~Natural Essence Apothecary™~

The Respected & Revered Cedarwood

2011-08-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

Cedar trees have played a central role in aromatics from ancient times to the present. From ancient Egypt, to India, Tibet, the Mediterranean, and North America, the cedar tree has been respected and revered.

The tree is native to North America and grows up to 30 meters (100 feet) and ages up to 1,000 years. This is the tree Solomon used to build the Temple in Jerusalem. Cedrus libani or Lebanon cedar, from which the first essential oil was extracted, is very scarce due to over use.

The Egyptians used the oil in the mummification process, in cosmetics and as an insect repellent, while native Americans used Cedar oil in medicine and burnt it for purification. These days the wood is often used in the making of pencils and boxes.

Cedarwood oil benefits the skin by its sedating ability which relieves itching. Its astringent action is great for acne, oily skin, as well as for hair and dandruff. It helps with chest and urinary infections, acts as a general tonic and has a pronounced effect on mucus membranes.

It has a calming and soothing effect on the mind and is of great help in conditions associated with anxiety and nervous tension. It is also of value in cases of arthritis and rheumatism.
There are several types of Cedarwoods:

Atlas Cedarwood origin is Morocco and has a more woody fragrance that appeals to many men. Whereas the Himalayan Cedarwood is a softer, more subdued fragrance.

Virginia Cedarwood essential oil is actually from a Juniper tree, however the aroma is that of Cedar - woody and smooth, and reminiscent of an old cedarwood chest. Virginia Cedarwood oil is a beautiful dark reddish color.

Texas Cedarwood and Virginia cedarwood are from junipers and are quite different in aroma and therapeutic value. Also, Cedar Leaf oil is from a type of cypress and best to use very carefully or not at all due to its toxicity.

Or my personal favorite Himalayan Cedarwood- Sanskrit, Hindi: देवदार devadāru, which means "wood of the gods." The inner wood is aromatic and used to make incense. Inner wood is distilled into essential oil. As insects avoid this tree, the essential oil is used as insect repellent on the feet of horses, cattle and camels. It also has antifungal properties and has some potential for control of fungal deterioration of spices during storage. The outer bark and stem are astringent. Its biomedical actions are reported to be criminative, antispasmodic, creates sweating, urination and is aromatic. Deodar’s Ayurvedic actions are reported to increase digestive function, remove toxins from the bowel, alleviate coughing, and cure skin disorders such as eczema and psoriasis. Cedar oil is often used for its aromatic properties, especially in aromatherapy. This cedar has more of an eastern spice tone than North American cedars. Like Virginian Cedar it adds a woody middle note.

*Please avoid the use of any cedarwood oil during pregnancy.*

**Please be cautious when purchasing cedar essential oil! It is recommended only Atlas Cedar and Himalayan Cedar, as they are the safest to use, have the nicest aroma, and are the only true cedars typically available.

Thyme oil can inhibit COX2 and suppress inflammation

2010-05-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

ScienceDaily (Jan. 14, 2010) — For those who do not drink, researchers have found that six essential oils -from thyme, clove, rose, eucalyptus, fennel and bergamot -- can suppress the inflammatory COX-2 enzyme, in a manner similar to resveratrol, the chemical linked with the health benefits of red wine. They also identified that the chemical carvacrol was primarily responsible for this suppressive activity.

These findings, appearing in the January issue of Journal of Lipid Research, provide more understanding of the health benefits of many botanical oils and provide a new avenue for anti-inflammatory drugs.

Essential oils from plants have long been a component of home remedies, and even today are used for their aromatherapy, analgesic (e.g. cough drops), or antibacterial properties. Of course, the exact way they work is not completely understood. However, Hiroyasu Inoue and colleagues in Japan believed that many essential oils might target COX-2 much like compounds in wine and tea.

So, they screened a wide range of commercially available oils and identified six (thyme, clove, rose, eucalyptus, fennel and bergamot) that reduced COX-2 expression in cells by at least 25%. Of these, thyme oil proved the most active, reducing COX-2 levels by almost 75%.

When Inoue and colleagues analyzed thyme oil, they found that the major component -carvacrol- was the primary active agent; in fact when they use pure carvacrol extracts in their tests COX-2 levels decreased by over 80%.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100113122306.htm

Essential oils capable of killing superbugs, research finds

2009-12-16T19:29:00.000-08:00

MARESE McDONAGH
The Irish Times - Tuesday, December 15, 2009

FOR MANY PEOPLE essential oils are associated with sweet-smelling rooms or a relaxing bath, but their antibacterial components make them “highly efficient” in the treatment of so-called hospital “superbugs”, according to new research.

Scientists based at Sligo Institute of Technology have discovered that some essential oils are capable of killing the most resistant bacteria including MRSA as well as Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) and Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase (ESBL).

Superbugs, which have been attributed to overcrowding and poor hygiene in hospitals, are potentially life threatening, especially for people already frail due to illness.

Describing the findings as “very promising”, the research team, which includes staff from the Department of Microbiology at Sligo General Hospital, said the oils were effective against bacteria which were resistant to conventional antibiotics.

PhD student Julien Thibault said most antibiotics were “useless” in the fight against superbugs because of their enzyme content. Those antibiotics which do have an effect are so toxic that they are administered as a last resort because of risks to, for example, liver and kidney, he explained.

While essential oils are widely available in a range of outlets including pharmacies, health stores and supermarkets and are popular for use as antiseptic treatments and in aromatic oil burners, there has been little focus until now on their impact on resistant bacteria.

Essential oils are composed of plant extracts which generally contain a large number of chemicals, some of which have antibacterial properties.

The researchers tested a large range of oils and their components, and found that among the most effective at killing the MRSA, VRE and ESBL strains were clove, lemongrass, citronella, thyme, oregano, cinnamon while the popular tea tree oil was also found the be “quite effective”.

“The list is not exhaustive – a large majority of the oils tested showed activity at relatively low concentrations,” said Mr Thibault.

He said that while the results were promising, further work was needed to provide viable alternatives to patients. “This is a starting point,” he said, adding that caution was always needed when using essential oils.

Dr Fiona McArdle from Sligo IT, the supervisor on the project, said they were hoping to do further research so that the “huge potential” in the use of natural products in the treatment and eradication of superbugs could be exploited.

Mr Thibault said it had already been established that essential oils as vapour did have some antibacterial properties.
http://itsligo.ie/research-innovation/research/research-projects/
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2009/1215/1224260710594.html

Protection against the Flu and Essential Oils

2009-11-22T09:39:00.001-08:00

As the bubonic plague ravaged Europe in the year 1413, the story of the four thieves arrived on the scene and the story has changed history. They were captured and charged with robbing the dead and dying victims but it was noticed that they remained free of the plague. When the thieves were tried, the magistrate offered leniency if they would reveal how they resisted contracting the infection as they performed their gruesome acts. The four thieves explained that they were perfumers and spice traders and finally exposed their special concoction of aromatic herbs, including cloves and rosemary, that they rubbed on their hands, ears, and temples. This prevented them from contracting the disease! And as a result the “bird-masks” were invented to be worn by doctors as protection against airborne bacteria. In the beak was placed a material infused in a blend of essential oils that would filter, and kill, bacteria. These masks later became the “prototype” for the well-known Venetian carnival-mask.

