General Findings
Traditional medicine has long employed herbal preparations to reduce inflammation of wounds or achy muscles and joints. In fact, our single most popular inflammation-reducing drug came originally from the bark of the white willow tree: aspirin. Today, many home users as well as licenced practitioners make use of essential oils for inflammation reduction, which in turn reduces pain, which actually reduces further inflammation. Massage therapists have long known that certain essential oils can help speed the healing of their clients, and home users have found the same result with arthritic and rheumatic conditions
A quick look at the current research available on pubmed.gov give an extensive list of scientific publications confirming the anti-inflammatory action of essential oils. Several plants have a long history and strong reputation for their anti-inflammatory activity. Ginger, for example, has an interesting dual-action of being both warming to an area, and have potent anti-inflammatory activity at the same time. Ginger oleoresin (an oil and resin compound) has been sucessfully studied for its anti-inflammatory activity. Supercritical carbon dioxide extracts of Ginger root, also with strong anti-inflammatory activity, are easily obtained by licenced practioners and home users to indclude in their joint and muscle ache recipes.
Futher validiating the inflammation reducing power of essential oils, Japanese researchers have released a study in the January 10th Journal of Lipid Research confirming this effect in MANY medicinal essential oils.This confirms the therapeutic selections of several — not just any single — essential oil for reducing inflammation. The range of oils found to have anti-inflammatory activity was very broad, from thyme and clove, to rose, eucalyptus and even bergamot; many of these oils the traditional therapist would not expect to display a significant effect. Also of interest was the notable absence in the research of what are considered some of the strongest anti-inflammation essential oils, namely Lavender, Helichrysum, German Chamomile and Ginger. This of course does not deny in any way the inflammation-reducing action of these oils; instead in bolsters their potential use by noting that even oils NOT considered the formost inflammation reducers can have dramatic effects.
The strongest inflammation-reducing activity was produced by the essential oil of Thyme, a pungent herb long used as a savory flavoring. Thyme essential oil is highly regarded for its immune system boosting and anti-viral / anti-bacterial actions. Interestingly, the study noted that all essential oils tested reduced inflammation in a manner similar to resveratrol, the long-life-enhancing component of red wine. Inflammation itself is oftentimes a symtom of a strained or challenged immune system, as well as a marker of aging. One’s ability to naturally keep inflammation under contol is likely to result in fewer illnesses and a slower aging process. Along these lines, it was the single natural component Carvacrol, also found in high concentrations in Oregano essential oil, that had the strongest anti-inflammatory activity of any of the single isolated compounds from any essential oil used in the study. While carvacrol by itself is actually a dangerous chemical in that it can burn our tissues, it seems to have a multitude of beneficial actions including reducing inflammation, being a strong anti-microbial agent, and boosting immune system function.
Tags: alternative medicine, aromatherapy, essential oils, Health, wellness
Posted in Healthy Living · January 18th, 2010 · Comments (0)
Is your weight loss program missing something? How exhausted are your adrenal glands? Adrenal exhaustion may be the ROOT CAUSE of not only your weight gain, but many other chronic conditions that you may exhibit. The only way to know is to take the test. The Functional Adrenal Stress kit is an easy-to-use saliva test that will measure: Cortisol DHEA Estradiol Estriol Progesterone Testosterone Melatonin Find the SOURCE of your health challenges and FIX them! You DO NOT have a pharmaceutical …
Tags: adrenal fatigue, alternative medicine, aztec rec center sdsu, crossfit workout, fda hydroxycut, fitnessvip, holistic health, how to balance hormones, hydroxycut, lose fat, oprah suzanne somers, p90x before and after, p90x results, premenstrual syndrome, recall, sean croxton, underground wellness, weight loss, weight loss diet
Posted in Stress · January 12th, 2010 · Comments (25)