Essential Oils and Brain Injury – What You are Not Being Told

Did you know that the sense of smell is the only sense that is linked directly to the limbic area of your brain?  So when essential oils are inhaled, the brain is where they go to. Tiny nerves will send a signal to the brain immediately when they are inhaled.  The nasal cavities have direct access to the brain, so this is the most direct method to use these oils. Essential oils have many properties, including calming, sedative, balancing, and stimulating. When we smell them, they enter the limbic system, which is responsible for controlling physical, emotional, and psychological responses. This is what makes them essential to treating many different health ailments. Smelling essential oils will send a signal that is immediate to the brain, which will signal to the system of your body to help moderate it. Studies on essential oils have been done at Berlin and Vienna universities. They have found that sesquiterpenes, a compound naturally found in the essential oils of Cedarwood, Patchouli, Frankincense, Sandalwood, and Vetiver, can help deliver 28% more oxygen to the brain. This may create effects that are quite dramatic on the learning, attitude, and physical processes of the body, such as energy levels, hormonal balance, and immune function. High levels of this natural compound are also found in Myrrh, Melissa, and clove oils. Now don't get us wrong.  Essential oils can help the body. They can help many forms of illness and are very therapeutic. However, essential oils are being evaluated for brain treatment injuries as they affect the body's physical and psychological functions.  Injuries to the brain could be a simple concussion to severe head trauma. Brain injuries are typically slow to heal but the essential oil Frankincense can help to speed up this.  It has a molecular makeup that is able to cross the blood and the barriers.  It will help to bring more oxygen to the brain, which will be absorbed effectively.  This essential oil will deepen the breathing and also slow it down. Frankincense oil is not only an antiseptic but also an astringent. It is also a good diuretic, wonderful for the digestive tract, a great tonic, and awesome for expectorants.  Other properties of this include being carminative, cicatrisant,  cytophylactic, emmenagogue, and vulvenary. This essential oil, as well as others, can provide healing and balance at the cellular level. Essential oils can be diffused or inhaled right from the bottle. Doing either can offer a new therapy that can be used with other therapies to help cure illness.  While essential oils are still being explored, it is exciting to know that they are therapeutic and are offering a new take on medicine.

Benefits of Diffused or Inhaled Essential Oils

• Help with weight management;
• Relieves headaches;
• Relax the entire body, and mind and also help relieve tension;
• Improve the digestive tract;
• Stimulate neurotransmitters;
• Stimulate growth hormone production and receptivity;
• Improve concentration and mental clarity;
• Improve alertness of the mind;
• Improve hormonal balance;
• Reduce bacteria, fungus, mold, and odors.

It does matter what kind of essential oil you purchase.  The therapeutic grade does matter.  The purity of said oil and the therapeutic value will depend on many varying factors.  These include what sort of soil the plant was grown in, as well as what the condition of the soil is.  Other factors include if the fertilizer used was organic or a chemical, the climate that the plant was grown in as well as the distillation process used. When purchasing an essential oil, look for those that are labeled as 100% therapeutic grade essential oil.  While certain oils may be labeled as 100% organic essential oil, they may not be pure.  Those that are labeled as therapeutic are tested in a lab and also certified to be free from any impurities. It is complete in chemical compounds, as well as having a rich aroma.  It can restore normal function in the body and will restore balance as well.  If any of these are compromised, the oil can not be called a therapeutic-grade oil. Sources and References:

• NCBI | AltHealth Works
• Ballard, C.G., O Brien, J.T., Reichelt, K., Perry, E.K. (2002). Aromatherapy as a safe and effective treatment for the management of agitation in severe dementia: the results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with Melissa. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 63, 553- 8.
• Hirsch, AR, Inhalation of Odorants for Weight Reduction, Int J Obes, 1994, page 306LeDoux, JE, Rationalizing Thoughtless Emotions, Insight, Sept. 1989.