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Let’s dispel some myths!
For a long time, it’s been preached across the fancy to NEVER allow your male rats to eat citrus fruits or have the juices. Why is that? Well, there’s a terpene in the skin called d-limonene.
This substance is primarily found in the skin of citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, mangoes, and other herbs and spices such as dill, cumin, black pepper, and bergamot. This naturally occurring terpene is commonly used in citrus-scented products, goo gone cleaners, and citrus-flavored products.
Some preliminary studies found that high doses of limonene in a male rat’s diet causes an increased risk for kidney cancers and a male rat-specific kidney toxicity referred to as hyaline droplet nephropathy. Why is this only an issue for male rats? Well, male rats’ livers produce a protein known as alpha 2U-globulin. When administered high doses of limonene, the protein builds up and causes hyaline droplet formations (1).
Seems like a huge no-no, right? Well, maybe not.
It’s been discovered that this binding process is completely reversed after 48 hours, even when limonene is given at high doses (2). So at what point do we need to be aware of when it’s just *too much?* Let’s do some math.
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