Dangers of Terpenes

Sometimes people read something online and then it becomes their mantra.  Let's take a constituent of essential oils for instance.  Terpenes.  Now before we talk specifically about terpenes, let's talk about constituents:  There are hundreds of constituents in the oils but many are grouped in general groupings.  Pure essential oils like Young Living oils can be subdivided into two distinct groups of chemical constituents; the hydrocarbons which are made up almost exclusively of terpenes (monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and diterpenes), and the oxygenated compounds which are mainly esters, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, phenols, and oxides.  

Now the subject of this post is about Terpenes.  Why?  because I saw a question come up recently in a group I follow about the safety of terpenes.  I know they are safe in essential oils but wanted to know where this idea of them being unsafe same from.  If you search on Google, all kinds of posts come to the top of the search about using cannabis with added terpenes.  Many of those websites are saying how bad terpenes are for you.  Ahhh......

There are something wrong with the connection between adding terpenes to your cannabis and using an essential oil with terpenes.  

• When you remove one constituent from its normal source and add it to something else, like cannabis, you are affecting the ability of that constituent to correctly interact with other ingredients.  THAT could indeed be bad for you.

So....are terpenes everywhere bad for you.  NO!  They are a primary building block of plants, foods and many vitamins.  Take rain for instance.  Terpenes are released into the air and make rain.  Beer.....beer has a lot of terpenes.  All sex hormones have terpene.  Add rubber tires to the list and it is impossible to avoid them.

Terpenes in essential oils include Monoterpenes.  These are present in almost all essential oils. According to The Reference Guide to Essential Oils, the action is to inhibit the accumulation of toxins. Monoterpenes also enhance the therapeutic values of other components and are the balancing portion of the oil. They restore the correct information in the DNA of the cell once the sesquiterpenes and and other constituents have done their job. 

What Essential oils that have a High Percentage of Monoterpenes?
Grapefruit, Orange, and Balsam Fir contain high amounts of monoterpenes.

Sesquiterpenes – Delete bad information in cellular memory and are present in almost all essential oils. The chemistry of essential oils tells us that they are the largest group of terpenes known naturally in the plant and animal kingdom!  They are larger than monoterpenes and are very viscous (less volatile) so they are often used as fixatives in the perfume industry. Viscous oils have a longer half-life and blend well with lighter, more volatile oils.

What Essential oils that have a High Percentage of Sesquiterpenes?
Cedarwood, Sandalwood and Myrrh contain high amounts of sesquiterpenes.

Below is a cool graphic that shows the constituents and their abilities.  Enjoy!