Alternative Medicines

[Laser Jock]

It gets even better...you can buy homeopathic pills which don't even contain the water anymore! Instead, a small drop of the water is placed on something medically inactive (like a sugar pill) and allowed to evaporate. So somehow the "memory" gets transferred to the sugar?

[Foreman]

There's a "d-word" or two, if you're incredibly sensitive, but this sketch from amazingly funny blokes Mitchell and Webb should entertain you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMGIbOGu8q0

Also, this one. Just because it's hilarious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKTsWjbj ... re=related

[Whistler]

I am resurrecting this thread. Essential oils are getting popular in my ward, and I feel like it's an expensive trend that I don't want to be a part of! But I don't want to completely dismiss them--I did some google scholar research and some essential oils do have anti-microbial properties, and there are definite psychological side effects to nice aromas. Does anyone know of more research on essential oils? Because I don't really trust people who are trying to sell them to me.

[Whistler]

There's also some evidence of cytotoxicity (killing cells) from Origanum oils, which seems like I don't just want to kill cells willy-nilly.

[Tao]

I am resurrecting this thread. Essential oils are getting popular in my ward, and I feel like it's an expensive trend that I don't want to be a part of! But I don't want to completely dismiss them--I did some google scholar research and some essential oils do have anti-microbial properties, and there are definite psychological side effects to nice aromas. Does anyone know of more research on essential oils? Because I don't really trust people who are trying to sell them to me.

Aye, I've had a fair background in them. In my aromatherapy course we used an "Essential Oils for Dummies" book that I thought took a fairly solid approach to the topic. (I'll loan it to you if I can find it) Some quick, key points off the top of my head: the effects of aromatherapy aren't necessarily entirely derived from the smell; as you mentioned antiseptic and other properties are expressed directly via the oils, not the olfactory. Also of note: essential oils are (or should be, more on that later) high concentrates of aroma compounds, not aromatic compounds as some want to claim. (O-chem strikes again!) Ummm, rambling, yeah. So. Do due diligence on anything before you buy into it. Many of the modern Mary-Kay sales tactics of essential oil companies paint the picture of magic bullets with no side effects. I'd say it is an incontrovertible fact that essential oils do effect the body, and, like nearly everything, have their specific contras (even LD50s for some of them). Also muddying the waters are the synthetic oil market, primarily targeting scents that aren't in the (surprisingly limited) range of essential oils. On the flip side, you have companies touting themselves as the only 'pure' oils available. Due to no recognizable standard, this is an easy claim to make, and impossible to back up.

Also as a personal plea: please please please consider your options before doing anything to line the pocketbooks of Young Living. Yes they are local, and yes, they do carry some good product(s) but the owner seems as crooked as a snake swallowing a corkscrew. The most flagrant error was his advocating the 'raindrop method' of aromatherapy: basically taking some of the most caustic essential oils out there and sprinkling them undiluted on clients' bared backs. I'm not so sure how anyone with half a brain didn't know this was a bad idea from the get-go, but either his products are so diluted that they are 'safe to use pure' or the genius any publicity is good publicity and figured physically burning his clients (and advising others to) would help prove the effective nature of the medium. Eeek. Just eeek.

Now, bedtime.

[Whistler]

oh, interesting. Yeah, the more I think about it the more convinced I am that essential oils are potent. I'd like to borrow the book sometime if you can find it.

[Dragon Lady]

I have no scientific proof, but I do know that a mix of lavender and peppermint on my neck can drastically reduce one of my headaches almost instantly. And as someone who has suffered from headaches my entire life and has done a lot to try and limit them without living on drugs, I am impressed. It's definitely the best thing ive ever done for them, next to prevention.

[Tao]

I have no scientific proof, but I do know that a mix of lavender and peppermint on my neck can drastically reduce one of my headaches almost instantly. And as someone who has suffered from headaches my entire life and has done a lot to try and limit them without living on drugs, I am impressed. It's definitely the best thing ive ever done for them, next to prevention.

Ja, Whistler, I'd say lavender is about the best thing to start with, it is the essential oil version of aspirin: cheap and nearly panacea in its effect.

And DL, the vast majority of headaches are due to lack of blood to the brain and when you look for treatment, that's what you want to improve. Excedrin contains acetaminophen (vasodilator), aspirin (blood thinner), and caffeine (stimulant). So: open the blood vessels, thin the blood and up heart rate = more blood to the brain = headache gone. Lavender oil has linalyl acetate, a vasodilator that should (here's where the science is weak, imo) spot treat the neck vessels when topically applied. I'm not sure what role the peppermint plays other than cooling, mostly we use it for that, the belly and bowels, or simply for its scent (which is calming enough to help psychologically, if not physiologically.

[Dragon Lady]

Huh. Maybe next headache I should try just lavender and see if I has the same effect. I've been getting less headaches lately, though (hooray!) so I won't be able to compare as effectively as there may be months in between.

[Dragon Lady]

My book says you can also put Frankincense in the mix. Any idea what that does?

[Tao]

Honestly, I just like Frankincense's smell. Boswellic acid is supposed to be anti-inflamitory, which would likely help with headaches when boosted by lavender's vasodiliation. most of the scientific studies I've seen on Boswellic acid deals with apparent apoptosis of certain cancers, which has plenty of people interested. Wikipedia states that a Hebrew U/Johns Hopkins study showed psychoactive stress-reducing effects of frankincense smoke. Which is a little entertaining, at least.