| Has Aromatherapy Been Wrongly Accused? | | | | folklore, trial and error, anecdote, testimonial, New |
| Searching for the term 'Aromatherapy' brings up | | | | Age spiritualism and fantasy." Stephen Barrett, |
| several pages claiming aromatherapy is a fraud of | | | | M.D. of Quackwatch doesn't really seem to make |
| some sort. That essential oil manufacturers and | | | | a point about essential oils, but to just sound |
| retailers are making 'dubious' claims of the | | | | disgruntled about the whole idea. |
| efficacy of essential oils. These folks don't seem | | | | Sure, there may be some unsubstantiated claims |
| to have done their homework, or compared the | | | | floating about, but let's play fair. How many deadly |
| validity of scientific inquiry to that produced by | | | | drugs have been pulled from the market after |
| conventional medicine, which in fact could easily be | | | | drug-manufacturer-paid rigorous scientific |
| claimed as 'dubious' using the same criteria. Ok, | | | | investigations claimed them to be "safe and |
| well actually there are no criteria used, just a few | | | | effective"? One chart puts deaths attributed to |
| blurbs that present aromatherapy as a soft | | | | "properly prescribed and used drugs" between |
| science, on that should be neglected along with | | | | those from alcohol and those from alcohol -- |
| everything else that's every been found under | | | | these just above "preventable medical" mishap, |
| the heading of 'new age'. | | | | and all of these above traffic fatalities. How many |
| How about we'll start be agreeing on this: That | | | | died from using essential oils? Can you draw a |
| SOME of aromatherapy is in-fact a 'soft science'? | | | | circle? How about the letter that comes between |
| That SOME people may feel more relaxed when | | | | 'n' and 'p'? |
| inhaling Lavender, for example, and some will not? | | | | The Latest In Aroma-Medicine Research |
| Aromatherapists will not disagree on this point -- | | | | On to the cutting edge of aroma-medicine: The |
| they will however put up a defense when the | | | | big news is that essential oils, yes very the same |
| medical applications of essential oils are thrown | | | | used in aromatherapy (this IS the idea we're |
| out with the soft side of 'aroma' therapy. Science | | | | trying to get across!), are highly effective |
| IS BACKING UP many of aromatherapy's claims | | | | antibiotics and antivirals. Again, we invite you to |
| with valid data, even on the 'soft-science' of the | | | | search for 'essential oil' and 'mrsa' -- this is the |
| practice. Here's a look at the science behind | | | | staphylococcus aureus bacteria 'superbug' that has |
| aromatherapy, the holes in arguments of the | | | | become resistant to commonly available antibiotics |
| popular debunkers, and why aroma-medicine has | | | | (the MR in the name stands for 'methicillin |
| it's place in today's medical practices. | | | | resistant'). You'll find studies showing the efficacy |
| Aromatherapy's Image Problem | | | | of Tea Tree essential oil in clinical applications, and |
| We see aromatherapy's image problem is this: | | | | positive results in the lab using several other oils. |
| Most people hear the word, and believe it has | | | | And thus far it is thought that these oils have no |
| really to do with 'the smell of things' rather than | | | | adverse effects at effective doses. |
| with 'things that smell'. Its a small but very | | | | Essential Oils Identified As Cancer Destroyers |
| important distinction. Aromatherapy is really the | | | | Then there's the myriad of studies showing |
| complete branch of medicine that uses the | | | | essential oils' efficacy in destroying cancers. A |
| chemically-volatile (easily evaporated) constituents | | | | recent study in the journal of "Chemico-Biological |
| of plants for treatment of a wide variety of | | | | Interactions" noted that linalool, a common |
| ailments. IT DOES NOT only have to do with the | | | | essential oil constituent, completely eradicated a |
| effects these plant chemicals have on people that | | | | particular liver cancer cell line at very, very small |
| smell them. Virtually every professional | | | | concentrations. Try 'essential oil' and 'cancer' in Pub |
| aromatherapist will tell you that the great | | | | Med and you'll get results like "Frankincense oil |
| medicinal promise of aromatherapy does not | | | | derived from Boswellia carteri induces tumor cell |
| reside in their pleasing aromas, but rather in their | | | | specific cytotoxicity"(perhaps this is terminology |
| abilities to successfully treat a wide range of | | | | of "New Age spiritualism" I'm yet unaware of). |
| infectious illnesses (like MRSA, the 'Superbug'), | | | | Another result is "Anticancer activity of an |
| their action as chemotherapy agents, | | | | essential oil from Cymbopogon flexuosus" |
| anti-inflammatory agents, wound-healing agents, | | | | (Lemongrass essential oil) with a conclusion of |
| and other 'hard' medical applications. | | | | "Our results indicate that the oil has a promising |
| Searching for Real Data on The Efficacy of | | | | anticancer activity and causes loss in tumor cell |
| Essential Oils | | | | viability by activating the apoptotic process as |
| A quick look at the research available on Pub Med, | | | | identified by electron microscopy." The list, of |
| a database of thousands of peer-reviewed | | | | course, goes on (there are in fact 388 results |
| life-science and medical journals freely available | | | | today for this search). |
| on-line reveals thousands of citations of research | | | | Then Why All The Criticism? |
| performed using essential oils. Yes, there are in | | | | So why are these criticisms of aromatherapy so |
| fact some studies that did not result in convincing | | | | popular, at least in Google's eyes? Why do some |
| evidence that hand massages with lavender | | | | folks like horror flicks and car crashes -- not sure, |
| cream didn't make people feel better than hand | | | | really. It might have to do with there being a |
| massages with unscented lotion. But there is | | | | closer relationship between 'aromatherapy' and |
| studies that show people sleep better after | | | | 'Glade Plug-in Air Freshener (TM)' in many people's |
| lavender inhalation. And there's a study that show | | | | minds than there is between 'aromatherapy' |
| stress makers of the immune system remained | | | | 'frankincense' and 'tumor cell specific cytotoxicity'. |
| unchanged after inhaling linalool (an isolated | | | | One reality is that there's a lot more money |
| constituent of Lavender), but there's also 15 | | | | pushing the Glad Plug-In concept. Because essential |
| studies (upon last count) showing positive | | | | oils cannot be patented as medicines, the amount |
| significant results if one searches for 'lavender' and | | | | of money to be made by Really Big Business is |
| 'axiolytic' (the technical term for stress reducer). | | | | negligible. |
| The results for 'acetaminophen' and 'pain' MAY be | | | | Changing The Popular View Of Aromatherapy |
| as strong; those for 'minoxidil' and 'hair' are almost | | | | So it's up to small natural health companies, |
| certainly not. | | | | individual practitioners, and the wonderful education |
| The Unfounded View of the Skeptics | | | | and research facilities doing the technical work to |
| So aromatherapists will even cede that there's | | | | get the word out. And particularly to rock the |
| mix results. While the naysayers use this data to | | | | boat a bit when so-called authorities make truly |
| say "aromatherapy doesn't work", the reasonable | | | | dubious claims about the dubious nature of |
| statement seems to be: "everyone's different. | | | | aromatherapy. Plant medicine has kept human |
| Some people respond and some don't. It may be | | | | beings alive for millennia -- essential oils are just |
| that they would respond to a different aromatic, | | | | very active molecules produced by plants, and |
| or maybe not at all". From Robert T. Carol of | | | | aromatherapy is so-called as it deals with the |
| skepdic.com: "...I have to conclude that | | | | therapeutic applications of these aromatic |
| aromatherapy is a mostly a pseudoscientific | | | | molecules. Aroma-therapy. Get the word out! |
| alternative medical therapy. It is a mixture of | | | | |