What Medical Science Tells Us About Essential Oils

The many and varied therapeutic properties of aromatherapy oils

Adapted from an article in Grade-A-Notes.
Used by permission.

Since its re-emergence from medical science's junk-bin in the years following World War II, a great deal of research has been done on the chemistry of essential oils, and the therapeutic properties of the identified constituents. The following is a small sampling of what doctors and researchers have to say.

From Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art , by K. Keville and Green

Here, Keville and Green note the many therapeutic properties of essential oils, and point out that, unlike drugs, the oils do their work without harming the body or friendly bacteria, and that bacteria do not typically develop resistance to the oils.

Essential oils include muscle relaxants, digestive tonics, circulatory stimulants and hormone precursors. Many repair injured cells; others carry away metabolic waste.

In addition, a number of essential oils enhance immunity, working with the body to heal itself. They're capable of stimulating the production of phagocytes (white blood cells that attack invaders). And some are antitoxic. Many essential oils have been proven effective against fungi and yeast, parasites and viruses. Others fight infection with amazing effectiveness, killing bacteria by disrupting their life cycle.

And, unlike conventional antibiotic drugs, essential oils are "probiotic": they kill pathogenic bacteria, but tend to leave beneficial bacteria intact. Finally, bacteria typically do not acquire resistance to essential oils, as they so often do to antibiotic drugs

(Keville and Green, 1995, Crossing Press, Freedom, CA).

From Freedom Through Health, by Dr. Terry S. Friedmann

Here, Dr. Friedmann discusses some of the many things that essential oils will do, from supplying energy to the cells to normalizing blood viscosity, from relieving pain and mental fatigue to improving digestion and nerve function. The therapeutic actions of the oils are almost too numerous to list.

What do the oils do? First of all they are transporters; they transport products to the cells of our body. Secondly, they contain ATP, which serves as the power source of the cells — the fuel. Essential oils normalize the viscosity of the blood and facilitate the delivery of vital nutrients. Some oils are anti-spasmodic and help relieve migraine headaches and mental fatigue. Others reduce the pain and swelling of arthritis, release liver toxins, clean the gall bladder, clear up acne and stimulate the secretion of gastric juices, while even others work to improve nerve impulses and synaptic connections, and heal burns, cuts and infected wounds. Some oils reverse insomnia and anxiety, lower cholesterol, relieve PMS symptoms, stimulate the immune functions and destroy [microbes] among many other important functions.

(Friedmann, 1993, Harvest, Scottsdale, AZ )

Other therapeutic properties of essential oils

Oxygenate the cells and boost immunity

One of the principal characteristics of essential oils is that they contain powerful oxygenating molecules. This is why the essential oils, when applied to the skin or when inhaled, have the ability to dramatically increase cellular oxygenation. This, in turn, begins almost immediately to boost the human immune system.

Penetration to every cell in the body within 20 minutes

Incredible as it may seem, recent research shows that an essential oil, placed anywhere on the body, will reach and penetrate every single cell of the body with in 20 minutes (Young, 1995, Aromatherapy: The Essential Beginning , Essential Press, Salt Lake City, UT). They will even almost instantly penetrate fingernails or toenails, to reach fungus underneath. [Editor's note: there is no need to poison yourself with Lamosil.] This stands in marked contrast to dried herbs, where it takes an average of 13 to 23 hours after ingestion for their therapeutic constituents to reach the cells of the human body.

Highly concentrated, with virtually all of an herb's healing nutrients

What's more, essential oils are extremely concentrated, particularly when they have been derived through distillation — which is the best method of extraction for high quality oils. When properly extracted, the oils contain virtually all of the plant's healing nutrients, oxygenating molecules, amino acid precursors, coenzyme A factors, trace minerals, enzymes, vitamins and more. And, because essential oils are so highly concentrated, they can be many, many times more potent than the herbs or plants from which they are derived.

The Practice of Aromatherapy: A Classic Compendium of Plant Medicines and Their Healing Properties, by J. Valnet, M.D.

Dr. Valnet asserts that thyme oil destroys the anthrax bacillus, the typhoid bacillus, the glanders bacillus, staphylococcus, the diphtheria bacillus and meningococcus. He further states, "The essence of lemon is second to none in its antiseptic and anti-bacterial properties" (1980, Healing Arts, Rochester, VT).

"Aromatherapy offers intriguing possibilities", by Dr. Andrew Weil

Andrew Weil, M.D., noted advocate of natural therapies writes: "Certain aldehydes in lemon balm, for instance, have been shown to reduce inflammation, while certain ketones in rosemary and eucalyptus appear to reduce mucus production. Essential oils appear to affect the emotions as well: In one recent study, done in a British nursing home, vaporized lavender oil was found to work as well as pharmaceutical sedatives in helping residents relax into sleep" (from Dr. Andrew Weil's Self Healing, Oct. 1996, Watertown, MA).

The beginnings of scientific study into the therapeutic properties of essential oils

Until recently, the bulk of research on the therapeutic properties of essential oils has been carried out in Europe and the Middle East; most notably France, Egypt and Israel. Each country has a rich, centuries-old history of using various essential oils for therapeutic purposes. It has been these scientific studies into the extraordinary anti-microbial power of essential oils that finally jolted a small number of visionary researchers within the American medical and scientific community to sit up and take note. Especially in light of today's threats from deadly, antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, this research is of particular importance.

Research conducted in France

In his book, The Practice of Aromatherapy, Dr. Valnet reported on tests conducted by Professor Griffin, director of the French Police Toxicology Laboratory. In these studies, the antiseptic effect of a blend of essential oils — including pine, thyme, peppermint, lavender, rosemary, cloves and cinnamon — was studied in order to test the ability of the oils to purify the air of harmful, disease-causing bacteria.

