Essential oils have a very wide range of different health applications. It is amazing how many things they can be used for. You may know essential oils best as being useful for changing your mood, e.g. relaxing you or energizing you, depending on the oil. However, these botanical essences have many other impressive benefits. They can also be used to help relieve a lot of other symptoms and improve health. Here are just a few other things that you may not have known essential oils are good for.
Kill Bacteria and Fungi
Most essential oils have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties to some extent. However, the most potent anti-infection essential oil that we know of so far is tea tree oil. This oil is extracted from the narrow-leaved tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia). What many don’t realize is that tea tree oil is not actually related to the plant that produces the same tea that we drink (Camellia sinensis). Many scientific studies have confirmed tea tree oil’s efficacy for a variety of ailments. Use tea tree oil for minor skin infections like acne, dandruff, ringworm, and athlete’s foot. Since tea tree oil has such a pungent methol-like fragrance, you may want to apply it to your skin before bed instead of during the day when the scent could bother you. You can also dab tea tree oil on minor wounds such as papercuts and small scrapes. It really is amazing how much of a difference it can make.
Improve Women’s Health
Essential oils are useful for multiple types of female-specific health concerns. There are actually a lot of different essential oils that can be great for women’s health. A study found that getting a massage with a blend of cinnamon, clove, lavender, and rose oils was more effective than getting a massage with non-scented oil for relieving the pain of menstrual cramps. Additionally, lavender and tea tree oils mimic the effects of estrogen, so they could be useful for women who have PCOS or who are undergoing menopause, two health conditions that cause a drop in estrogen levels.
Improve Your Memory
One of the more recent studies on essential oils found that rosemary essential oil can really improve your memory. The researchers had volunteers sit in a room and perform memory tests, with or without an essential oil diffuser spreading rosemary oil throughout the air. The results of the study showed that doing the memory tests while the room smelled of rosemary improved volunteers’ scores. This shows that essential oil can have a real practical benefit for your life. The researchers believe that the memory-boosting effects of rosemary oil are not due to the psychological effects of the aroma, but rather to a beneficial brain-stimulating compound in rosemary that enters the body when inhaled. Try using aromatherapy with rosemary oil while studying. You can use a diffuser, or simply dab it under your nose. When it comes to things like this it doesn’t take a lot of oil at all to make a huge difference. Just a little bit of whole oil or even diffused oil can really make a big difference. This may definitely be something to try out while you’re studying for your next test.
Reduce Carcinogens
Carcinogens are compounds that can damage your DNA. The more carcinogens you are exposed to over the course of your life, the higher your risk of developing cancer. An extreme example of this is evidenced by the fact that a full 10% of smokers will end up getting lung cancer, as smoke delivers a tremendous dosage of carcinogens with every inhalation. Carcinogens can come from a variety of other external influences, however. It is believed that even accidentally burning food creates carcinogens in it. Amazingly, it has been proven that rosemary oil can reduce carcinogen production during the cooking of meat. To get these benefits, just add a drop of pure rosemary oil to your regular cooking oil. Since you’ll be ingesting the oil internally, make sure the product comes from a trustworthy brand that offers authentic natural oils with no additives. Cooking with essential oils can actually always be a good idea just to add a little something extra. You can even put a drop in your water each day to give it a little flavor and some added health benefits.
Prudent and strategic use of essential oils can serve as in integral component of a holistic healthy lifestyle. They’re natural and have very few, if any, side effects. Use them to fight infections, sharpen your mind, and improve your well-being. It really is amazing how just a little bit of oil can make such a big difference. If you have been hesitant about trying essential oils, don’t be. Just give it a try and see if you like it. That way you can find what helps you the most. You will definitely be surprised by the results.