Modern medicinal, therapeutic use of essential oils is finally being recognized in the US as a valid tool to compliment a diverse natural health, wellness and fitness program. There is still a significant amount of resistance to this science, mainly from 'quackwatch' type individuals, but it is suspected their true backing is from companies marketing synthetic chemical concoctions to address every conceivable ill. 'Big Pharma' for example, is THE industry with the highest average profit margins on earth, and is dedicated to producing, patenting, marketing selling new, unnatural chemical compounds that are supposed to answer every need of health and wellness. With some formulations they do remarkably well; with others they appear to act with a total disregard for human safety and welfare, concentrating only beating Wall Street analysts' profit estimates for the upcoming quarter, and moving stock prices ever higher. How effective, really, are essential oils in treating stress and disease in humans, and how can you learn more? Let's review the current state of affairs, and see how you might investigate their use in your own natural health and wellness lifestyle.
Aromatherapy is the branch of botanical (plant-based) medicine using a particular class of compounds - no more, no less. It just so happens these compounds smell exceptionally nice - does medicine have to be nasty to work? And do drugs made by high-tech means always result in the best of these medicines? This seems unreasonable, given the fact that a very high percentage of today's modern 'drugs' are extracts of wild plants, though they have been encapsulated and manipulated so that ownership may be granted under patent law. This doesn't mean a natural preparation of the plant can be any less effective! And what, physically, are essential oils? If you boil or send steam through plant matter, collect the steam and allow it to cool, an oil-like liquid will float atop the water. Essential oil. That's it! The chemicals made by the plant that do not dissolve in water. Interestingly enough, this 'lipophillic' nature of essential oils makes them even more compatible and absorbable with our physiology than many other plant compounds. No reason to turn our backs on them as medicines, eh?
The education seems inevitable, however. As more folks get fed up with the costs and red tape of our allopathic medical system, they are paying more attention to reports on the efficacy of natural remedies. The use of essential oils has been shown as, if not more, than any other available medicine in certain instances. For Irritable Bowel Syndrome, a painful and debilitating condition, Peppermint essential oil taken during and after bouts of the disease has profound effects on pain, duration, and recurrence of the illness - more so than the most commonly used modern medical treatment. Patients using Peppermint oil felt better than those using conventional treatments, in part because the natural antibiotic effect leaves much needed intestinal flora in balance. It is this balance that is inherent in knowledgeably practiced natural medicine; a facet which occurs with essential oils and many other so-called alternative therapies.
Another widely published effect of a particular essential oil is that of the powerful anti-viral (and anti-depressant) Melissa oil. Melissa herb has long been used in natural medicine, often for it's stress relieving effects and nervous system support. Now, many university studies in Europe have confirmed it's effect on treating Herpes outbreaks, the result of a viral infection that has, until now, been considered incurable by the modern medical establishment. Outbreaks tend to occur when an individual is under particularly stressful conditions - and although the aroma of Melissa is thought to relieve stress, one of it's chemical components has been shown in the laboratory to eradicate certain virus types. Topical application of Melissa oil to Herpes legions has reduced the pain, duration, and frequency of the outbreaks in a significant number of study participants. Some have even experienced complete remission of the disease! A definite seal of approval for efficacy of essential oils as natural health and wellness medicine.
Then, of course, there is the 'aroma' therapeutic aspect of essential oil use. The hard facts show the olfactory sense of the brain is wired directly to vital control centers of the gray matter - particularly those governing emotions, stress levels and, well we're not sure how this relates to your health, but sexual arousal as well. And with acceptance of the importance of one's mental health relating to their physical well being continuing to grow, Aromatherapy may eventually find it's place in hospitals and doctor's offices alongside stethoscopes, syringes and cotton swabs. Many, many studies have shown the self-evaluated improvements in mood and stress levels when inhaling particular essential oils - and because stress is considered by many health professionals as THE number one cause of disease, it's a short leap to believe the inhalation of spirit-lifting aromas can result in improved states of health.
