Should We Make Room for Essential Oils in Modern Medicine?
Essential oils are commonly used in holistic methods of medical treatment. For thousands of years, people have used essential oils to successfully treat disease and illness. Surprisingly, more than 70,000 research studies on essential oils and their chemical constituents have been published over the past 30 years. Yet essential oils continue to elude Western Medicine as a treatment option for common ailments. Medical doctors are not formally educated on this topic, and, as such, will not (and should not) recommend something they do not know about.
Like any product available for purchase, not all essential oils are alike. The quality of some is far better than others, and with essential oils, quality matters. It matters a lot. As a patient or parent, you must do your research to ensure that you are using high-quality oils in the appropriate amount and in the correct way to treat yourself or your child.
Essential oils fall under the cosmetic standard of regulation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As such, bottles sold as “100% Pure Therapeutic Grade Essential Oil” only need to contain 5 to 10 percent actual essential oil according to current FDA standards.
So the question is, if it’s not essential oil, what else is filling up that bottle? Carrier oils, water, alcohol, solvents, synthetic fragrance . . . for starters. Anything to dilute the oil and decrease cost. This is called “adulteration,” and it is critical to find a company that does not adulterate their oils. You will learn much more throughout this blog series on what to look for in high-quality essential oils, but I will not be promoting any particular brand of oils.
I want to bring home another important issue regarding the use of essential oils. It is important to understand that what you read on the internet may not be accurate at all. Much of the information about essential oils and how to use them is written by avid users, salespeople, or someone within a health care profession. It is important to filter through the good and bad information. There are many problems with overgeneralization and extrapolation of scientific data into cure-all sentences. This means you have to do your research and check references. Are they legitimate? Or are they referencing another blog? Does the study referenced apply to humans or was it done on rats or on cells in a petri dish? Is the writer talking about the antibacterial effects of an oil but uses a reference on anti-parasitic effects? Who IS the writer are what are his/her credentials?
These are the details that aren’t teased out in flashy articles about essential oils designed to make you believe that they are a cure all. I can’t tell you how many times I found myself smacking my hand on my forehead in disbelief at a reference that was not at all applicable to what the writer was claiming! I am here to provide the real evidence, read and interpreted by a medical doctor who understands medical literature.
You have probably heard many times that essential oils, or at least some, are not safe. Safety with essential oils, like any other substance, is important--especially when it comes to children. Here, my friends, is where I am happy to tell you that, yes, when stored and used correctly, essential oils can be safe for you and your young child. But remember, just like modern medications, any chemical substance when used incorrectly can cause harm to you or your child as well! Through exhaustive research, I can present you with clinically sound evidence of how you can use essential oils safely at home for common childhood and adult ailments.
So let’s get started by answering the question: What is aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy uses natural plant extracts, largely aromatic essential oils, to enhance or support physical and emotional health. It was defined by Rene-Maurice Gattefossé, a French chemist and perfumer, as a distinct discipline in the 20th century. (1)
Aromatherapy has a broad range of applications. It is used for comfort and emotional support, as well as to help provide relief for many physical ailments. Aromatherapy is gaining credibility through ongoing scientific research. Thankfully, research in this area continues to grow as the public and medical industry shows a growing interest in this field. However, natural variability in the composition of essential oils and difficulties in controlling for the psychological effects of fragrance make it challenging to research at the level of standards that Western Medicine requires. But, there is no question that essential oils have both physiological and psychological effects on the body and the mind, 2 and ongoing research is exciting.
Next week, I will review what essential oils are and how they can be used.
meet Laura. woman. mother. physician. yogini. teacher. writer. lover of all things life.
Check out my E-book, The Evidence Based Guide to Essential Oils: What Parents Need to Know to Manage Common Childhood Ailments and learn more!
***Join me next week and in the weeks to come to learn more about alternative and integrative therapies for children and adults alike!
In general, medical doctors don’t know much about essential oils with regards to the actual existing research and evidence, and, in my honest experience, neither do most essential oils sales users! I’m going to be providing some well researched insights and hope you will join or continue with me on this journey to learn more about when, how, and IF to use essential oils!
Want all the details now? Check out my E-book, The Evidence Based Guide to Essential Oils: What Parents Need to Know to Safely Manage Common Childhood Ailments. You can purchase it online now for 25% the retail price with the Promo Code FF919 at checkout!
References
1 Gattefossé, RM. Aromathérapie. Reprinted by Ebury Publishing. 1937; 2004 [No Link]
2 Navarra M, Mannucci C, Delbò M, and Calapai G. Citrus bergamia essential oil: from basic research to clinical application. Front Pharmacol. 2015; 6: 36. [NCBI Link]