The essential oil blend of the Four Thieves was tested at Weber State University for its potent antimicrobial properties. Thieves oil was found to have a 99.96% percent kill rate against airborne bacteria. The oils are highly antiviral, antiseptic, anti-catarrhyal, antibacterial, anti-infectious and also help to stimulate the immune system circulatory and respiratory systems and help protect the body against such illnesses as flu, colds, sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, sore throats, cuts etc.

A study by researchers in France in 2008 tested bactericidal activity of 13 different essential oils and had similar results, with cinnamon being the most effective. At concentrations as low as 10 percent or less, cinnamon oil was also effective against several antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, such as Staphylococcus and E. coli. During this study, after only 10 minutes there was a reduction of 82% in Micrococcus luteus, 96% in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 44% in Staphylococcus aurous.

There are a few recipes floating about for the Four Thieves:

Clove oil (Syzgium aromaticum) 200 drops or 1/2 ounce
Lemon oil (Citrus limon) 175 drops
Cinnamon Bark oil (Cinnamoomum verum) 100 drops
Eucalyptus oil ( Eucalyptus radiata) 75 drops
Rosemary oil (Rosimarinus officinalis) 50 drops

And, here are two recipes for Thieves Oil. One from Karen another from Debbie.

Thieves Oil recipes:

Equal amounts of eucalyptus, rosemary, cinnamon, clove and lemon. Mix with base of olive oil. I usually put a tablespoon of each in a 2 oz. bottle and then fill the rest with olive oil. you can make a larger batch in a quart jar following the same proportion method.
Same ingredients, but measured out in different strength's. Clove Bud Oil 200 drops, Lemon Oil 175 drops, Cinnamon Oil 100 drops, Eucalyptus Oil 75 drops, Rosemary 50 drops.

Then there is also the essential oils being touted as combating the H1N1 Swine Flu of 2009: Oregano, Lemon, Cinnamon, Clove, Eucalyptus, and Tea Tree. Not so much different from the Four Thieves. I would say whatever you have on hand from any of these list would absolutely be beneficial to your immune system and to help fight off any form a cold or flu.

How to use the essential oils:
*Place in a diffuser for 10-15 minutes every hour up to 4 hours to kill airborne germs.
*Dilute 2 drops of the blend in a carrier oil and apply to chest to relieve cough, bronchitis, pneumonia, clear phlegm and to heat up the body if chilled.
*Place 2 drops of diluted blend on to the lymph nodes to attack the virus and massage gently.
* Place 1 drop on the bottom of each foot for an overall kick start to your immune system. This also allows your body to start the detox process to rid the germs and virus. This is one of the most important things you can do for yourself.

My research includes but not limited to: Scent, Annick LeGuerer; The Foul & Fragrant, Alain Corbin; Aroma, The Cultural History of Smell, Classen/Howes/Synnott
http://politicolnews.com/protection-against-swine-flu/#comments http://stanford.wellsphere.com/general-medicine-article/four-thieves-vinegar-oil/801645

Natural Hand Sanitizers- Getting ready for the Flu Season

2009-09-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

Nothing beats old-fashion soap & water, but when your out and about and that's not available, having a natural sanitizer will keep you of harms way and germ free. Here's a couple of recipes.

Start with a liquid container-fill it 2/3 of the way with water-add a tablespoon or 2of Aloe Vera Gel-you can choose between 3 & 5 of the listed essential oils and then add 5 drops each of lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, clove bud, lavender, tea tree. Add a splash of either rubbing alcohol or vodka and top off with water, shake it and gently apply to hands.

Or

10% Ravensara in Aloe Vera gel = Natural Hand Sanitizer

A Swish with Myrrh

2009-09-30T19:01:00.000-07:00

The name Myrrh actually means “bitter” in the Arabic language. Myrrh is well known throughout history to many cultures especially traditional Arabian healers, and up to the present day is one of the most recommended medicinal herbs in Arabia.

Myrrh is known to make a difference in the health of maintaining and combating gum disease and for healing mucous membranes, including in the throat, mouth, stomach, sinuses, esophagus, colon, and more, while at the same time being good for helping to rid the body of nasty lung ailments too, including the likes of pneumonia, bronchitis, allergy (including asthma and similar problems), and almost any other type of inflammatory disease. Myrrh helps to get the phlegm out of the lungs and sinuses too.

If you are currently having issues with gum infections, bleeding gums, sore throat or gingivitis this rinse is what you are looking for, you will need:

5 oz bottle with dropper
Fill with Vodka
Add 2 drops Myrrh Essential Oil
Mix and add 1-2 drops per oz of water gargle and rinse

Direct application of Myrrh oil-use a clean cotton Q-tip apply 1 drop and apply to area of gum or tooth, it may sting a bit for a few moments, but is an excellent way to heal the affected area.

Myrrh can even be used in your neti pot as a sinus wash.

Tom's of Maine also has a Myrrh Toothpaste

Why Tea Tree Oil is a great Summer Oil

2009-08-06T09:41:00.001-07:00

Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) is the most researched of all the essential oils.

In Chinese medicine, this is a cooling, slightly yin oil. It aids the circulation of Qi and blood, clears toxins, and reduces inflammation.

It is being used as a very effective first aid remedy and against countless skin aliments, infections, cuts, scrapes, burns, insect bites and skin spots, etc… just to name a few uses.

Trying to control the causes of acne, it is very important to keep the surfaces affected by acne as clean as possible. Infection of the skin only worsens the condition so including tea tree as a part of your skin care regime, results will follow.

Tea tree being antiseptic oil it prevents any possible infections that could arise, and almost immediately soothes the skin, clearing out any ongoing infection. It has the ability to open clogged pores so that acne can heal faster. Any acne scarring is reduced because the tea tree is effective on infection and very gentle on the skin.

Sunburns are not only aesthetically unappealing, it is painful. The complications can include sunburn swelling, peeling, nausea and fever. Appling tea tree oil prevents the skin peeling and soothes the pain of the burn, and leads to faster healing.

Other conditions and uses for tea tree essential oil include nail fungus, ringworm, athlete’s foot, dandruff, blackheads, and many types of infestations including lice, mites, scabies, and mosquitoes, etc. Tea tree oil is not just soothing and disinfecting, it is capable of penetrating into the lower skin layers with its anti-inflammatory, disinfectant, analgesic (pain-killing) and cicatrizant (wound- healing) qualities.

Tea tree oil use is so versatile, that it is a good idea to keep a bottle of tea tree oil handy at all times. While tea tree is non-toxic and non-irritant, always carry out a patch test first to check for sensitivity as it can irritate some skins.