Aromatherapy in a natural health, wellness and fitness regime is not a cure-all, miracle path to health, however. Like any other medicine or treatment, it has it's place, and should be used when it provides the best combination of safety and efficacy. How do you find out if essential oils can help you, your friends or your loved ones? Educate yourself! There are several wonderful books available on medical and clinical aromatherapy. Some will deal mostly with the psychological aspects, others mainly in treatment of infectious illness, and others touch on every conceivable application. Buy them, get them from your library, borrow them from friends - but educate yourself as much as possible, and find a degreed practitioner if need be. But most of all, give Aromatherapy a chance. The particular class of plant compounds called 'essential oils', which just happen to smell nice, have as much validity as any other field of medicine, and deserves to be appreciated with the same respect. Whether they work for you is up to your own knowledge and dedication to the practice!
Aromatherapy is the branch of botanical (plant-based) medicine using a particular class of compounds - no more, no less. It just so happens these compounds smell exceptionally nice - does medicine have to be nasty to work? And do drugs made by high-tech means always result in the best of these medicines? This seems unreasonable, given the fact that a very high percentage of today's modern 'drugs' are extracts of wild plants, though they have been encapsulated and manipulated so that ownership may be granted under patent law. This doesn't mean a natural preparation of the plant can be any less effective! And what, physically, are essential oils? If you boil or send steam through plant matter, collect the steam and allow it to cool, an oil-like liquid will float atop the water. Essential oil. That's it! The chemicals made by the plant that do not dissolve in water. Interestingly enough, this 'lipophillic' nature of essential oils makes them even more compatible and absorbable with our physiology than many other plant compounds. No reason to turn our backs on them as medicines, eh?
The education seems inevitable, however. As more folks get fed up with the costs and red tape of our allopathic medical system, they are paying more attention to reports on the efficacy of natural remedies. The use of essential oils has been shown as, if not more, than any other available medicine in certain instances. For Irritable Bowel Syndrome, a painful and debilitating condition, Peppermint essential oil taken during and after bouts of the disease has profound effects on pain, duration, and recurrence of the illness - more so than the most commonly used modern medical treatment. Patients using Peppermint oil felt better than those using conventional treatments, in part because the natural antibiotic effect leaves much needed intestinal flora in balance. It is this balance that is inherent in knowledgeably practiced natural medicine; a facet which occurs with essential oils and many other so-called alternative therapies.
Another widely published effect of a particular essential oil is that of the powerful anti-viral (and anti-depressant) Melissa oil. Melissa herb has long been used in natural medicine, often for it's stress relieving effects and nervous system support. Now, many university studies in Europe have confirmed it's effect on treating Herpes outbreaks, the result of a viral infection that has, until now, been considered incurable by the modern medical establishment. Outbreaks tend to occur when an individual is under particularly stressful conditions - and although the aroma of Melissa is thought to relieve stress, one of it's chemical components has been shown in the laboratory to eradicate certain virus types. Topical application of Melissa oil to Herpes legions has reduced the pain, duration, and frequency of the outbreaks in a significant number of study participants. Some have even experienced complete remission of the disease! A definite seal of approval for efficacy of essential oils as natural health and wellness medicine.
Then, of course, there is the 'aroma' therapeutic aspect of essential oil use. The hard facts show the olfactory sense of the brain is wired directly to vital control centers of the gray matter - particularly those governing emotions, stress levels and, well we're not sure how this relates to your health, but sexual arousal as well. And with acceptance of the importance of one's mental health relating to their physical well being continuing to grow, Aromatherapy may eventually find it's place in hospitals and doctor's offices alongside stethoscopes, syringes and cotton swabs. Many, many studies have shown the self-evaluated improvements in mood and stress levels when inhaling particular essential oils - and because stress is considered by many health professionals as THE number one cause of disease, it's a short leap to believe the inhalation of spirit-lifting aromas can result in improved states of health.
Aromatherapy in a natural health, wellness and fitness regime is not a cure-all, miracle path to health, however. Like any other medicine or treatment, it has it's place, and should be used when it provides the best combination of safety and efficacy. How do you find out if essential oils can help you, your friends or your loved ones? Educate yourself! There are several wonderful books available on medical and clinical aromatherapy. Some will deal mostly with the psychological aspects, others mainly in treatment of infectious illness, and others touch on every conceivable application. Buy them, get them from your library, borrow them from friends - but educate yourself as much as possible, and find a degreed practitioner if need be. But most of all, give Aromatherapy a chance. The particular class of plant compounds called 'essential oils', which just happen to smell nice, have as much validity as any other field of medicine, and deserves to be appreciated with the same respect. Whether they work for you is up to your own knowledge and dedication to the practice!
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