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Essential Oils: Making Medicine Or Just Smelling Nice
By Michelle Rae
The great tide of Western is turning: we've become so jaded with the obvious inadequacies and waste of our medical institutions, with a deep feeling that "something just ain't right", that Natural is quickly becoming mainstream. It's about time! When did "Conventional" become "Alternative"? Now plant is quickly coming back in favor -- folks are trusting the beauty and grace of planet Earth, and that she has all the we'll ever need. And with that, enter Aroma Medicine. No longer do we need to feel a little odd talking about Aroma "Therapy"; while this has always really been defined as the branch of utilizing the organic volatile molecules produced by plants, the term has been stigmatized in North America to some "New Age" foolishness. But researchers around the globe are telling a different story...
The body of scientific research regarding the healing actions of essential oils has grown vastly over the last 20 years. A search on Pub Med, an on-line database of the US National Library of Medicine, for "essential oil" returns 8808 results as of April 10th, 2009. The very first listing describes the anti-dementia (Alzheimer's) effects of Lemon essential oil! The diversity of actual medical applications of essential oils is truly incredible -- more diverse than just the plants themselves, as many essential oils have multiple applications. The inhalation of lemon has been shown to improve mood, improve mental accuracy and even act as an antimicrobial, perfect for general household cleaning.
Further down the same page is an abstract confirming the beauty of natural medicines: All the natural molecular constituents of Thyme essential oil have an additive antimicrobia effect -- science and industry has a habit of extracting a single component, patenting it, and bringing it to market while forgetting to tell us that natural Thyme oil itself is even more effective. Other jaw-dropping notes about essential oils: Clove oil has the highest Oxidative Radical Absorbance Capacity of any natural substance ever tested -- over 100,000, on a scale where blueberries score about 5,000 and Wolfberries are about 30,000. A large number of studies have confirmed the stress reducing effects of Lavender, going to far to show reduced Cortisol levels AND an increase in the body's natural scavenging of oxidtive radicals -- JUST FROM SMELLING the oil!
At this point you may be saying: that's all well and good, but where's the REAL medicine? You've heard about MRSA -- the "Superbug" bacteria running rampant in the world's hospitals, becoming a real epidemic? MRSA stands for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. Methicillin is an antibiotic that is supposed to kill these bacteria, but they've evolved so that they're no longer affected. Guess what: a combination of Tea Tree and Geranium essential oils plus Grapefruit Seed extract outperforms our greatest laboratory achievements in the modern production of antibiotics. Now, of course, the final test results are being withheld so that the researchers can patent the formula, but you can read through the data yourself -- Google does us a giant favor that way -- and see that this is already available if you're willing to blend a few oils for yourself. (It is VERY important you get the help of a knowledgeable
practitioner; there are many many oils, and many therapeutic protocols. Like any medicine, it is crucial to precisely match the protocol with the condition for the greatest healing efficacy).
Future medical applications even include treatment of Cancer, the most feared disease of all. Natural doctors have been admonished for years by proclaiming that "nature has a cure", yet the body of evidence continues to grow with the many studies showing the anti-tumorial action of oils like Frankincense and Lemongrass. These plants have been used for centuries for healing -- now, the essential oils offer us very concentrated that happens to be very compatible with our physiology. Essential oils easily penetrate our cell membranes, travel safely through our bloodstreams, and can play a dual role of eradicating tumors while enhancing the ability of our immune system to do its job (other studies are showing essential oils actually "tune" the electrical state of our white blood cells such that they do a better job of removing unwanted microbes from our bodies).
Essential oils offer so much more than these treatments, too! So much concentrated wellness is available to the average family taking part in the aromatherapy lifestyle. Tea Tree and Lavender (mix them 50/50 and keep a small bottle available) is perhaps the most potent antibacterial, nicest smelling and gently soothing formula for all the cuts and scrapes of childhood. Helichrysum italicum essential oil has profound healing and pain relieving effects on bumps, bruises, twists, sprains and all muscular sore spots -- and it works fast. Lavender and Helichrysum are excellent for burns; use a couple drops "neat" next time you may (God forbid!) touch a hot stove and you'll be extolling the virtues of essential oils in no time. Kids getting unruly? A belly or back rub with Roman Chamomile or Mandarin (2% in Hazelnut oil) does the trick. Try 1% Vanilla for the toddlers. You can create blends specifically for the needs of your skin to dramatically improve eczema symptoms, reduce wrinkles, make scars slowly fade, eliminate acne and athlete's foot, and just bring a fantastic glow to your face. So many great smelling medicines from so many plants!
So how do you get started? Which are the best oils for you and your family? There are a great many books on the subject, and you can find a general theme to get yourself started: Medical Aromatherapy and Advanced Aromatherapy are titles by Doctor Kurt Schnaubelt, many books by Valerie Worwood help you enrich your life and the lives of your children with essential oils. There's books for blending for skin care, hair care, pet care, home care, emotional healing and more. Further, if you or someone you know is truly ill, seek out a skilled, knowledgeable practitioner that can help you develop an aroma-therapy protocol (which, with all of natural medicine, will work in combination with diet and lifestyle changes to bring about optimum health and wellness). Someone with many years of experience with essential oils will be your best ally in making your world a better place with the brilliant healing powers of essential oils -- at the same time, getting started is fun and easy just by picking a few oils that sound right for you, and introducing them into your life just as you need them.
The author is a regular contributor to natural ezines on essential oils and aromatherapy. She may be contacted through www.anandaapothecary.com/essential-oils.html.
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