the operative phrase here. They’re talking about oils and lotions with bergamot - unless you are rubbing Earl Grey tea all over your bald pate I suspect you have nothing to fear.
“Essential oils” are highly concentrated. While I’m not familiar with the exact constituents of Earl Grey tea, I suspect the concentration of bergamot oil used for flavoring in tea is way way less than in the stuff sold as essential oil.
And as noted, concerns about the oil relate to rubbing it on skin, at least according to livestrong.com (which wouldn’t be my go-to health source anyway) - and not drinking a small amount of it.
I don’t know if I’d hang my hat on the fact that drinking it isn’t the same as applying it to the skin. Epithelial tissue lines the esophagus and large and small intestines.
I’d agree that the concentration of bergamot oil is in Earl Grey tea is way lower than the concentrated stuff in essential oils, and in the piddling quantities you’re drinking shouldn’t be a problem. Plus, that stuff is just nasty if you ask me, so how much can you drink?
As I recall, bergamot oil is only dangerous when combined with sunlight, which is why it’s contraindicated for skin use. Unless you’re shining a UV flashlight down your throat, I’m guessing you’ll be fine.
Well that makes sense. Intuitively I shied away from the notion that something dangerous to have on the skin could be neutralized by the simple expedient of swallowing it. It goes to show you.
No, no concern about skin cancer in the gut even if you swallowed a UV flashlight. Gut epithelia is of a different origin and type than skin epithelia. Melanoma in the gut is exceedingly rare and usually metastatic from elsewhere.
But bergamottin, the substance in the oil from the specific citrus fruit rind that is the photosensitizer being so demonized? That’s what’s in grapefruit that has everyone so concerned that a glass of grapefruit juice will wreak havoc with their medications. (Don’t use grapefruit juice as a sunscreen or a scalp conditioner btw.)
How much bergamottin is in a cup of Earl Grey? How much would you need to drink for there to be reason for concern? I have no idea.