Tea Tree oil and aromatherapy books available at www.CrimsonMoon.com

Oregano Stops Inflammation of Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis

2009-05-22T20:17:00.000-07:00

Over the last couple of years turmeric has become a darling of nutrition researchers. One particularly important study showed the spice reduces inflammation in mice. Curry all around was the conclusion, since there is no toxic dose associated with turmeric. Asian cuisine basked in the healthy glow of the research.

Not to be outdone, the herb oregano is giving a similar boost to Italian foods and pizza sauce. A 2008 study completed by Swiss researchers (?!) shows that oregano is an ultimate inflammation fighter. The active ingredient, betacaryophyllin, helped seven out of every 10 mice to recover from inflamed paws.

The study was published here in the U.S. in Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, marking a significant mainstream mile for the herb—and for betacaryophyllin, abbreviated as E-BCP, which is also plentiful in black pepper (“yes, I would like fresh-ground pepper on my salad”), rosemary and cinnamon (also found in research literature to be a regulator of bad cholesterol). Plus, basil, so those Italians clearly know how to stem inflammation too.

Reducing chronic inflammation is no small thing, as it is increasingly associated with leading to heart attacks and sits at the root of autoimmune disorders including diabetes, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis among others. One promising discovery is oregano and E-BCP could well work to prevent the immune system for overacting and attacking itself, which is at the core of autoimmune disorders.

And there’s more. The Swiss scientists reported that lab findings suggest that oregano could well hold off the bone degeneration associated with osteoporosis. While not part of this study, the researchers speculated that E-BCP could address inflammation of the bowel associated with Crohn’s disease.

The new research doesn’t surprise those of us who have discovered oil of oregano, especially as a cold and flu remedy. Natural-health conscious parents say five drops in a bit of water, then gargle with it, stops a sore throat in its tracks. The oil has a strong, bitter taste, so you might want to mask it for kids.

Health practitioners who work with essential oils will point to the triple-threat potency of oil of oregano, identifying it as antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. European herbal research consistently shows oregano as one of the most potent for immune-boosting properties.

The oil of oregano products are important to keep in mind because what might be labeled “oregano” in a dried herb products can actually be Spanish marjoram, which is clearly not oregano. You want to look for sourcing information to identify the herb as wild oregano, which is typically grown in the Mediterranean region. Essential oil, of course, distilled the plant down to a concentrated and therapeutic form. Be savvy about where and how you get your oregano and health rewards await.

And probably even better tasting pizza sauce.

By Bob Condor, AHJ Editor -- Published: May 21, 2009
Bob Condor blogs for Alternative Health Journal every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
http://www.alternativehealthjournal.com/blog/1/oregano_stops_inflammation_of_lupus__rheumatoid_arthritis/226

Agricultural Aromatherapy: Lavender Oil As Natural Herbicide

2009-05-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

ScienceDaily (May 21, 2009) — Could essential oils extracted from lavender be used as a natural herbicide to prevent weed growth among crops? Research carried out in Italy and reported in the current issue of the International Journal of Environment and Health suggests the answer may be yes.
Elena Sturchio of the National Institute of Health and Safety at Work in Rome and colleagues there and at the Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, and the Department Crop Production, at Tuscia University, in Viterbo, have investigated the inhibitory effects on weed growth of aromatic oils, or mixtures of phytochemicals, from plants such as lavender, Lavandula officinalis.

Essential oils, are as the name suggests, often the plant's "essence" in terms of odour. Essential oils are complex chemical mixtures of natural products made by the plant for its own purposes, including terpenes, alcohols, aldehydes and phenols. Indeed, several plant essential oils are present as natural inbuilt herbicides and pesticides.

Synthetic pesticides and herbicides have been in common use for decades and have protected crops from parasites, insects, bacteria, viruses, fungi, and eliminated weeds. However, by virtue of their design, these substances are toxic and in some cases thought to be carcinogenic. Their incorrect use or inadvertent exposure have been the focus of numerous studies on animal and human health, the results of which have led to serious initiatives to find alternative approaches to pest and weed control.

Other researchers have investigated the potential of essential oils from cinnamon plants, and peppermint to prevent seed germination of some weed species found in the Mediterranean region.

Sturchio and colleagues have investigated the effects of lavender oil on root growth in a plant, Vicia faba in trials. This weed has large chromosomes and so was also amenable to studies in the laboratory that investigated the genetic toxicity of the essential oil on the weed. Their analysis showed the oil to be effective at killing the weed even at low concentration. Moreover, the oil affects growth of soil microbes and fungi involved in crop growth.

The team concludes that, "Essential oils could be useful as potential bioherbicides as an alternative strategy to the chemical remedy." They add that, "The use of phytochemicals permits the development for more sustainable agriculture at low environmental impact. Further studies are now needed to evaluate use of such oils "in the field".

The team points out that the oils would most likely be used either before planting or prior to transplantation of seedlings, so the essential oil would not have toxicity effects on the crop itself. Sturchio adds that, "essential oils are not accumulated in the environment, because of their low persistence due to the easy degradation by microbial and enzyme activity. This aspect could represent an advantage compared to the bioaccumulation of chemicals on soil."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Journal reference:

Miriam Zanellato, Eva Masciarelli, Laura Casorri, Priscilla Boccia, Elena Sturchio, Mario Pezzella, Andrea Cavalieri, Fabio Caporali. The essential oils in agriculture as an alternative strategy to herbicides: a case study. International Journal of Environment and Health, 2009; 3 (2): 198 DOI: 10.1504/IJENVH.2009.024878
Adapted from materials provided by Inderscience, via AlphaGalileo.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090514083921.htm

Himalayan oregano can wipe out hospital super bug

2009-04-21T18:30:00.001-07:00

THE OREGANO that grows wild in the Himalayas has, traditionally, been disregarded by local people. In the Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh it's known as bekaar gahaas – 'useless grass': even cows and goats don't eat it. Herb collectors, who make a living harvesting wild plants, concentrate on the more valuable medicinal plants, which are now threatened by over-exploitation.

A new project, partnering researchers at the University of the West of England (UWE) with organisations in India, is hoping to persuade collectors and buyers that, far from useless, oregano has real commercial potential – based on its remarkable antibacterial properties, particularly against the hospital ‘superbug’ MRSA. The project is one of five winners, out of 400 global entrants, of a 2008 SEED award – a UN and IUCN (International Union for the Conversation of Nature) -led scheme aimed at promoting local, sustainable enterprises in developing countries.

Commenting on the SEED Awards, Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), said: "The SEED Awards again underline that creative and entrepreneurial solutions to many of the pressing challenges facing the world are being found. It is now vital that these shining examples are federated and mainstreamed across communities and countries to maximize their undoubted and potentially significant impact."

The Oregano against MRSA project is one of a series of initiatives aimed at providing communities in Himachal Pradesh with income from sustainable, non-timber forest products; Origanum vulgare is a relatively common herb that grows in high-altitude meadows throughout the Himalayan region, and can be harvested sustainably. Recent research by UWE and SGS Herbals in Delhi has shown that the essential oil of Himalayan oregano contains potent antibacterial properties, and is effective at killing the MRSA bacterium even at very low concentrations.

