Posts Tagged ‘alternative health’

Scientific proof regarding the effectiveness of natural essential oils against a wide variety of viruses continues to grow. In the 1970’s, German researchers tested extracts of more than 90 species of the Lamiaceae plant family to have anti-viral actions. This discovery prompted great interest in the examination of essential oils in Europe for the treatment of viral infections. In more recent research, the essential oils distilled from these plants have demonstrated potent anti-viral properties. These concentrated forms of the plant medicine are easy-to-use, readily available, and can be highly effective in both supporting the immune system AND eradicating viruses with which they come in contact. In fact, many of the world’s leading aroma-medicine therapists believe the treatment and prevention of infectious illness to be the most important and efficacious use of essential oils. Here’s a look at which oils may be most effective for the professional and home practitioner to utilize for this purpose.

The Data Is In: Immunostimulants and Direct Anti-Viral Action of Essential Oils

For the treatment and prevention of infectious illness, essential oils are used for two purposes: the general strengthening of the immune system and the direct eradication of viruses. A great many peer-reviewed research papers have been produced showing the efficacy of essential oils for both purposes. Using the database of the National Institute of Health (www.pubmed.gov) one can review the data by searching for terms such as ‘essential oil virus’ (currently producing 93 results) or ‘essential oil immune’ (producing 143 results) and the like. Essential oils have been shown to actually increase the power of lymphocytes (the immune system’s troops, so to speak), making them better able to eliminate foreign invaders in the body (viruses, bacteria, and the like). Oils can also increase the speed at which the immune system produces antibodies to eliminate an infection.

Perhaps even more exciting is the direct effect of essential oils in actually killing viruses. To those in the natural medicine field, this is not so astounding — essential oils work as part of a plant’s immune system, and plants need to defend themselves from viruses as well. And the viruses which infect plants are not all that different from the viruses that infect humans — their envelopes and other structures are fairly similar (though with different transmission strategies), such that the mechanisms of killing the viruses will still be useful for human use. The same oils that are effective against SARS and HSV should show some, if not all of the same activity against H1N1 (also known as Swine Flu) and H5N1 (Avian influenza). At the same time, essential oils are relatively non-toxic for humans, allowing for regular use as both preventative and healing agents. In fact, when studying the anti-viral effects of essential oils, researchers found that normal cells seemed to acquire a special resistance to viral penetration, though the mechanism for this effect is not yet known. Using one or more oils topically (they are easily absorbed through the skin) or in a diffuser on a daily basis can support this effect (more on which oils to use in a minute).

Choosing the Right Oils for the Strongest Immunity

For these applications, essential oils can be characterized by the desired effect. Certain oils are considered especially effective as immunostimulants — when looking for any sort of support of the immune system, it is always crucial to take into account the vitality of one’s overall health. Obviously a person in poor health, or even in a very poor emotional state, will be more susceptible to infection than those in tip-top health. Those individuals reporting lower levels of stress will also have the best immune system function. In this regard, Frankincense essential oil, particularly Boswellia carteri species produced by carbon dioxide extraction, is considered one of the most highly effective oils. Other oils to consider to bolster one’s overall vitality (with a stronger immune system as a result) are Bergamot (highly regarded as an anti-depressant), Rosemary (for assisting detoxification, thereby lessening the load on the immune system), and Lavender (an anti-stress agent, as well as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial). These oils can be used via any classic aromatherapy method — topical massage on the feet surprisingly may be the most effective, as the feet are highly receptive both energetically and biochemically to essential oils. Diffusing these oils, again singly or in combination in a nebulizing diffuser (which makes a fine, easily evaporated mist of the oils in the air) is a simple way of protecting your entire household (the directly anti-vial oils can be used in this way as well).

Immuno-modulator and Antiviral Melissa Essential Oil

Melissa, a member of the Lamiaceae family also known as Lemon Balm, has been shown particularly efficacious against the herpes simplex virus. The oil has also been shown to have significant antidepressant effects, and can positively modulate the action of the immune system. While somewhat costly, as the plant itself yields a very small amount of essential oil, its potency is considered exceptionally high. Even small amounts within your formula can provide important protection. Melissa is noted specifically by Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt in ‘Advanced Aromatherapy’ to work in very low dilutions; Dr. Schnaubelt believes the oil’s effects will still be strong when used at one part per hundred in topical recipes.

