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Aroma Medicine Gaining In Popularity, and For Good Reason! While acceptance by the mainstream of conventional medicine may be a ways off, essential oils used in aromatherapy are proving themselves to be potential potent allies in the treatment of cancer. The alternative medicine called 'aromatherapy' might actually suffer from a misunderstanding of its name -- aromatherapy, often confused with the use of a Glad Plug In Air Freshener, is actually an entire branch of medicine with specific treatment protocols for a wide variety of illnesses. This practice is slowly gaining credibility with patients (perhaps more slowly with doctors) partaking in the conventional medical system of the United States. Their healing power, like that of most natural therapies, can not only transform difficult disease states, but can have a long-term positive effect on one's overall wellness. They are readily available, inexpensive, and just happen to smell nice -- but there's a whole lot more to them than that... Scientific Validation of Essential Oil Therapy Research into the area of medicinal applications of essential oils has been significant in recent years. Many oils have been proven to have significant antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal action. Now, the body of evidence of essential oils being strongly anti-tumorial, with specific anti-cancer action is growing, too. A search of Pub Med, the National Institute of Health's online research database produces 391 results for the search 'essential oils cancer' and 444 results for 'essential oil tumor'. MANY of the studies show a direct correlation in tumor and cancer cell line eradication with the use of essential oils. A great many have conclusions that indicate the studies results warrant further investigation of essential oils for the development of accepted therapies. Here's a review of some very promising results: The Exceptional Power of Frankincense A study in the journal BioMed Central journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, March 2009, titled: "Frankincense oil derived from Boswellia carteri induces tumor cell specific cytotoxicity" concludes with: "Frankincense oil appears to distinguish cancerous from normal bladder cells and suppress cancer cell viability. Microarray and bioinformatics analysis proposed multiple pathways that can be activated by frankincense oil to induce bladder cancer cell death. Frankincense oil might represent an alternative intravesical agent for bladder cancer treatment." ...while a bit technical, this is very, very promising -- essentially saying that this easily obtained, inexpensive, NON-TOXIC natural compound can eradicate cancer cells without harming normal, healthy cells in the same organ. Frankincense has a long, long history of medicinal use, and searching for 'frankincense cancer' produces 30 results just for this material. If choosing an essential oil of Frankincense, the 'carteri' species has been the subject of most research, with cold-process Carbon Dioxide distilled oils considered the most therapeutic (seek CO2 or SCO2 distilled oils or extracts). Lemongrass Oil as a Chemotherapeutic The oil distilled from the leaves of Lemongrass, an herb with a long medicinal history itself, also shows similar action. In an evaluation of the essential oil from the Lemongrass species Cymbopogon flexuosus, the oil was found cytotoxic to a number of cancer cell types, and was active particularly in affecting that 'hallmark of cancer cells', the 'dysregulation of apoptosis' -- the natural process of cell death. One study concluded "The easy and abundant availability of the oil combined with its suggested mechanism of cytotoxicity make CFO (Lemongrass Oil) highly useful in the development of anti-cancer therapeutics". Inexpensive, easy to make, and effective: virtues of all of Nature's finest medicines! The Sweet Chemical Linalool Anti-Cancer Action Linalool is a very common essential oil constituent. Essential oils are naturally made up of many individual chemical constituents, and linalool is a sweet, relaxing aromatic found in many floral and sweeter spice essential oils. Linalool itself, separated from the essential oil of Coriander (Cilantro seeds) was the subject of research published in the June 2009 issue of the journal of Chemico-Biological interactions. Linalool was found to completely eradicate the HepG2 liver cancer cell line in VERY low concentrations. Linalool has a great many other effects, having been shown to lower anxiety and even significantly improve sleep. And now it even has anti-cancer effects! So even if one is notle directly targeting cancer, but using aromatherapy in a more 'casual' application, there may be important protective effects occurring at the same time. Protection from UV Rays by Essential Oils Skin cancer is a major concern for many folks, and a series of studies have shown Sandalwood to be effective at preventing tumor development. Alpha-santalol, a component also shown to have anti-anxiety and sleep enhancing action, may be the constituent to which most of these effects may be attributed. This is fortunate, as Sandalwood from India is becoming more rare and expensive, though Sandalwood from Australia and other South Pacific islands is still readily available. A study published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, a formula used for containing just 5% Sandalwood essential oil used before exposure to toxins significantly reduced the formation of skin cancer tumors. A study published in January 2008 in the Journal of Anitcancer Research showed a significant reduction in tumor development in skin exposed to UVB radiation -- Sandalwood would make an excellent addition to a pre-sun body or face care formula. Spicy Oils Offer DNA Protection The common spice oils of Thyme and Oregano have large concentrations of constituents that have been shown to protect human DNA from damage. Alteration through chemical and radiation exposure of our DNA is thought to be one of the primary causes of tumor development. Considered to be common essential oil constituents, exposure to both Carvacrol and Thymol lead to cells being significantly more resistant to DNA damage from exposure to hydrogen peroxide (a potent oxidative chemical). A similar study investigated this effect specifically on human lymphocytes (white blood cells) with the same results. The oil from the spice Turmeric has been the subject of many studies, not only examining its anti-tumor action, but elucidating the specific chemical pathways though which this action occurs. Many other 'spice' oils have been the subject of similar studies, indicating that these spices that have for so long played a part in the cuisines and cultures of the world also have played a role in the health of mankind. The essential oils of these spices offer highly-concentrated, easily absorbed preparations of these plants, with significant therapeutic potential. Transitioning to Effective Natural Medicines Beyond the direct effects on tumor cells, essential oils have been shown to positively effect the immune system on a chemical level. They can enhance the activity of white blood cells, making them more efficient and removing foreign material and microbes from the body. This would likely result in more effective cancer outcomes. Futher, there's the psychological component of any disease, and many essential oils have demonstrated anti-stress activity in scientific investigations. So, like many plant medicines, essential oils work on a number of levels for many diseases, with cancer being one of them. While its important to recognize that essential oil use is in-fact contra-indicated during chemotherapy (as they may reduce the cytotoxic effects of the treatment), they can certainly be an integral part of any cancer preventative protocol. For any application where an individual has already been diagnosed with the illness, it is important to check with their physician to ensure essential oils and aroma-medicine is an appropriate choice. The overall picture is very bright for the use of essential oils in cancer treatment, and further investigation is certainly warranted by the scientific and medical communities for the development of effective medical protocols for this profoundly life-altering condition.
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