One of the lead partners of the project in India, Biolaya Organics, develops projects aimed at conserving endangered medicinal herbs, by cultivating threatened species, and by sustainable collection and value addition of more common species.
Ben Heron, of Biolaya Organics, explains: "We started working with oregano because it is a species that, if managed properly, can be collected year after year without depleting the population in the wild. Our aim is to be able to pay the local herb collectors the equivalent amount that they would normally earn from collecting endangered medicinal herb species so that they become less dependent on the extraction of these plants for their livelihoods.

We started working with oregano because it is a species that, if managed properly, can be collected year after year without depleting the population in the wild.

Ben Heron, "It has been known for some time that Mediterranean oregano oil is a powerful antimicrobial, which is said to be due to the high content of a compound called carvacol. As far as we know nobody had tested the carvacol content of Himalayan oregano oil before, so we teamed up with SGS in Delhi to conduct tests and found that it was equally as potent as the Mediterranean variety.
Heron continued: “Further tests in the SGS laboratory found that the Himalayan oregano oil killed MRSA more effectively than all 18 antibiotics that it was compared against. We have recently linked up with UWE’s microbiology department who are now carrying out more rigorous tests, and hope to publish the results in a scientific journal."

Professor Vyv Salisbury, of UWE's Centre for Research in Biomedicine (CRIB), said: "We have done a few preliminary tests and have found that the essential oil from the oregano kills MRSA at a dilution 1 to 1,000. The tests show that the oil kills MRSA both as a liquid and as a vapour and its antimicrobial activity is not diminished by heating in boiling water. This is exciting as it also means that we could consider using the oil to develop disinfectant washing powders. We now aim to conduct a focused academic study in partnership with SGS labs in Delhi that we hope will give the project the academic credibility needed to market the oil.

She added: "We hope that our study will help take the project to the next stage where, with the help of UWE's Research, Business and Innovation department we find a business partner to help us produce a range of products that we can market for medical and domestic settings. Once we are able to start providing a sustainable income for villages in Kullu, the scope for up-scaling and replication in other parts of the Himalayan region is enormous."

Image: SEED
http://www.hero.ac.uk/uk/business/archives/2008/essential_oregano_Dec.cfm

Himalayan oregano can wipe out hospital super bug: Research
April 21st, 2009 - 8:13 pm ICT by ANI
Kullu (Himachal Pradesh), Apr. 21 (ANI): Natural oil extracted from Himalayan oregano can help in wiping out deadly hospital super bug MRSA, a new research has claimed.

“For the last 2-3 years, we have been researching its (Oregano) antibacterial properties, in particular against the hospital infections that have become resistant to antibiotics and we have found that this is a very effective antibacterial and anti fungal agent,” said Ben Heron, Senior Researcher at Himachal Pradsh based Biolaya Organics.

The joint research was done by the Bristol University, Biolaya Organics, Jagriti, G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development and SGS India.

The research proved that essential oil of oregano contains potent antibacterial properties and is effective at killing the ’super bug’ MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria that has become a serious health problem in hospitals in the West.

They have discovered that the herb, commonly used in cooking, could eradicate the deadly infection.

Another objective of the project is also to provide livelihood to rural farmers and herbs collectors.

“The ultimate idea is to develop a sustainable harvesting management plan for this particular specie, develop entrepreneurship from this particular specie and finally go for the sustainable development of the farmers in the hilly region,” said Dr. S.S. Samant, senior scientist, G.B.Pant Institute of the Himalayan Environment and Development, Kullu.

Preliminary research into the oil found that tiny doses are capable of wiping out fungi and bacteria, including MRSA.

Origanum Vulgare is a relatively common herb that grows in high altitude meadows throughout the Himalayan region, yet it is perceived by many villagers to have no culinary, medicinal or economic value.

However, in Kullu, oregano is often referred to as ‘bekaar ghaas’ (useless grass). (ANI)
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/himalayan-oregano-can-wipe-out-hospital-super-bug-research_100182705.html

ROSES TO THE RESCUE

2009-04-13T20:19:00.000-07:00

Not only does it smell sublime, but rose oil heals, hydrates, moisturises and softens skin of all ages

By Daily Mail Reporter

Now here’s a quick history lesson. It’s only since the 19th century that the fragrant rose has become best known for its use in perfumery.

Before that, roses were grown mainly for their medicinal properties. The Persians are credited with being the first to separate the essential oils from the petals by floating the flowers in water and waiting for the sun to do its work.

Rose hips are the fruit of the wild rose, or Rosa canina, and they have an incredibly high vitamin C content - eight times the amount, weight for weight, that you get from oranges.

No wonder wild rose hips were gathered during World War II, when citrus fruits were scarce, and made into a syrup for children.

‘Rose absolute has been proven to help repair broken capillaries and calm redness. It is also an excellent tissue hydrator,’ she says.

That aside, the aroma is uplifting. ‘Rose Absolute is believed to help reduce anxiety, promote feelings of well-being and is useful in helping to cope with depression or stress,’ says Lynne.

The queen of all rose oils is rose otto - extracted from the species Rosa Damascena.

Morocco is one of the few places that can grow this flower in large enough quantities to produce the oil - it takes an incredible 2,000 roses to create just one gram of the wonderful stuff.

To view entire artical http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1169531/Roses-rescue-Light-oil-hydrates-moisturises-softens-skin-ages.html

Egyptian Queen's Perfume to Be Resurrected

2009-03-20T21:04:00.000-07:00

We already know how to walk like an Egyptian, and soon we'll know how to smell like one, too.

The favorite perfume of powerful Egyptian "she king" Hatshepsut may be resurrected from residue found in a 3,500-year-old perfume bottle (pictured), a German research team said in March 2009. (See Hatshepsut photos in National Geographic magazine.)

X-ray photographs of the 4.7-inch-tall (12-centimeter-tall) bottle, from the permanent collection of Bonn University's Egyptian Museum, reveals remnants of the ancient oil. Scientists plan to identify the substance and, possibly within a year, re-create the perfume.

The bottle, which was found in the queen's possessions after her death in 1457 B.C., is engraved with a hieroglyph (bottom) of her name.

The thin neck "allows a very economical dosing of the valuable content," according to Michael Höveler-Müller, curator of Bonn University's Egyptian Museum. A small clay stopper would have kept the oil from spilling.

"In every case our research will touch new grounds and will maybe enable us to put our noses back into a time more than 3,500 years [ago]," Höveler-Müller said in an email.

—Christine Dell'Amore
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/photogalleries/egyptian-queen-perfume/

Ancient plant oils seen fighting food pathogens

2009-03-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada release 3/19/2009 6:47:00 PM

Oils derived from cinnamon and cloves do more than taste and smell good -- they can also fight food-borne diseases, such as E. coli and salmonella, researchers are discovering.

This natural ability of some ancient natural oils -- from geraniums, cloves, wild oregano, cinnamon and thyme, for example -- offers promise in finding alternatives to antibiotics used in animal feed, according to researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) who are leading the study in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada and the University of Guelph.

"These essential oils can potentially be one of many new and innovative tools for controlling food-borne bacteria at the source, while at the same time reducing the need for dietary antibiotics," says Dr. Joshua Gong, a research scientist at AAFC's Guelph Food Research Centre.

Bacterial pathogens are a common and ongoing concern in animal health and welfare as well as food safety. For example, E. coli causes diarrhea in newly weaned piglets, delaying growth and affecting subsequent performance and production. Other pathogens, such as salmonella, can sometimes be found in meat products and has the potential to be transferred to humans.

However, consumers have expressed concerns that the use of dietary antibiotics in food animal production may contribute to wide-spread antibiotic resistance. These possible effects on human health have increased the demand to develop alternatives.

Plants contain essential oils that defend them from insects, fungi, bacteria and other destructive invaders. Since ancient times, some of these oils have been recognized as safe in flavourings, preservatives and over-the-counter medicines. They have also been used in the manufacture of perfumes throughout history.

The first focus of AAFC's research has been testing these oils as alternatives to dietary antibiotics in swine production. The results showed that many of the essential oils killed the "bad" bacteria without destroying the "good" bacteria in the intestinal tract.

The pig infection experiments show promise. But creating the perfect blend and concentration of essential oils and delivering it to the right section of a pig's digestive tract continues to be a challenge. When mixed with animal feed in a number of cases, the feed completely absorbed the antimicrobial compound and the oil had no effect.

With funding from Ontario Pork ($30,000, matched by AAFC through its Matching Investment Initiative) the research team has identified a technique to encapsulate the essential oil, thus protecting the oils from interacting with the pig feed and delivering them to the target area.

"Through encapsulation, the oils were rapidly released in the small intestine, which is known to be the ideal site for maximum effect in controlling the growth of bad bacteria and disease-causing pathogens in swine," AAFC research scientist Dr. Qi Wang said. "However, each oil has unique properties and may require a different carrier to help it retain its anti-microbial activity in transit down the digestive tract."

Before additional animal tests are performed, the team plans to look at antimicrobial activity of the selected essential oils when mixed in various forms (dry powder, liquid suspension) with pig feed and then subject these trials to simulated digestion.

"Our team is excited about the possibilities for applying this research," Wang said. "It's amazing when you think that something as simple as essential oils may help animals and humans maintain digestive health. At the same time, these essential oils may be an alternative to synthetic antibiotics to manage food-borne pathogens."

http://www.albertafarmexpress.ca/issues/ISArticle.asp?id=97611&PC=FBC&issue=03192009

Study: Frankincense, Gift From 3 Wise Men, May Treat Bladder Cancer

2009-03-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

FRANKINCENSE, an aromatic tree oil and in Christian tradition one of the three wise men's gifts to the baby Jesus, may be a helpful treatment for bladder cancer, according to a study published today.
US scientists tested an enriched extract of the frankincense herb boswellia carteri on both human bladder cancer cells and normal bladder cells in laboratory experiments.

The oil suppressed cancer growth and activated mechanisms which kill the dangerous cells, they said.

"Frankincense oil can discriminate bladder cancer cells and normal urothelial cells in culture. The oil suppresses cell survival and induces apoptosis in cultured bladder cancer cells," said the study.

Lead researcher Doctor Hsueh-Kung Lin of the University of Oklahoma said: "Frankincense oil may represent an inexpensive alternative therapy for patients currently suffering from bladder cancer."

The study noted that the oil originated from Africa, India and the Middle East and has been "important both socially and economically as an ingredient in incense and perfumes for thousands of years".

According to the Bible, it was presented to the infant Jesus by the three wise men, along with gold and myrrh.

The study was published in the online British Medical Council journal Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,25209160-38200,00.html?from=public_rss

Arthritis Cures from Nature

2009-02-28T13:06:00.000-08:00

Recently, glucosomine and chondroitin have been in the news for their relief and reversal of arthritis symptoms. These nutritional supplements are now widely available but they do not help with either the inflammation of arthritis or with rheumatoid arthritis. They do not reverse the damage to joints caused by inflammation; however, help is on the way from other natural substances.

Cod liver oil can reverse the destruction of joint cartilage according to recent research at the Cardiff University in Britain. Cod liver oil contains essential fatty acids and other omega-3, as well as Vitamin D. The research shows that the Vitamin D in the cod liver oil helps heal the inflammation and speed recovery to joints. Another reason that cod liver and other fish oil may have such an amazing affect is because of a molecule contained in many fish and shellfish species. Krill oil is also available, with the same advantages of fish oil.

The pathway researchers call “the 5-lipoxygenase pathway” acts like a pain highway, sending signals from inflamed joints to the brain. These signals are not turned off by glucosomine, as well as the minerals inside a green-lipped mussel from New Zealand. Known by Maori natives in New Zealand for centuries, the green-lipped mussel is a staple of their diet and thought to promote long life. In fact, the Maori rarely get arthritis, though they live well into their 80s and 90s. Researchers have found that the green-lipped mussel, or Perna canaliculus, contains proteins, polypeptides, naturally chelated minerals, long-chain fatty acids, enzymes, vitamins, as well as chondroitin sulfates, already known to aid in arthritis relief. A study on rats at Clemson University showed that the mussels, or Perna, were able not only to reverse arthritis, but also prevent it. This study also showed that the mussel has an immune modulating affect.

A study in Denmark tested people who ate four ounces of fish daily. They experienced significant decrease in morning stiffness and swollen joints after six months. A University of Washington study displayed similar results. Two or more servings a day of baked or broiled fish enabled a 40 percent decrease in the likelihood of developing arthritis.

Because people with arthritis are at risk for heart disease and stroke, five to thirteen servings of vegetables and fruit daily are advised. Apples are especially nutritious for arthritis suffers, because they contain magnesium, which has been shown to decrease fibromyalgia pain. Quercetin found in apples, also helps reduce the action of Mast cells that cause inflammation. Cherries contain anthocyanins, and studies have shown that cherries reduce inflammatory pain up to ten times better than aspirin or ibuprofen. Tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant have been sited as being bad for arthritis but new research shows these claims may be unfounded. In fact, the lycopene in tomatoes may even be beneficial. There is also no evidence that dairy food trigger arthritis. Inflammatory diseases require amino acids to repair tissue and keep it healthy. For that reason, an increase in the intake of protein is suggested for arthritis sufferers. Nuts provide the nutrient selenium, which helps limit oxidative damage. One ounce of Brazil nuts contains over 500 mcg of selenium.

Homeopathic remedies for arthritis pain include Rhus tox and Ruta. Rhus tox treats pains that are better with movement. This is a good remedy for people who are still when waking but better as the day goes on. Ruta is used as an overuse remedy, and the pains of Ruta are worse as the day goes on.

