ESSENTIAL OILS for the Autumn Season
- CARY CASTER
The change from the warm days of summer to temperature fluctuations and blustery days in the fall season can cause extra extremes in the body and wreak havoc on our immune system. Our bodies work hard to maintain homeostasis in the roller coaster ride of damp air in heated rooms and the frigid air of coming winter when we venture outside. These frequent temperature changes set our bodies up for a challenge to our immune system.
When cold and flu germs enter our moist lungs, they find the perfect nesting ground to proliferate. That’s why it’s extra important to take all the right steps to build up your immune system and nourish the lungs as the first line of defense as the weather changes. The easy things we can do to support the lungs and our ability to fight infections are to drink plenty of fluids (minus excess caffeine and alcohol), cut back on mucous forming foods (dairy, sugar and white flour products) and engage in exercise on a daily basis to keep our energy and bodily functions working optimally. However, even when we do everything “right”, there are endless arrays of germs that bombard our immune system, especially when traveling on public transportation and working in large office buildings.
The good news is that the health of our lungs is easily managed with the use of nurturing and supportive essential oils. The essential oils that are most commonly associated with nurturing the lungs are: Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus or other E. species), the conifer oils of Pine, Spruce and Fir (Pinus sylvestris, Picea pungens, Pseudotsunga menzies) respectively, and Rosemary (Rosemary officinalis ct camphor).
These various essential oils support the lungs due to their active components that work on the nasal cavity and lung tissue.
Eucalyptus contains high levels of 1,8 cineole, also known as Eucalyptol, which has been proven to be an important agent in the treatment of pulmonary inflammation.1 Using 1,8 cineole has led to notable improvement in lung function and the overall health condition of subjects who inhaled eucalyptus essential oil. 1,8 cineole has shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect on airways2, helping to keep them in check when exposed to major infective microbes. These went under clinical trials with those who suffered inflammation in their lungs3, showing positive results.
www.aromaculture.com - Volume 1, Issue 1
- November 2016
AUTUMN ESSENTIAL OILS
The conifers as a group are extremely fortifying oils. Their ability to open the chest and allow for breathing freely helps instill positivity and allows for the dispersion of a negative and melancholy disposition. Their actions as a general tonic help the overall immune system, while their individual properties have slightly different action in how they work within the body.
Pine essential oils contain high levels of pinene and limonene, which have both shown to reduced allergic inflammation, possibly due to their antioxidant properties.4
Spruce essential oils contain high levels of camphene and pinene, but also contain high levels of bornyl acetate, which is an ester and helps by being antispasmodic in its actions. This makes Spruce a wonderful oil to select when dealing with respiratory issues that also have a cough associated, to ease the tension in the chest.
Douglas Fir also contains limonene5, pinene and camphene making it extremely effective in clearing mucous out of the lungs and nasal cavity, as well as boosting the overall action of the immune system.
Rosemary is an exhilarating oil that contains high lavels of camphor, camphene and 1,8 cineole, making it very effective against mucus build up!6 The refreshing aroma of rosemary is also very warming to the skin when placed in a cream, adding warmth to chilled and achy muscles when feeling flu like and feverish. The reviving scent of rosemary boosts fatigue and helps battle through the doldrums of shorter days and cooler nights.
These essential oils are the perfect line of defense against the onslaught of fall microbes that abound with the back to school introduction of new germs and the mass transit in our large cities during the transitional months of fall and winter.
AUTUMN ESSENTIAL OILS
All these oils should be safely diluted before applying to the skin. Since they are strong and warming to the body, a 3-5% dilution of essential oils in a carrier crème or lotion is recommended. Adding the oils directly to a cotton ball and inhaling throughout the day can help to keep a protective shield against microbes right at the point of entry!
Adding a few drops of essential oil to a bowl of steaming water and then placing a towel over your head and inhaling the oil vapor is a perfect way to clear the lungs, especially if feeling congested before bed, thus allowing for a restful night’s sleep.
REFERENCES
(1)J Asthma. 2012 Oct;49(8):849-53. doi: 10.3109/02770903.2012.717657.
Patients with asthma benefit from concomitant therapy with cineole: a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. Worth H1, Dethlefsen U.
(2) Respir Med. 2003 Mar;97(3):250-6. Anti-inflammatory activity of 1.8-cineol (eucalyptol) in bronchial asthma: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Juergens UR1, Dethlefsen U, Steinkamp G, Gillissen A, Repges R, Vetter H.
(3) J Pharm Pharmacol. 2015 Aug;67(8):1066-74. doi: 10.1111/ jphp.12407. Epub 2015 Mar 13. Eucalyptol suppresses matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression through an extracellular signal- regulated kinase-dependent nuclear factor-kappa B pathway to exert anti-inflammatory effects in an acute lung inflammation model.
(4) Arzneimittelforschung. 1987 Dec;37(12):1378-81. [Effect of a secretolytic and a combination of pinene, limonene and cineole on mucociliary clearance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]. [Article in German] Dorow P1, Weiss T, Felix R, Schmutzler H.
(5) J Immunotoxicol. 2016 Jul 19:1-11. [Epub ahead of print] Limonene and its ozone-initiated reaction products attenuate allergic lung inflammation in mice. Hansen JS1, Nørgaard AW1, Koponen IK1, Sørli JB1, Paidi MD1, Hansen SW2, Clausen PA1, Nielsen GD1, Wolkoff P1, Larsen ST1.
(6) J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 2003 Sep;22(3):419-24. Effect of naturally occurring monoterpenes carvone, limonene and perillic
acid in the inhibition of experimental lung metastasis induced by B16F-10 melanoma cells.
Raphael TJ1, Kuttan G.
(7) Drug Res (Stuttg). 2014 Dec;64(12):638-46. doi: 10.1055/s- 0034-1372609. Epub 2014 May 15. Anti-inflammatory properties of the monoterpene 1.8-cineole: current evidence for co- medication in inflammatory airway diseases.
Juergens UR1.
ABOUT THE AU THOR
Cary Caster (BS, LMT, CCA) Botanist, Licensed Massage Therapist and Clinically Certified Aromatherapist, pursued her education in Botany and the study of plant based medicine, earning academic and clinical degrees in anatomy, physiology, and blending from institutions in the US, UK and France. Her expanded knowledge and passion for aromatherapy and medicinal plants and their effects on the body chemistry includes an understanding of Eastern medicinal practices and The 5 Element Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine. She worked in her own private practice, and recently developed 21 Drops®, a line of therapeutic quality essential oil blends for both the professional and consumer markets.
www.aromaculture.com - Volume 1, Issue 1 -
November 2016