Many folks use incense to freshen the air inside their homes. But a new study concluded that long-term use may increase your risk of developing respiratory tract cancers!
Incense is made of plant materials mixed with oils. According to a statement from the American Cancer Society, burning it produces possible carcinogensor cancer-causing particles.
Dr. Jeppe Friborg at the Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen, and colleagues in Singapore and the United States, studied the effects of inhaling incense on 61,320 Singapore Chinese between the ages of 45 and 74 from 1993 to 1998. Their research included a comprehensive interview on dietary and lifestyle factors.
The researchers followed the study participants through 2005. They noted which participants developed cancer during that time.
Friborgs team found a total of 325 patients developed cancers in their sinuses, tongue, mouth, larynx and other areas of the respiratory tract. A total of 821 patients developed lung cancer during the
study period.
The researchers determined that incense use increased the risk of upper respiratory tract cancer, but there was no overall effect on
lung cancer.
Given the widespread and sometimes involuntary exposure to smoke of burning incense, these findings carry significant public health implications, the study authors wrote. Besides initiatives to reduce incense smoke exposure, future studies should be undertaken to identify the least harmful types of incense.