8 Amazing Health Benefits of Copaiba Oil & Its Side Effects, Safety Precaution

Copaiba oil that comes from the copaiba trees are the essential oils that have some real impressive health benefits. Read on to know more about the health benefits of copaiba oil.

There are more than 70 species of copaiba tress and many of them are found in Central and South America.⁽¹⁾

Copaiba oil is prepared from the copaiba oil-resin that is extracted from the copaiba tree by punching a hole on its trunk and then inserting a pipe into the hole, thus allowing the oil-resin to flow out.

There are a lot of practitioners of traditional medicines those who have mentioned about the essential health benefits of the Copaiba oil and talked about its uses for centuries. Copaiba oil is used medicinally for various purposes including the health issues like chronic diarrhea, chronic cystitis, bronchitis, and hemorrhoids.

Copaiba resin from the copaiba oil is beneficial because of its exclusive anti-inflammatory benefits that helps in offering you pain relief, promotes wound healing, treats a lot of infections like strep throat and bladder infections, treats leishmaniasis or an infection caused due to parasite, and so on. Copaiba oil is also known as an aphrodisiac and it also finds its use in several cosmetic products, including shampoo, lotions and soaps.

We already talked above that copaiba oil has wonderful anti-inflammatory benefits. Inflammation is linked with a lot of diseases and ill health conditions. Research on the anti-inflammatory properties of copaiba oil could have some sort of healthy effect on the development of future treatments.

A study of 2014 assessed the copaiba oil resin’s effects in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis.⁽¹⁾ It was found that the treatment using copaiba oil lowered the production of some molecules associated with the inflammation and it also lowered the amount of oxygen radicals that resulted in cell damage.

One more study conducted in the year 2017 among rats looked at the effects of the resin from copaiba oil in treating tongue injury.⁽²⁾ The tongue tissue of rates that were treated with the copaiba oil-resin, showed a reduced presence of immune cells that were associated with the inflammation.

Another study from the year 2018 has evaluated the effect of copaiba-oil resin in one rat model of colitis.⁽³⁾ It was found from the study that although copaiba oil resin showed a reduction in the inflammation and oxygen radicals, it did not actually prevent colon damage.

Copaiba oil is also known for its antimicrobial properties. A study conducted in the year 2016 has evaluated the antimicrobial activity of resin from copaiba oil against a standard strain of bacteria, i.e. the Staphylococcus aureus; which causes infections of the wound and skin.⁽⁴⁾ Researchers here found that bacterial growth was inhibited even by low concentrations of the copaiba oil-resin.

There was one more study that assessed the activity of the resin gel from copaiba oil on Streptococcus bacteria species found on teeth.⁽⁵⁾ It was found from the study that the gel of copaiba oil-resin had antimicrobial activity all bacteria species that were tested. However, in order to prove the efficacy and know the nature of this activity, more research is required.

Copaiba oil has even been proved to be essential for dental and oral health. An in-vitro study that was published in the year 2015 finds that the root canal sealer from the resin from copaiba oil is not cytotoxic or toxic to the living cells. The authors of this study believe that this is likely related to the inherent properties of copaiba oil, including reparative nature, compatibility, and anti-inflammatory properties. Overall, the resin from copaiba oil works as an excellent material for dental use.⁽⁶⁾

One more study that was published in the Brazilian Dental Journal talks about the ability of copaiba oil to stop bacteria from reproducing, especially the bacteria called, Streptococcus mutans. Now, why is this so important? Well, this type of bacteria is known to result in cavities and tooth decay.⁽⁷⁾ So, by inhibiting the reproduction of the bacteria Streptococcus mutans, copaiba oil might be beneficial in preventing cavities and tooth decay.

So, in order to protect your teeth and have a better dental and oral health all you need is to add a drop of the copaiba oil while you are oil pulling.

One of the best health benefits of copaiba oil is that it can possibly prevent liver damage. A research study that was published in the year 2013, demonstrates how this oil might be able to reduce damage caused to the liver tissue that occurs due to commonly used painkillers, such as acetaminophen. The researchers from this study administered copaiba essential oil to animal subjects, either before or after giving them acetaminophen for continuous 7 days and the result were really interesting.

The researchers found that copaiba oil actually reduced the chances of liver damage when it was used in a preventive way, i.e. before the administration of the painkiller. However, when it was used after the administration of the painkiller, it actually had an undesirable effect and had increased levels of bilirubin in the liver.⁽⁸⁾

Copaiba oil also works as a good pain reliever. A study conducted in the year 2018 compared the effect of massage with Deep blue essential oil and copaiba essential oil in individuals suffering from arthritis.⁽⁹⁾ It was found that when compared to a massage with coconut oil; the blend of copaiba oil and Deep blue essential oil resulted in a much reduction of pain scores, an increased level of finger strength, and an improved finger dexterity.

Copaiba oil is a neuroprotective agent. One study from the year 2012 that was published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, examined on how the copaiba oil resin might have anti-inflammatory as well as neuroprotective benefits following any acute neural disorders when there occurs an intense inflammation reaction including the brain/spinal cord trauma and stroke.⁽¹⁰⁾

Leishmaniasis is a health condition that is caused due to parasites of the genus Leishmania. It gets spread through the bite of a sand fly. Skin lesions and ulcers are formed through the cutaneous form of leishmaniasis.

A study from 2011 that investigated the effects of copaiba oil-resin in case of mice suffering from cutaneous leishmaniasis, it was found that oral as well as the combination of oral and topical treatment has resulted in a significantly smaller size of skin lesion.⁽¹¹⁾ Further investigation on it has found that the resin from copaiba oil might actually affect the cellular membranes of the parasite Leishmania.

There are not many studies to prove this health benefit of copaiba oil, however it is used commonly in diffusers because of its calming effects. It can help you ease tension, stress and worries because of its sweet and woody scent.

Copaiba oil can be used topically, especially for treating pain, wounds, and inflammation. You must always dilute copaiba oil with any carrier oil, such as almond oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, grape-seed oil, or avocado oil while using topically.

You can use this oil topically in several ways, including in a massage oil, as a compress, or in a lotion or a cream. Make sure you are not ingesting the oil as it might cause various side effects when ingested internally.

There are some side effects of using copaiba oil and thus you need to maintain some safety precautions while using it for treating any of the medical conditions. One of the side effects of this oil include skin sensitivity, especially when it is used topically. It can also cause itching and redness of the skin when used topically. So, you must always dilute the oil along with carrier oil like almond oil or coconut oil.

Moreover, to remain safe you need to first perform a patch test on a small portion of your body before actually using it on the larger affected area. You must also make sure that you are avoiding any contact with your eyes and other mucous membranes while using copaiba oil. Apart from this, you must also keep the copaiba oil away from children and pets.

One might also experience side effects from copaiba oil when you use the oil internally, especially when used in excess. It might cause some side effects including diarrhea, stomach aches, vomiting, tremor, skin rash, groin pain, and also sleeplessness.⁽¹²⁾

In case you experience any of these side effects from copaiba oil you should talk to your doctor immediately. In addition, if you are pregnant, or breastfeeding your baby or in case you have some underlying health condition, you should consult with your doctor before using the oil.

It is true that copaiba oil has got numerous health benefits and is being used in traditional medicine for various purposes. However, you need to note that if you are using this oil for treating any of the condition you first need to dilute it and also remember not to ingest the oil.

NOTE: It is always better to talk to a medical professional before using the copaiba oil for treating any of the health condition.

References: