Essential Oil Cure for . . . Everything, Including Climate Change

If you believe what you hear, yes, essential oils cure everything. Just recently I came across a journal study where essential oils save the planet and cure global climate change. Well, at least a portion of the cause of extreme climate change. Cattle farming is responsible for excess methane gas, cow farts, in the atmosphere. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas. What does this have to do with essential oils you may ask? The authors of a 2015 study suggest essential oils, when added to the cattle diet, will diminish the amount of methane gases emitted into the atmosphere (Cobellis, Gabriella, et al. 2015). Really, how cool is that? This was not an isolated study. Here’s a quote from a 2019 study, ”. . .supplementation of saponin, tannins or essential oils at low to moderate doses have more potentials and are the promising natural feed additives suitable to manipulate microbial ecosystems, inhibit pathogenic bacteria proliferation in gastrointestinal tract, improve rumen fermentations, mitigate rumen CH4 production and reduce environmental impact of livestock production” (Ugbogu, Eziuche Amadike, et al. 2019).

This should have all my network marketing friends grasping the opportunity to run to every cattle farmer across the world to supply their essential oil “brand” as the newest cure for global warming. The essential oils used in another article advise a “combination of . . . Ceylon cinnamon, dill seeds, eucalyptus, and probably others, at low concentrations may be a practical approach to mitigate methane emission and nitrogen excretion” (Cobellis, Gabriella, et al., 2016). This recommendation could assist in your formulation of an anti-cow-trumpet blend.

These are legit, peer reviewed journal studies. Even so, it’s a challenge not to take a lighthearted, LOL, approach in presenting this. It would be one of those seemingly BS, you’re-out-of-your-mind type of essential oil uses that keep a mainstream mind from accepting the value and curative abilities of essential oils. There are many hard to fathom conditions that essential oils are said to treat. Truth is, these hard to believe treatments are actually possible with essential oils. When it comes to the oils, there is a fine-line between effective treatments and potential treatments. Ok, sometimes there’s a very dense line between works and doesn’t. 

Essential oils cure cancer. Well, maybe.

Just digging up studies doesn't necessarily mean that you can use essential oils for the studied condition. There is always a lot more to take into consideration. A big concern in overstating the potential of essential oils is when suggesting the ability to cure conditions such as cancer or killing tumor cells.  Sandalwood cures skin cancer. According to this extract from a 2010 study using the sandalwood compound, α-santalol, as it  “demonstrated that in addition to induction of apoptosis by α-santalol observed in in vitro and in vivo studies, α-santalol also inhibits human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cell growth and human melanoma UACC-62 cells in vitro through G2/M phase arrest.” and also concludes that “α-santalol could be a potential agent against skin cancer development.” Sounds good. Reading through the study complicates this conclusion somewhat. Inhibiting cancer cells in a lab controlled study is quite different than using essential oils with a human at home or even in a clinical environment. 

I know of a naturopathic physician who used essential oils administered through an IV in cancer treatment. There doesn’t seem to be a more direct application of essential oils to penetrate and have direct contact with tumor cells. There were some positive outcomes with elimination of cancer. Breast and liver cancers were the most successful. Overall the treatments were less than successful in curing, though beneficial in prolonging a higher quality of life. I don’t know all the protocols used, I was only exposed to some process and outcomes. What I do know is that even though studies absolutely conclude the destruction (apoptosis) of cancer cells, it doesn’t necessarily translate to essential oils as a cancer cure.

I have found many studies on tumor cell prevention and termination using essential oils and their compounds for many different types of cancers. Taking these studies and turning them into how essential oils will cure cancer is mostly irresponsible. If success with an extreme application like IV is limited, using oils on your friends and family with the idea of curing the disease is, again, irresponsible. I am not suggesting essential oils don’t have a high value when incorporated into a treatment protocol for cancer or any illness - they can only be of benefit. And if they cure, well, cool. What we know about essential oils from years of empirical use would propose some form of positive healing outcome, though there are so many factors that have to be considered, making it often difficult for exact treatment suggestions - which isn’t that dissimilar to mainstream pharmaceutical cures and treatments.

Essential oil cure for headaches. Well, maybe.