With over 16 million American suffering from debilitating arthritis, many researchers are looking for cures. Substances from nature have been aiding peoples around the globe for centuries. Science is now underway to prove the efficacy of these gifts from Mother Earth.
By: Melanie Grimes
Published: Friday, 27 February 2009
http://www.healthnews.com/blogs/melanie-grimes/natural-health/arthritis-cures-nature-2707.html

Body brushing: Strengthen your body's immune system

2009-02-24T07:32:00.000-08:00

Body brushing is an old European self-care technique that takes only a few minutes to do before you step into the bath or shower. It helps remove the buildup of dead skin cells and helps stimulate the lymphatic system to eliminate toxins. The light brisk stokes provide the right pressure on the surface of the skin and when applied in the direction of the lymphatic routes, assist the flow of the lymph through the channels.

The lymphatic system, in conjunction with the circulatory system, is an important mechanism for eliminating toxins from the body. The lymphatic system is part of the body’s immune system and consists of a network of fluid-filled vessels distributed throughout the body just under the surface of the skin. This system contributes to the body’s defenses in two ways - by collecting bacteria and toxins from the tissues and disposing of them and by producing lymphocytes that act as antibodies for the immune system. An impaired lymphatic flow, results from the buildup of waste materials in the tissues and in the lymph nodes. The lymphatic system can benefit from being stimulated manually by body brushing or a massage!

Body brushing/skin brushing technique
Purchase a soft vegetable bristle brush, available at most health food stores, and rub a drop of mild essential oil like lavender on the brush to sterilize it. Using a light, sweeping stroke, begin at the feet and work up the legs front and back toward the torso. Always use an upward stroke toward the center of the body; this encourages lymph flow toward the main lymphatic ducts underneath the collarbones. Brush up both sides of the arms and across the shoulders, and continue up the back and neck. Finish the treatment with small circular strokes on the abdomen in a clockwise direction following the movement of the colon.

Message Oil Blend
You can follow body brushing with a massage to improve the flow of circulation. These blends of oils encourage the removal of waste materials. Bay laurel is a potent antibacterial essential oil, while basil and rosemary stimulate local circulation in the tissues to help diminish fluid retention or sluggish circulation. This massage oil is excellent for premenstrual women who experience breast tenderness or immune-compromised individual who want to stimulate the lymphatic system.

1-ounce glass bottle
1-ounce carrier oil (select one or a combination of several carrier oils)
3 drops basil
4 drops rosemary
6 drops bay laurel

Fill the bottle halfway with carrier oil. Add essential oils, cover and shake well. Fill with remaining carrier oil. Cover and agitate a second time. Message gently into lymph nodes in neck area, and underneath arms, or use for full-body message.

February 23, 10:28 AM
by Victoria Abreo, Denver Health and Beauty Examiner

~Exploring the benefit of aromatherapy can be a rewarding experience, as long as you use them with caution. Buying a book on aromatherapy can give you information on individual oils and general safety advice. Remember to always perform a skin test, to avoid allergic reactions.~

http://www.examiner.com/x-4056-Denver-Health-and-Beauty-Examiner~y2009m2d23-Body-Brushing

Candy Canes can help fight germs & Treat digestive disorders

2008-12-25T20:56:00.000-08:00

Washington, Dec 25 (ANI): The traditional candy canes used for decorating Christmas trees can help fight germs and treat digestive disorders, according to a new study.

A study led by McMaster University researcher Alex Ford had found that peppermint oil, found in most candy canes, can act as the first line of defence against irritable bowel syndrome.

“Most of the (effective) species are really from the family Lamiaceae, or mint family,” Discovery News quoted Pavel Kloucek, a scientist at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, as saying.

The researchers hope that peppermint oil, and other potent essential oils, may soon be wafted in vapour form over food to inhibit bacterial growth.

For the new study, Kloucek and his team looked at several essential oils to determine how well they could, in vapour form, kill the bacteria responsible for Listeria, Staph, E. coli, and Salmonella infections, and more.

The new study is the first to bring forth the antimicrobial activity of two other mint family members -Mentha villosa and Faassen’’s catnip -along with another non-mint herb, bluebeard.

Moreover, essential oils for horseradish, garlic, hyssop, basil, marjoram, oregano, winter savory, and three types of thyme also showed potent bacteria-busting abilities.

Kloucek said that plant essential oils are lipophilic, i.e. they gravitate towards fat.

“And luckily, in the cell membrane of bacteria, there is plenty of fat, which serves as a seal,” he said.

“Essential oils are attracted to this fat and, as their molecules squeeze in between the fat molecules, they cause leakage of the membrane,” he added.

If foods were treated with essential oils to prevent illness, the obvious problem to overcome is the oils” potent taste. While strong mint flavour is desirable in a candy cane, it might not work well with other foods. The solution, according to Kloucek and his team, is to carefully match the oil with the food. (ANI)

What You Smell As You Sleep Influences Your Dreams

2008-10-11T10:55:00.000-07:00

ScienceDaily (Sep. 22, 2008) — What you smell as you sleep has the power to influence your dreams, says new research presented at the 2008 American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in Chicago, IL.*

German researchers used specific volatile odorants with a negative or a positive smell ("rotten eggs" versus "roses") to simulate subjects during sleep. They then recorded the subjects' impressions when they were awakened. When using the unpleasant odorant, the emotional coloration of the dream was predominantly negative, while under stimulation with the pleasant stimulus, nearly all dreams had a positive coloration.

Researchers note that only recently information on olfactory function during sleep has become available, and that this is the first valid study that documents the impact of olfactory function on dreams. This study may also open a potential field of therapeutic intervention with nocturnal olfactory stimulation.

*Title: The Impact of Olfactory Stimulation on Dreams. Presenters: Boris A. Stuck, MD; Desislava Atanasova; Kathrin Frauke Grupp; Michael Schredl, PhD. Date: September 21, 2008

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080921162021.htm

Frankincense provides relief to arthritis sufferers

2008-08-21T20:30:00.000-07:00

An enriched extract of the 'Indian Frankincense' herb Boswellia serrata has been proven to reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Research published today in BioMed Central's open access journal Arthritis Research & Therapy has shown that patients taking the herbal remedy showed significant improvement in as little as seven days.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis; it commonly affects weight-bearing joints such as the knees and hips, along with the hands, wrists, feet and spine. The symptoms include pain, stiffness and limited movement. This randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of 70 patients will be of great interest to sufferers, especially those who don't get adequate relief from existing treatments.

The study was led by Siba Raychaudhuri, a faculty member of the University of California, Davis, in the United States. According to Raychaudhuri, "The high incidence of adverse affects associated with currently available medications has created great interest in the search for an effective and safe alternative treatment". The extract the authors used was enriched with 30% AKBA (3-O-acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid), which is thought to be the most active ingredient in the plant. Raychaudhuri said, "AKBA has anti-inflammatory properties, and we have shown that B. serrata enriched with AKBA can be an effective treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee". This is a proprietary product developed by Laila Nutraceuticals.

B. serrata has been used for thousands of years in the Indian system of traditional medicine known as 'Ayurveda'. This study is the first to prove that an enriched extract of the plant can be used as a successful treatment.