Potent Australian Essential Oils

Tea Tree, because we’ve all been using for so long, slips our mind when considering oils for more ’serious’ applications. The naturally occurring terpines in Tea Tree are among the most potent anti-viral constituents found in essential oils. Yet not all of us are very fond of Tea Tree’s aroma; what’s important to know that Tea Tree actually has a wonderful ‘nutmeggy’ aroma when it’s fresh – and Tea Tree happens to be one of the essential oils that is better tolerated when it’s fresh (if the smell is unpleasant, it’s likely old or not of good quality). The research backing the antiviral action is probably more comprehensive than any other essential oil. While aromatherapists do not consider Tea Tree the first line of defense for influenza, it could certainly be a helpful component in blends with other appropriate oils for this purpose. Also in the Melaluca family is Rosalina, or ‘Lavender Tea Tree’. This relatively new oil seems to have an exceptional balance of properties, acting as both an anti-stress agent and a potent antimicrobial. Some therapists consider this oil may be the better choice for anti-viral protection.

Essential Oils Specific for Influenza

A great many other oils are recommended by medical aromatherapists for infectious illness which may be transmitted through airborne contact. Bay Laurel (also known as Laurel Leaf or Laurus Nobilis) is mentioned by researchers as particularly effective in eradication of the virus causing SARS, and should certainly be included in any anti-viral formulas. Eucalyptus Radiata (also known as Narrow Leaf Eucalyptus) has been called the ‘Aromatherapist’s Designer Oil’ for its pleasant aroma AND its immune supportive and anti-viral action. Ravensara aromatica (not to be confused with Ravenstara) is used for bronchial infections. Hyssop is another oil thought to have potent anti-viral activity; it naturally contains a very broad array of natural constituents which creates this potency. Finally, the essential oils from Thyme and Oregano herbs are strongly antimicrobial, and are often called for in immune and cold care recipes. These oils are very strong, and should be used with caution – only used in small amounts in diffuser blends of very diluted (to less than 5%) in topical formulas.

Putting It All Together

Making your own formulas for home use, whether in a diffuser or for topical application is exceptionally easy to do. Don’t be wary of mixing your own – once you do it, you’ll find it fun and educating, likely even giving you more personal ownership and understanding of the use of oils. Diffusing the oils in your environment is considered by some practitioners is considered by some therapists to be THE MOST EFFECTIVE way to use their protective effects. For this use, an example formula may be equal parts of Bay Laurel, Eucalyptus Radiata, Tea Tree, Hyssop decumbens, and Ravensara. If you find any of the aromas overwhelming, just reduce the portion of the blend of that oil. So you could just pipette 1 milliliter of each oil into a separate bottle, then use this formula in a nebulizing diffuser. The same formula can be mixed for topical application by blending 1 part of this recipe into 9 parts of a carrier oil (such as gently melted virgin Coconut oil – which is considered to have antiviral properties itself) and used as a daily foot massage. Melissa oil can be included if you wish to enhance the formula. Rubbing this blend into the areas of the body where the lymph nodes are close to the surface is also recommended: the sternum, armpits and neck are receptive areas. If you choose to use the blend in a diffuser, remember that the carrier oil should then NOT be used (it will not evaporate properly!).

These same essential oils can be made into a spray by diluting them in spring water at a 1 to 10 ratio. Simply add the oils to a small spray bottle with the water and shake vigorously. This is an excellent way to treat yourself and your family when traveling! Do, of course keep this blend away from the eyes and out of the reach of children. The formulas should be further diluted if they are to be used with young ones (dilute half again in water or carrier oil); there are a number of fine texts available describing essential oil use with kids — be sure to understand all precautions by consulting these manuals or discussing the use of essential oils with a knowledgeable practitioner.

