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Review
. 2021 Oct 22:14:5451-5472.
doi: 10.2147/JIR.S332771. eCollection 2021.

The Adverse Impact of Incense Smoke on Human Health: From Mechanisms to Implications

Chiang-Wen Lee #  1   2   3   4 , Thi Thuy Tien Vo #  5 , Yinshen Wee  6 , Yao-Chang Chiang  1   2 , Miao-Ching Chi  7   8   9 , Min-Li Chen  10   11 , Lee-Fen Hsu  9   12 , Mei-Ling Fang  13   14 , Kuan-Han Lee  15 , Su-Er Guo  11 , Hsin-Chung Cheng  5   16 , I-Ta Lee  5
Affiliations
Review

The Adverse Impact of Incense Smoke on Human Health: From Mechanisms to Implications

Chiang-Wen Lee et al. J Inflamm Res. .

Abstract

Incense burning is a very popular activity in daily life among many parts all over the world. A growing body of both epidemiological and experimental evidences has reported the negative effects of incense use on human well-being, posing a potential threat at public significance. This work is a comprehensive review that covers the latest findings regarding the adverse impact of incense smoke on our health, providing a panoramic visualization ranging from mechanisms to implications. The toxicities of incense smoke come directly from its harmful constituents and deposition capacity in the body. Besides, reactive oxygen species-driven oxidative stress and associated inflammation seem to be plausible underlying mechanisms, eliciting various unfavorable responses. Although our current knowledge remains many gaps, this issue still has some important implications.

Keywords: cancer; incense burning; inflammation; oxidative stress; toxicants.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest in this work.

Figures

None
Graphical abstract
Figure 1
Figure 1
Possible adverse effects of incense smoke on human health. Individuals who expose to incense burning may inhale a complex mixture of deleterious chemicals, resulting in a wide variety of conditions ranging from irritation to cancer. The potential impact of incense burning has been observed in many vital organs.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Possible oxidative stress mechanism underpinning the health effects of incense burning. Following the introduction into the body, constituents of incense smoke can enhance ROS generation through some ways, leading to oxidative stress and associated consequences. Carcinogenesis may occur as a result from oxidative DNA damage and improper DNA repair. Besides, oxidative stress and inflammation may be interconnected, contributing to the pathogenesis of cardiopulmonary conditions.
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