The same authors have previously tested the safety of their remedy in animal experiments. They say that, "In this study, the compound was shown to have no major adverse effects in our osteoarthritis patients. It is safe for human consumption and even for long-term use".

###

Notes to Editors

1. A double blind, randomized, placebo controlled study of the efficacy and safety of 5-Loxin(R) for treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee
Krishanu Sengupta, Krishnaraju V Alluri, Andey Rama Sathis, Simanchala Mishra, Trimurtulu Golakoti, Kadainti VS Sarma, Dipak Dey and Siba P Raychaudhuri
Arthritis Research & Therapy (in press)

During embargo, article available here: http://arthritis-research.com/imedia/1806060114163435_article.pdf
After the embargo, article available at journal website: http://arthritis-research.com/

Please name the journal in any story you write. If you are writing for the web, please link to the article. All articles are available free of charge, according to BioMed Central's open access policy.

Article citation and URL available on request at press@biomedcentral.com on the day of publication

2. Arthritis Research & Therapy is an international, peer-reviewed online and print journal, publishing original research, reviews, commentaries and reports. Studies relate to the rationale and treatment of arthritis, autoimmune disease and diseases of bone and cartilage. The journal is edited by Prof Peter E Lipsky (USA) and Prof Sir Ravinder N Maini (UK) and has an Impact Factor of 4.04.

3. BioMed Central (http://www.biomedcentral.com/) is an independent online publishing house committed to providing immediate access without charge to the peer-reviewed biological and medical research it publishes. This commitment is based on the view that open access to research is essential to the rapid and efficient communication of science.

Public release date: 29-Jul-2008
[ Print Article | E-mail Article | Close Window ]

Contact: Graeme Baldwin
graeme.baldwin@biomedcentral.com
44-020-707-94804
BioMed Central
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-07/bc-fpr072808.php

Aveda, the problem with common scents

2008-08-18T07:46:00.000-07:00

Ko-ichi Shiozawa, chief perfumer at Aveda, smelled a scent sample containing 15 essential oils that will be featured in a new Aveda shampoo and conditioner, available next year. Behind him are samples of hundreds of essential oils.

Chief perfumer Ko-ichi Shiozawa can easily find the fragrances he hopes to use in Aveda's products. It's harvesting the organic oils without the use of petrochemicals that keeps him hard at work.

By DEE DePASS, Star Tribune

Last update: August 17, 2008 - 11:58 AM

For years, "the nose" of Aveda has traveled the Amazon River in Brazil, the flower fields of Corsica and the banks of the Nile in Egypt in search of his aromatic holy grail: a lone, elusive ingredient that just might defy mother nature.

But more often than not these days, Aveda's chief perfumer Ko-ichi Shiozawa has returned from his quests empty-handed. His frustration is apparent in the way he rubs his temples and raps his knuckles to a drumbeat of discontent at his vial-strewn desk.

Plant-based "essential oils are not enough for me anymore. I am obsessed with organic, I must say," said Shiozawa, 67, one of just 400 perfumers nationwide.

His stubborn hunt for an organic plant-based solvent would help Aveda's already fragrant offerings stand out even more in a $170 billion industry that still relies on about 3,000 synthetic chemicals to inexpensively make stable and long-lasting scents.

Founded in Minneapolis 30 years ago and now based in Blaine, Aveda has become a global champion of upscale, all-natural and "pure essence" shampoos, conditioners, skin lotions and other beauty products. The $7.6 billion Estée Lauder cosmetics firm liked the plant-science concept so much that it paid Aveda founder Horst Rechelbacher $300 million for the company 11 years ago.

Since then, Aveda's Minnesota employment has grown from 400 to about 710. Revenue has quintupled, and while company officials declined to disclose it, they are quick to credit Shiozawa and his team with a chunk of the company's success.

"Ko-ichi is the originator of the 'It smells Aveda!' factor," said Dominique Conseil, Aveda's president. A few years ago, he said, he challenged Shiozawa to create more organic essential oils, and Shiozawa came through. Aveda has increased its percentage of certified-organic essential plant oils from 25 percent to more than 90 percent, Conseil said.
Aveda relies on about 200 essential plant oils and is increasingly demanding that the raw seeds, bark, roots, flowers and leafy ingredients come from organic farms and through organic processes. By mixing a tenth of a milligram of this and a drop of that, Shiozawa has developed thousands of natural and organic aromatic formulas in his organ-shaped lab that is lined with rows and rows of small glass bottles.

But he is far from content. Turns out, extracting the sweet scent of a blessed flower is mighty hard to do without petrochemical solvents.

"Only the rose" truly retains its sweet flowery aroma after distilling without chemicals, Shiozawa said.

Sure, he can get chemical-free "certified organic" ylang-ylang oils from Madagascar's cananga tree flowers, lavender from Bulgaria, and neroli orange blossom from Egypt and Morocco. But they can produce odors that reek of musty earth, musk or mint -- nothing like the sweet floral scents he craves.

"If I can have these new flowery notes, I am pretty sure Aveda's organic perfume would be quite exciting and interesting," Shiozawa said. "Everybody knows there's no such thing as an organic flower note. It would be a breakthrough."

And lucrative, he concedes with a chuckle.

Trained as a chemist, Shiozawa abandoned that career years ago and moved from Japan to Paris, to study French literature at the Sorbonne. He fell in love -- with France, a Frenchwoman who would become his wife, and perfume.

He landed in a perfume training program in the foothills of the French Alps where jasmine, rose, violets, orange flower and rosemary scents "wafted through the streets." He later worked in Switzerland, New Jersey and the not-so-picturesque Long Island City, N.Y., where Shiozawa, a father of four, toiled making pleasant scents for household products.

But all that was before a French friend suggested Shiozawa join him at Aveda. Shiozawa recalled asking him: "Aveda? What is that? ... Minnesota? Where is that?"

That was 18 years ago. Austrian-born Rechelbacher tapped Shiozawa to head Aveda's Botanical Aroma Department after a dinner at D'Amico that lasted for hours. The two discussed essential oils, Shiozawa's passion for German poetry and all things French.

But 18 years later, he's not reading poetry.

Close but elusive

"Grrrr!" growled the normally eloquent Shiozawa recently, after dipping one of his ubiquitous white scent blotter-sticks into a 2-inch vial of organic jasmine.

The smell is burnt and pungent, like cinnamon-spiced meat left on a grill to decay.

"I would go to the ends of the Earth to find" the natural process that could let a flower oil still smell like a flower after distilling," Shiozawa said. "If it's physically feasible, I'd like to find it."

Two jasmine finds, one from Egypt and the other in India, came close.

The Egyptian jasmine extract was ruled not organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organics Program a year after Aveda had begun marketing it in salons in a new men's line. Aveda had to scramble to get the product back for relabeling.

"We had to switch to the jasmine treated with the petrochemical solvent," Shiozawa said. Crestfallen, he searched on.

A trip to India in December restored hope. A supplier of supposedly organic jasmine thrust its product under Shiozawa's unforgiving scrutiny. Rigorous farm and lab inspections and ingredient analyses ensued.

