Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Of the 220 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), those who supplemented with 600 mg of cineole per day significantly improved their breathing difficulties (exacerbations) by an average of 42.8% compared to control.

lung healthChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is defined as “a slowly progressive disease of the airways that is characterized by a gradual loss of lung function”. It is the fifth-leading cause of death worldwide (1) and the number 3 cause of death in the United States, causing 149,205 U.S. deaths in 2009 (2).

Prescription medications called bronchodilators have consistently shown to benefit lung health in those with COPD (3, 4, 5). Natural approaches have also been shown to be effective adjunct therapies, including soy (6), fiber (7), and rhodiola (8). Now a new study (9) suggests that cineole, the main component of eucalyptus oil, may also be an effective adjunct for COPD patients.

The study involved 220 patients (141 men, 79 women) between the ages of 52 and 72 with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. They received either 600 milligrams of cineole (200 mg 3 times daily) or a placebo in addition to their prescribed medications for 6 months. In addition to self-reporting COPD exacerbations during the study, lung function was measured before and after the study. The researchers defined an exacerbation as having difficulty breathing for more than 3 days and subjects were instructed to rate the severity of the exacerbation on a 1 to 3 scale, as follows:

  • 1 (“mild”) = Increased need for basic medication of COPD which patients can manage in their own normal environment
  • 2 (“moderate”) = Increased need for medication and patient feels the need to seek additional medical assistance
  • 3 (“severe”) = Patient recognizes obvious and/or rapid deterioration in conditions requiring hospitalization.

After 6 months, the self-reported results were as follows:

600 mg Cineole/DayPlacebop-value
Exacerbations0.4 (55.6% lower than placebo)0.90.006
Duration of exacerbations4 (29.9% lower than placebo)5.70.02
Exacerbation severity0.8 (42.9% lower than placebo)1.40.02

No statistically significant changes were seen between the two groups regarding lung function (p = 0.0627), which the researchers stated “seems to be due to patients [in both the supplement and placebo groups] receiving better medical attention when involved in clinical trials.”

In addition to stating “our study provide good evidence that cineole will show benefits as additional therapeutic regimen for patients with COPD”, the researchers stated a socioeconomic benefit of cineole for those with COPD, stating “As COPD is an extremely costly disease and a cause of major financial and social burden, concomitant therapy with cineole can be recommended, especially due to the lack of relevant side effects and relatively low cost.”

Source:  Worth et al. Concomitant therapy with Cineole (Eucalyptole) reduces exacerbations in COPD: A placebo-controlled double-blind trial. Respiratory Research 2009, 10:69 doi: 10.1186/1465-9921-10-69

© 2009 Worth et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. Open Access article under the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)

Click here to read the full text study.

Posted September 8, 2016.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.

References:

  1. Pauwels RA, Rabe KF. Burden and clinical features of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Lancet 2004; 364:613-620
  2. “Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Includes: Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema” posted on the CDC website
  3. Burge PS, Calverley PMA, Jones PW, Spencer S, Anderson JA, Maslen TK: Randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled study of fluticasone propionate in patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: the ISOLDE trial. BMJ 2000, 320:1297-130
  4. Calverley PMA, Anderson JA, Celli B, Ferguson GT, Jenkins C, Jones PW, Yates JC, Vestbo J, for the TORCH investigators: Salmeterol and fluticasone propionate and survival in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. N Engl J Med 2007, 356:775-789
  5. Calverley PMA, Boonawat W, Cseke Z, Zhong N, Peterson S, Olsson H: Maintenance therapy with budenoside and formoterol in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Eur Respir J 2003, 22:912-919
  6. Hirayama F.  Soy consumption and risk of COPD and respiratory symptoms: a case-control study in Japan.  Res Res 2009; 10:56-63
  7. Varraso R. Prospective Study of Dietary Fiber and Risk of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among US Women and Men. Am Jou Epidemiol 2010; doi:10.1093/aje/kwp455
  8. Chuang ML. Adjunctive Treatment with Rhodiola Crenulata in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease–A Randomized Placebo Controlled Double Blind Clinical Trial. PLoS One 2015 Jun 22;10(6):e0128142. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128142. eCollection 2015
  9. Worth H. Concomitant therapy with Cineole (Eucalyptole) reduces exacerbations in COPD: a placebo-controlled double-blind trial. Respir Res 2009 Jul 22;10:69. doi: 10.1186/1465-9921-10-69