First, Professor Griffin set up a number of Petri dishes in an open room, approximately 15 centimeters from ground level. These were allowed to stand for 24 hours. Germs from the air were collected, as they naturally settled into the open to dishes. After 24 hours, he analyzed the dishes and found 210 colonies of various microbes in them, including numerous molds and staphylococci.

Using an aerosol spray, he then diffused the mixture of essential oils into the air. After only 15 minutes, only 14 of the original 210 colonies of micro-organisms were left alive. After 30 minutes, only four colonies of the regional 210 were left. Importantly, all the potentially harmful, disease-causing molds and staphylococci had been killed within the first 30 minutes (Valnet, 1980).

In another French experiment, measurements were taken of the number of pathogenic micro-organisms in various locations.

In a forest, there were found to be five pathogenic micro-organisms in the air for every cubic meter. In an average apartment, they found twenty thousand microbes per cubic meter of air. In public stores, nine million microbes per cubic meter of air were recorded. On the top of a worktable, there were five million microbes per square meter. On a carpet, 9 million. And in the air of a large hospital, they found an average of ten thousand microbes per cubic meter.

According to Dr. Valnet, when an inquisitive doctor put some of the microbe laden air from the hospital into a flask containing just a few drops of essential oils, 40% of the microbes were destroyed within 20 minutes; 80% in an hour and 100% in nine hours.

Dr. Valnet concluded, "Clearly, the administering of essential oils by fine aerosol spray should be common practice in sick rooms, operating rooms and clinics."

From, "The role of the self in healthy cancer survivorship: a view from the front lines of treating cancer", by Keith I. Block, M.D.

In an extensive article in Advances, Jrn. of Mind-Body Health, Keith Block, M.D., a well known physician in the cancer field, surveyed the alternative therapies for cancer that seem to be effective. He writes, "Consider the chemopreventive activity of limonene, a monocyclic monoterpene found in the essential oils of citrus fruits, spices, and herbs. As recently reviewed by Crowell and Gould (1994), limonene induces both phase I and phase II enzymes, resulting in hepatic (liver-related) detoxification of carcinogens and increased carcinogen excretion. Limonene may also block tumor promotion and progression (Haag et al. 1992a), [and] the complete regression of mammary carcinomas by limonene and its metabolites appears to involve tissue re-differentiation and induction of programmed cell death (apoptosis), an integral part of normal biologic processes (Haag, et al. 1992b)" (Advances, Winter 1997, Vol.13, No.1; a publication of the Fetzer Institute).

Essential oils and drug-resistant micro-organisms

Dr. Valnet states that, unlike their response to modern-day, synthetic drugs, pathogenic microorganisms do not become resistant to essential oils. He says, "The body cannot become 'habituated', in the pejorative sense of the word (i.e., no longer able to derive any benefit), to the oils anymore than it can become habituated to pure mountain air or personal hygiene. The results remain the same; they do not lessen over any length of time."

And, unlike many of today's most popular antiseptic chemicals, essential oils do not harm human tissue. As Dr. Valnet writes, "Essential oils are especially valuable as antiseptics because their aggression towards microbial germs is matched by their total harmlessness to tissue. One of the chief defects of chemical antiseptics is that they are likely to be as harmful to the cells of the organism as to the cause of the disease."

Some of the many effective therapeutic uses of essential oils

The effective therapeutic uses of essential oils are so varied and so great, the list of healing benefits literally boggles the mind. For example:

Dr. Valnet asserts that, unlike antibiotics, many of the essential oils have strong anti-viral properties and can provide remarkable protection against viral infections, ranging from shingles to influenza.
Wounds of all types also appear to heal more quickly when treated with essential oils. According to Dr. Valnet, "When essential oils are used on both large and small wounds, healing takes place quickly without dangerous toxicity or the formation of scars."
Skin disease also appears to benefit greatly from the use of essential oils. Dr. Valnet states, "The various dermatoses, acne and blotches are curable by both local and general treatment with essential oils. Local application of the oils also acts upon the subjacent organ such as the liver, intestine or circulatory system, whose deficiency has given rise to the cutaneous problem."

Furthermore, according to Dr. Valnet, many essential oils have proven to be anti-neuralgic, anti-rheumatic, and beneficial to the entire body and its organs. "Recent research has proved that the essential oils pass directly through the layers of the skin to be rapidly circulated in the blood, and then eliminated via the lungs and kidneys in particular. The organs benefit from the disinfectant, antispasmodic or stimulant properties of the oils in the process. Using the essential oil of juniper in bath water, for example, is recommended for people suffering from rheumatism or arthritis."

Dr. Valnet further states that various essential oils can be used to treat conditions ranging from high blood pressure to fatigue. For example, "The oils of lavender and marjoram lower arterial pressure. On the other hand, the essences of hyssop, rosemary, sage and thyme raise arterial pressure by liberating adrenaline as a result of direct action on the area of the cortex of the adrenal gland."

Dr. Andrew Weil has confirmed the French medical orientation to aromatherapy, or the therapeutic use of essential oils. He states, "Research worldwide is now validating the French acceptance of aromatherapy as a medical modality." As examples he cites a German double-blind, controlled study that found peppermint oil effective at reducing headaches; two controlled British studies showing peppermint oil more effective than placebo for irritable bowel syndrome; and ongoing studies in the United Kingdom researching the possible promise of limonene, in lemon oil, in the treatment of advanced cancer (Weil, 1996).

It's easy to see that the therapeutic properties of essential oils are far too numerous to fully describe in this report. This is because the essential oils of plants, altogether, involve literally thousands of chemical compounds and sub-compounds, each of which has their own therapeutic actions on the human body.