A 1995 study explains some of the physiological processes that suggest how peppermint relieves a headache. It describes the interaction with cold-receptor TRPM8 receptors, how it increases blood flow to the forehead and face, and “inhibits non-competively 5-hydroxytryptamin (serotonine) and substance P induced smooth muscle contraction” (H. Göbel et al. 1995). All good information, but, peppermint doesn’t work on my headaches and, as a clinician, hasn’t worked consistently on my clients. 

Here’s where I’ll introduce one of the biggest misuses facing essential oil therapists and home users. Essential oils aren’t drugs. There is not a this-for-that, or an “oil for that” remedy that can be used (except when preventing cow farts and curing climate change). Essential oil use is very dependent upon the symptom, the potential cause(s), the individual, scent memory, and the application used. Essential oil cure for headache? Depends on the person, the potential causes and many other factors.

I could say the same for essential oil cure for pain and inflammation, an essential oil cure for osteoarthritis or an essential oil cure for back ache. I have the studies with support for effective treatment. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s important to acknowledge most essential oil studies are done in a lab, using sample cells, mice or other out of context methods. The studies are useful and valid. What I like about them, and why I’m a junky for research, is they can get into some of the mechanics behind how the oils work, the functions and biological interaction. They just don’t claim a simple and direct cure in real world, human, application. Studies do provide guidance for increased efficacy of essential oil use and their application - if you know how to read into them and learn how to logically connect information among the varied research.

Essential oils have great potential

There’s good reason why I have been using essential oils, writing and teaching about them, and formulating with essential oils for 30 years. They are an extremely beneficial healing tool providing profound results in health and wellness. My desire is to shed some logic and sense into the overly marketed world (industry) essential oils have become and how “science” is being manipulated to “prove” their use.

Treat essential oils with respect and develop a relationship with them, along with a deep and sensible study, and you will have in your possession a method of healing the body and balance of emotions and behavior unlike any other system available, and of course a cure for global climate change . 

References

Cobellis, Gabriella, et al. “Critical Evaluation of Essential Oils as Rumen Modifiers in Ruminant Nutrition: A Review.” Science of the Total Environment, vol. 545-546, Elsevier B.V., Mar. 2016, pp. 556–68, doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.103.

Ugbogu, Eziuche Amadike, et al. “The Potential Impacts of Dietary Plant Natural Products on the Sustainable Mitigation of Methane Emission from Livestock Farming.” Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 213, Elsevier Ltd, Mar. 2019, pp. 915–25, doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.12.233.

Cobellis, Gabriella, et al. “Evaluation of Different Essential Oils in Modulating Methane and Ammonia Production, Rumen Fermentation, and Rumen Bacteria in Vitro.” Animal Feed Science and Technology, vol. 215, Elsevier B.V., May 2016, pp. 25–36, doi:10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2016.02.008.

Zhang, Xiaoying, et al. “Alpha-Santalol, a Chemopreventive Agent Against Skin Cancer, Causes G 2 /M Cell Cycle Arrest in Both P53-Mutated Human Epidermoid Carcinoma A431 Cells and P53 Wild-Type Human Melanoma UACC-62 Cells.” BMC Research Notes, vol. 3, no. 1, BioMed Central, Aug. 2010, pp. 220–220, doi:10.1186/1756-0500-3-220.

Göbel, H., et al. “Essential Plant Oils and Headache Mechanisms.” Phytomedicine, vol. 2, no. 2, Elsevier GmbH, 1995, pp. 93–102, doi:10.1016/S0944-7113(11)80053-X.

Sarmento-Neto, Jose, et al. “Analgesic Potential of Essential Oils.” Molecules, vol. 21, no. 1, MDPI AG, Jan. 2016, p. 20, doi:10.3390/molecules21010020.

Liao, Pei-Chun, et al. “Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Neral and Geranial Isolated from Fruits of Litsea Cubeba Lour.” Journal of Functional Foods, vol. 19, Elsevier Ltd, Dec. 2015, pp. 248–58, doi:10.1016/j.jff.2015.09.034.

 Nasiri, Ahmad, et al. “Effect of Aromatherapy Massage with Lavender Essential Oil on Pain in Patients with Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.” Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, vol. 25, Elsevier Ltd, Nov. 2016, pp. 75–80, doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2016.08.002.