Conclusion: The Case for Natural Solutions for Anti-Viral Health Support

The essential oils mentioned here are readily available, safe and easy to use. Their efficacy as anti-viral agents has a long history of use in traditional medicine, and should not be considered ineffective if one doesn’t believe in the more ‘new age’ aspects of aromatherapy. Essential oils are simply the carefully distilled, highly concentrated ‘volatile’ components of plants — and it is these same components the plants use to defend themselves from viral infection. They have long been used in Europe for just such purposes; it used to be in France that one would get an essential oil blend prescription from their doctor that was then filled at a special dispensary. The oils are not meant to replace other effectively means of preventing the spread and contraction of viral illnesses, but to complement them — as many therapists believe this may be the best use of essential oils in the medical arena, why not make use of them!

These are only a few suggestions of using essential oils for yourself and your family. See the wonderful selection of essential oils at The Ananda Apothecary for more.

Most practitioners of aroma-therapeutics hold this opinion: THE most effective use of essential oils for health is for the prevention and treatment of infectious illness. Aromatherapy in the USA is still mostly relegated to New Age “hocus pocus”, and some pretty-smelling little bottles of liquid. However, in recent years scientific researchers have compiled HUGE amounts of data regarding the effectiveness of essential oils in combating bacterial and viral infections. The oils protect us from infection in a number of ways, and it’s very simple to use essential oils at home for their protective effects. Lets look at how to use essential oils for this purpose, and which oils to choose for best results.

Why Are Essential Oils Such Effective Antimicrobial Medicines?

For the uninitiated, essential oils are the volatile aromatic compounds distilled from plants. In this way, they just happen to be a particular form of herbal medicine, just any other medicinal plant extract. At the same time, they’re quite unique in terms of their health effects: Firstly, they are easily absorbed by our bodies, getting into the nooks-and-crannies of our physiology — some other forms of herbal medicine are difficult to absorb, and require extensive preparation, which is really already done by the person who has distilled the essential oil. Second, in terms of infectious illness, essential oils can do for us EXACTLY the same thing they do for plants: prevent infection from bacteria, viruses and fungus. An excellent analogy would be extracting particular antioxidants from a plant and ingesting this for capturing oxidative radicals in our bodies — the antioxidant serves precisely the same function for the plant.

Scientific Research: Antimicrobial & Immune-stimulant Actions of Essential Oils

For the treatment and prevention of infectious illness, essential oils are used for two purposes: the general strengthening of the immune system and the direct eradication of viruses. A great many peer-reviewed research papers have been produced showing the efficacy of essential oils for both purposes. Using the database of the National Institute of Health (www.pubmed.gov) one can review the data by searching for terms such as ‘essential oil virus’ (currently producing 93 results) or ‘essential oil immune’ (producing 143 results) and the like. Essential oils have been shown to actually increase the power of lymphocytes and increase the speed at which the immune system produces antibodies to eliminate an infection. And of course many essential oils are highly-regarded antibacterial agents (we all know about Tea Tree and Oregano), and a few of them have been shown to destroy viruses directly (Laurus Nobilis was shown to eradicate the virus causing SARS, and very recently Tea Tree was shown to be effective against the Swine Flu virus).

Cold and Flu Prevention At Home and In The Workplace

So how can you employ essential oils for the health of your family and children? Or for those in clinical settings, how can oils be used to prevent the spread of infection? There are two primary features to the oils that you’ll want to utilize: their direct eradication of microbes in the air, and their ability to support our immune systems to prevent infection within our bodies. There are two methods of using essential oils for these purposes: Diffusion and topical application. Both these methods are also useful if one has already caught a cold or flu, particularly in the early stages.

Essential Oil Diffusion: Disinfecting the Air While Supporting Immune Function

Diffusing essential oils is one of three primary modalities of aromatherapy (the other two being aroma-massage and ingestion). Evaporating the oils in your environment offers several important benefits: the air is disinfected, the scent of the oils is apparent — offering mood lifting effects, and secondary immune-enhancing effects for some people, and the oils are inhaled and absorbed by the body. This is an exceptionally useful means of using the oils for immune support in crowded environments, having the potential effect of reducing the spread of contagions. Perhaps the most important effect is the direct contact of the essential oils with our respiratory system — the sinuses and the lungs — where having cells be more resistant to infection can have the most beneficial result.

