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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe New Antibiotics Might Be Essential Oils
The New Antibiotics Might Be Essential Oils
Faced with increasingly drug-resistant bacteria, scientists and farmers are now looking to plant extracts to keep people and animals healthy.
TORI RODRIGUEZJAN 16 2015, 7:35 AM ET
Essential oils often evoke thoughts of scented candles and day spas, but their benefits beyond relaxation are less well-known. Essential oils are ultimately just plant extractsand those are used in countless cleaning and personal-care products, and are the main ingredient in some pest-control products and some over-the-counter medications, like Vicks VapoRub and some lice sprays. Theyre used in the food industry because of their preservative potency against food-borne pathogensthanks to their antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. Various oils have also been shown to effectively treat a wide range of common health issues such as nausea and migraines, and a rapidly growing body of research is finding that they are powerful enough to kill human cancer cells of the breast, colon, mouth, skin, and more.
A handful of promising, real-life studies have been conducted with humans and other animals, though most of the research in that realm thus far has been conducted in the lab. More controlled trials will be required before some of these applications will be available to the public, but meanwhile, scientists have turned up exciting results in another area of use: countering the growing antibiotic-resistance crisis. The loss of antibiotics due to antimicrobial resistance is potentially one of the most important challenges the medical and animal-health communities will face in the 21st century, says Dr. Cyril Gay, the senior national program leader at the United States Department of Agricultures (USDA) Agricultural Research Service.
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Whether farmers choose to use it or not, there is a strong alternative on the horizon. Numerous recent studiesincluding several done by the USDAhave shown great promise in using essential oils as an alternative to antibiotics in livestock. One of their studies, published in October 2014 in the journal Poultry Science, found that chickens who consumed feed with added oregano oil had a 59 percent lower mortality rate due to ascites, a common infection in poultry, than untreated chickens. Other research, from a 2011 issue of BMC Proceedings, showed that adding a combination of plant extractsfrom oregano, cinnamon, and chili peppersactually changed the gene expression of treated chickens, resulting in weight gain as well as protection against an injected intestinal infection. A 2010 study from Poultry Science produced similar findings with the use of extracts from turmeric, chili pepper, and shiitake mushrooms. A multi-year study is currently underway at the USDA that includes investigations into the use of citrus peels and essential oils as drug alternatives.
Researchers have also directly compared the effects of commonly used antibiotics with those of various essential oils. One such study, from the March 2012 issue of the Journal of Animal Science, found that rosemary and oregano oils resulted in the same amount of growth in chickens as the antibiotic avilamycin, and that the oils killed bacteria, too. Additional findings have shown that essential oils help reduce salmonella in chickens, and another study found that a blend of several oils can limit the spread of salmonella among animals. One of the co-authors of that study, Dr. Charles Hofacre, a professor at the University of Georgias College of Veterinary Medicine, says its such a new area of research that they dont yet know exactly how the essential oils work, but there is some strong evidence that they are functioning by both an antibacterial action in the intestine and also some have an effect to stimulate the intestinal cells ability to recover from disease more quicklyeither by local immunity or helping keep the intestinal cells themselves healthier.
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/01/the-new-antibiotics-might-be-essential-oils/384247/
Here in the US, there is not enough research on essential oils because they are considered "woo-woo" and are disparaged by Big Pharma, et al. Essential oils are dangerous and can kill you if you do not know what you are doing. In Germany, you can get a degree in Aromatherapy and are allowed to prescribe essential oil in health issues. Europeans also use essential oils in their food, which is considered a big no-no here.
Fantastic that essential oils are starting to get the recognition that they deserve.
niyad
(113,302 posts)over that.
gee, tell us something we didn't know here, people (at least, those of us who have been studying the old wisdom for so long)
2naSalit
(86,608 posts)RadiationTherapy
(5,818 posts)It is chemistry.
Response to Hestia (Original post)
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eShirl
(18,491 posts)can't wait to eat my first pre-seasoned chicken
alcina
(602 posts)Lots of antimicrobial properties.
RadiationTherapy
(5,818 posts)RadiationTherapy
(5,818 posts)and the Sedona vortices are woo. Essential oils can - and do - have biochemical potential.
Response to RadiationTherapy (Reply #7)
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Hestia
(3,818 posts)I am so glad that I am not the only one who reads aromatherapy research articles. There has been a lot of research in Europe in discovery the properties of plant extracts and I am so happy that we are hopefully seeing the start of the benefits of that research.
The problem with essential oils is that they can go rancid if not stored properly, and a lot of oils need to be replaced each year. There is already exploitation of essential oils now on the market, and I do hope we do not see an explosion of adulterated oils entering the market.
The first thing my DH said, well, there goes the patenting of plant extracts, and I said no way because they have been in the wild for centuries and they are publicly held items. Well, used to be, we aren't sure any longer how the patent office will rule, but there are too many people who use essential oils and plant extracts to allow that to happen.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,316 posts)Or do they just hope you'll inhale enough to make a difference somewhere in your body? The trials are about adding them to the diet to affect internal bacteria, or applying them to wounds.
Ruby the Liberal
(26,219 posts)but some companies will mix up a blend for a specific purpose.
Professionals will know which oil (or combination) to use for what, and whether it is inhaled, digested or applied topically, depending on circumstance. The person then buys what is recommended and follows the instructions given.
It is quite an art.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,316 posts)This is, of course, the point: it's no news that chemicals derived from plants have effects on the human body. What we want to know is how reliable the effects are, what the side-effects are, and so on.
Ruby the Liberal
(26,219 posts)Google "Ayurveda"
ETA - I will give you examples. Ginger and peppermint steeped in hot water and drunk like tea make for the best (and immediate) aid for heartburn and nausea. Chamomile and lavender tea will knock me asleep before I can count backwards from 100. For years, I took Pepcid for digestion and Ambien for sleep. Neither worked as well as their natural alternatives, and I don't have to worry about the artificial pharma additives and dyes (I have a dye allergy).
Ruby the Liberal
(26,219 posts)I have long been a fan of essential oils. Got such a collection after a few years that I ended up getting a case for them. Incredibly potent stuff, but you HAVE to know what you are doing. DoTerra sells a small, wire-bound handbook that details best, second best and third best alternatives and whether it is aroma, contact or ingestion.
tammywammy
(26,582 posts)I also like to run coconut oil with a few drops of frankincense on my aching back. I also use the coconut oil with the breathe and rub on my chest. I also use the lavender in the evening.
I have about 10 of the oils and looking to get more.
Essential oils could be all woo, but I like them.
Edited to add: I see you mention auyrveda too. I'm a pitta. This is my favorite book on it: http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Taste-Heal-Ayurvedic-Cookbook-Modern-Living/dp/0976917009/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1421541659&sr=8-11&keywords=ayurveda
It has a great recipe for a tea that calls me down and tames my digestion.
Ruby the Liberal
(26,219 posts)good news is a little goes a long way! But some do expire way before others.
DoTerra's OnGuard is probably my favorite of their combination line.
Doesn't coconut oil make your skin feel amazing? If only it didn't smell like, well, coconut. LOL.
Thank you for the recommendation on Breathe - I will check that one out! And honestly? Let the word get out that it IS woo. That way, we don't have to worry about "sold out" and "backordered".
tammywammy
(26,582 posts)My cats go nutty over the frankincense scene when I rub that on.