American Emu Industry
Heats Up For Long, Cold Winter
DALLAS (Nov. 7, 1998)- A
powerful storm system forecast to bring heavy snows into the Great Plains
early next week is the nation's first sign of winter, and the American emu
industry is gearing up. Emu oil is a natural skin emollient produced by
the emu, a cousin to the ostrich. Dedicated emu producers are taking steps
to bring emu oil to market in time to combat the elements of a cold
winter.
In the last decade, United States health professionals have become more
familiar with this remedy for dry winter skin that has existed for
thousands of years and is now a household staple in Australia.
Each winter, consumers seek solutions to combat skin problems that
accompany drastic seasonal temperature changes. Loss of skin's natural oil
from cold temperatures, extreme winds and dry indoor heat can make skin
parched, cracked and lose its smooth, natural healthy look.
AUSTRALIA'S SECRET COMES TO AMERICA
Indigenous to Australia, the emu was imported to the United States years
ago but has only recently grown in popularity for the healing properties
of its oil. The oil is highly penetrating and non-comedogenic. An
excellent moisturizer, the thick, soothing oil is often used alone in its
pure form or found in moisturizers and cosmetics.
Research conducted at the Occupational Dermatology Laboratory of the
University of Texas Medical School at Houston concluded that emu oil
consists mostly of oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fatty acid. This acid is
the primary reason emu oil is so highly penetrating.
MORE THAN A MOISTURIZER
Medical specialists discovering the benefits of emu oil are also adapting
it into treatment techniques for relieving the symptoms of arthritis,
preventing scars and treating eczema. Emu oil is anti-inflammatory; in
addition to reducing swelling and stiffness in joints, it reduces bruising
and muscle pain. Professional sports trainers and players recognize the
benefits of emu oil and use it for sprains, pulled muscles, and sore
joints. Emu oil has also been proven to thicken the skin of elderly by as
much as 14 percent and is
used widely to treat pressure sores. |