Nebulizing Diffusers: The Most Effective Style

One means to do both is using a professional-grade essential oil diffuser. For all these purposes, a high-quality nebulizing diffuser is the best choice, capable of making the highest concentration of essential oil in the air in your environment. Other diffusers will make a nice aroma for sure, but the cold-air (as opposed to ‘ultrasonic’) nebulizer will make a fine mist of pure essential oils, and is easily adjusted to suit the size of your environment. A nebulizer should only be used for a few minutes every hour; essential oils are very potent, and one should never feel overwhelmed by their aromas. By using a diffuser coupled with a timer, you can cycle the diffuser ON for 10 minutes, then OFF for 50 throughout the day and night. This method also conserves the oils to keep costs to a minimum.

Topical Application: Easily Absorbing the Essential Oils

Because essential oils pass readily through human tissue, topical application is also particularly effective. For this purpose, the essential oils are diluted in another oil like Sweet Almond, Jojoba, or Coconut (virgin Coconut oil is fast becoming popular for this particular therapeutic purpose, as it is considered to have antimicrobial actions even by itself — just warm until liquid to mix with essential oils). A 5% dilution of essential oils in the “carrier oil” is common for adults (this is 40 drops total essential oils per fluid ounce of carrier — we’ll look at some recipes in a moment). Use up to a 10% dilution if applying to the feet. For children, use only a 1-3% dilution (the lower dilutions for the younger ones). Do not use essential oils with infants unless you’re guided by a professional. A simple aroma-therapy bath can be had just by adding a tablespoon of your formula to a bath once its already drawn, swirling the oils into the water. A deep soak while the pores and sinuses are open is a time-honored treatment method.

Immune-Stimulation: The Critical Body Areas

Your oil blend can be massaged into regions of the body associated with the immune system: the lymph glands are near the surface in the front of the arm pits, on the sternum, and the sides of the neck. Some folks will massage the blends into their sinus areas and temples as well. Further, the tops and bottoms of the feet are very receptive to the actions of essential oils — by consulting a reflex point chart, you can even pinpoint spots associated with the respiratory and lymph systems. Regular, daily application to either the feet or lymph-node regions can be a highly effective means of gaining the immune-supportive benefits of oils when diffusion is not practical, such as when traveling.

Antimicrobial and Immune-stimulant Recipes

The list of antimicrobial and immune-supportive oils is lengthy; here we’ll narrow it down as much as possible to those that are also highly regarded as specifically antiviral as well. Melissa — also called “lemon balm” may be the most versatile, all-around immune-supportive essential oil. It is well-known to make cells resistant to viral infection, and its aroma is one that has statistically significant antidepressant properties. It is thought to potentate the effects of other oils, and because of its very high potency, can be used in very small percentages in relation to other oils. Tea Tree is the most widely studied of the antibacterial and antiviral oils, and the only essential oil thus far shown to specifically eradicate H1N1 influenza. Bay Laurel — or “laurus nobilis” has been shown to have direct action against against a highly infectious virus causing severe respiratory ailments. Narrow-leaf Eucalyptus has both antiviral and proven immune-modulating actions. There are several other important oils worth mentioning: Lavender (great for children), Hyssop, Thyme, and Rosemary Verbenone.

Mixing any three of these oils will create an effective synergy (it appears that the more chemically-complex essential oils have greater antiviral action, and blending this way replicates this). A specific formula may be made like this: 1 milliliter each of Bay Laurel, Eucalyptus, and Lavender, plus 8 drops of Melissa. This recipe can be used directly in a diffuser, or blended in a carrier oil as above. In one ounce of carrier, this would make a 10% concentration (for foot use), in 2 ounces of carrier for application to the rest of the body and as a bath oil. Continue diluting the recipe as necessary for children depending on their age. Essential oils are highly potent, so don’t be afraid of really diluted them down for use by children (in fact, this should be the rule!).

Essential Oils: A Simple Means to Vibrant Health

During the cold seasons, these simple uses of essential oils can have profound results for your immune system, and the health of your friends, co-workers, clients, family and children. You can be confident of the scientifically-supported benefits of these wonderful herbal medicines. And as oils have so many positive health effects outside of just supporting immune system function, you’ll open the door to a new realm of natural health.

The Wellness author is currently writing a comprehensive wellness book for women. See her blog at www.organicmedicinalherbs.com