Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy oils are usually extracted from plants by steam distillation. In spite of the bias against herbal cures, the fact remains that even many pharmaceuticals are simply herbal extracts. In addition, everyone knows many people who have suffered serious side effects from their prescription medication, which explains why, for example, 50% of people have tried traditional chinese medicine.
Apparently even including pharmaceutical use, 80% of people are treated with plant extracts.
Essential Oils
Of course a steam distilled oil is likely not to contain enzymes and vitamins easily destroyed by heat. Nor will it contain non volatile components of nutritional value. But apart from that it will contain some of the best terpenes and other healing components. Having already said that most people are healed by plants, we can expect some great therapeutic value from essential oils. Oils can be prepared by infusion too, where the herbs are soaked in an oil base, and the plant extracts infuse into the oil.
In keeping with the above, the extent to which aromatherapy has been accepted by mainstream medicine varies from country to country. In places like Australia it is seen as a nice therapeutic massage, whereas in others it is integrated as complementary medicine, and used to treat and prevent diseases. Of course it is hard to conduct a double blind study with essential oils with such a strong smell.
Aromatherapy has been used to treat arthritis. Aromatherapy oils can kill germs, increase circulation and is used for mood elevation and treating insomnia. The terpenes in essential oils like frankinsence have been shown to increase blood supply to the hypophthalmus gland which regulates all our hormones.
Even if it is never possible to prove aromatherapy scientifically, there have even been studies done which show that people with a sense of humour have a 70% increased chance of surviving cancer. How could something that smells divine accompanied with a soothing massage not improve your well being?
Are you interested in the finest fragrant, organic essential oils available in Australia? Try the Mediterana range.
Are you interested in the finest fragrant, organic essential oils available in Australia? Try the Mediterana range.
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