Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts. Aromatherapy and naturopathy practitioners employ them in natural and alternative health techniques.
Essential oils have a pleasant scent, can help you sleep, and can reduce stress and treat fungal infections. They have concentrated plant extractions. Distillation transforms a plant’s “essence” into a liquid form that can be used for a variety of medical and recreational purposes.
Essential oils come in a wide range of varieties. Some plants are prized for their pleasant scent. Others assert that they have potent therapeutic qualities. However, their power can have negative side effects that you should be aware of.
Essential oils are extracted in a variety of ways by producers, including:
- Distillation with Steam or Water – This method involves passing water or hot steam through the plants, which separates the vital components from the plant matter.
- Cold Pressing – Mechanically pressing or squeezing plant matter to liberate important juices or oils is how this technique works. Smelling the fresh perfume of lemon after squeezing or zesting a lemon peel is a simple illustration of this.
Some producers may combine the active chemicals extracted from plant matter with a carrier oil to get more product from the same amount of essential oil. These would no longer be pure essential oils, but rather a blend.
Health Advantages
Essential oils are widely used in traditional and folk medicine all over the world. However, current medicine backs up many of the claims made about them in the past, including:
- Reduction of Stress
Aromatherapy employs a variety of essential oils to help people cope with stress and anxiety. For example, investigators discovered that inhaling 2.5, 5, or 10 droplets of orange oil reduced anxiety in male volunteers. More research is needed, but the preliminary findings seem intriguing.
- Infections caused by fungi
Early research on tea tree oil’s antibacterial properties, which have long been promoted in traditional medicine, has yielded promising results. Athlete’s feet, oral thrush, and fungal illnesses like candida have all been treated with the oil. More investigation is required once again.
- Sleeping Pills
The soothing scent of lavender oil is known to improve sleep quality. Scientists put this claim to the test on dementia patients over the age of 65. They discovered that dusting the essential oil on towels around their pillows extended their sleep time dramatically, allowing them to sleep longer in the mornings.
- Preventing Disease
Antioxidant qualities are found in several essential oils. Antioxidants help to protect cells from free radical damage. This harm can lead to catastrophic illnesses like cancer. Researchers are looking into how adding essential oils to meals can help us consume more antioxidants while also extending the shelf life of our food.
- Health Hazards
Essential oils are not without risk, even though they come from nature and have been used for generations. Because incorrect usage might result in significant side effects or even poisoning, they must be used and stored according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Children and dogs should not be exposed to essential oils since their bodies cannot take the same amounts as adults. Furthermore, anyone who is pregnant should get medical advice before consuming essential oils. You can purchase them from TrueGether, the best eBay alternative.