The oil, which Shiozawa blotted and sniffed again and again, passed test after test, delivering sweet, flowery jasmine notes. Ah, the holy grail danced within reach.

But this month, sitting crossed-armed at his desk strewn with dozens of scent sticks jammed into tiny bottles of fennel, rosemary, seagrass and other oils, Shiozawa is frowning.

"There's something fishy."

The Indians are not returning his calls.

"I am specializing in such a unique field of organic, organic, organic. It is a most difficult challenge," he said, wearily shaking his head. "This is not fun. Not fun."

To cope, the perfumer with the wrinkle-free face and hands clings to his Renaissance passions. He buries himself in mathematics and Italian language books in his study, plays Bach and Chopin on his piano, romps through YouTube in search of the latest performances by Bobby McFerrin, and takes walks to clear his head from the endless frustration.

That's not to say he's without successes.

Last year, Shiozawa introduced Yatra, Aveda's first all-organic, aroma therapy "Pure-fume," to critics' applause. It emits an intense, fragrant punch that comes from environmentally harvested Bulgarian lavender, soft Australian sandalwood (harvested by Aborigines) and South African geranium rose oils. His organic Rose Attar oil launched in February. And a third organic perfume goes on sale in November, in time for the holidays.

"It is not enough," Shiozawa sighed. "We must treat [more] flowers with something other than water and find this plant-based [organic] solvent. That is the biggest challenge," he said. "I have to come up with something somehow. But it's getting harder and harder."

Complex supply chain

John Bailey, chief scientist of the 600-member Personal Care Products Council, said an organic-ingredient mandate for any company would prove difficult. Naturals can develop more complex scents than synthetics, he said, but they also create what he called "a very complex raw-material supply chain."

"When you are making the conscientious effort to use the organic and natural raw materials obtained from China or India or Australia or South America, then that certainly places on you a responsibility to be able to stand behind that aspect of your product," Bailey said. "I can see where he has lots of frequent-flier miles."

Peter Matravers, vice president of Aveda research and development, said Shiozawa and his nose are up to the challenge.

"He is one of the few perfumers in the world that works with organic essences. And he has an artistry for what I call Zen aroma, where he is able to blend five or six essential oils and make a beautiful bouquet," Matravers said. "Other scientists and other perfumers will have to have 50 or 100 compounds to do the same thing."

Dee DePass • 612-673-7725
http://www.startribune.com/business/27027359.html?page=4&c=y

Citrus essential oils could be anti-fungal additives for food

2008-05-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

By Stephen Daniells

02-May-2008 - Essential oils from citrus like mandarins and lemon could be natural anti-fungal agents for food, tapping into the search for natural alternatives to synthetics, suggests new research from Spain.

The tide is currently turning against chemical-based anti-fungal additives for food use, opening up opportunities for alternatives from natural sources. The reasons for this are manifold and include general consumer preferences for natural foods, legislative changes, and the isolation of antibiotic resistant pathogens.

"It seems that citrus essential oils could be considered suitable alternatives to chemical additives for use in the food industry, attending to the needs for safety and satisfying the demand of consumers for natural components," wrote the researchers from Miguel Hernandez University in Alicante.

The study, published in the journal Food Chemistry, reports that essential oils of lemon, mandarin, grapefruit and orange all exhibited antifungal activity against the common food moulds Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium chrysogenum and Penicillium verrucosum.

According to the researchers, essential oil from orange was the most effective against A. niger (50 per cent reduction). The mandarin produced the best effects against A. flavus (65 per cent reduction), and grapefruit came out on top against P. chrysogenum and P. verrucosum (48.1 and 48.3 per cent, respectively).

The protective effects against growth were proposed to be due to toxic effects of the essential oil on the functionality and structure of the cell membrane in the mould.

The researchers also note that other studies have indicated that inhibition may also be due to the monoterpenes content of essential oils. "These components would increase the concentration of lipidic peroxides such as hydroxyl, alkoxyl and alkoperoxyl radicals and so bring about cell death," they said.

Potential for essential oils

"The main advantage of essential oils is that they can be used in any foods and are considered generally recognized as safe (GRAS), as long as their maximum effects is attained with the minimum change in the organoleptic properties of the food," wrote the Alicante-based researchers.

Indeed, the search for natural alternatives to synthetic additives has increased the attention on essential oils. Katie Fisher and Carol Philips of the University of Nottingham's School of Health, UK, reviewed the potential of essential oils as inhibitors of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

The review, published in Trends in Food Science and Technology, noted that the antimicrobial properties of citrus essential oils have only started to be explored quite recently.

Fisher and Philips sounded a note of caution, however: "Should essential oils be applied to food they may be able to inhibit a wide range of organisms, but they could also cause an imbalance in gut microflora," they wrote.

Thus, while more research is conducted on the effect of certain essential oils throughout the whole intestinal tract, they recommend that a good starting point for the food industry would be to look at using those citrus oils that are already being used as food flavours.

Source: Food Chemistry
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2007.12.003
"Antifungal activity of lemon (Citrus lemon L.), mandarin (Citrus reticulata L.), grapefruit (Citrus paradisi L.) and orange (Citrus sinensis L.) essential oils"
Authors: M. Viuda-Martos, Y. Ruiz-Navajas, J. Fernandez-Lopez, J. Perez-Alvarez
http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/ng.asp?n=85051-citrus-essential-oils-mould

Cosmetics, Styles & Beauty Concepts in Iran

2008-03-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

Use of cosmetics is documented from around 10,000 BC, however the bulk of our information comes from around 3000 BC and from the written records of the ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian texts and artifacts.

These ancient people were a lot more at ease with their body and sexuality compared to the later periods. Both males and females used make up, had long or short hair as they desired, wore jewelry, colored their body parts and dressed elaborately and colorfully. Men had no problems wearing skirts and fashion and style was not as yet used to emphasis marked gender differences, however it distinguished class and status. Body was used freely and sexuality was often perceived as a gift from gods and was celebrated. Judging by the number of nude male and female attendants and personalities depicted, nudity did not seem to be a problem. However high-ranking females would not expose their bodies as much as ordinary females did as a sign of high status.

Scented oils and ointments were used by this time to clean and soften the skin and mask the body odor. Dyes and natural paint was used to color the face, mainly for ceremonial and religious occasions. Rich people applied minerals to their faces, skin (Iranians use roshoor) and used oiled-based perfumes in their bath. Aromatherapy was used extensively by all the major civilizations of the time including Chinese. An ancient Chinese medical book dated around 2,700 BC contains cures involving over three hundred different aromatic herbs. Traditional Indian medicine, known as Ayurveda has also used some form of Aromatherapy for over 3,000 years.

Primitive perfumery probably began with the burning of gums and resins for incense. Eventually, richly scented plants were incorporated into animal and vegetable oils to anoint the body. Even in Neolithic times (7000-4000 BC) the fatty oils of olive and sesame were combined with fragrant plants to create ointments. Egyptian Papyrus manuscripts as old as 2700 BC has recorded the use of fragrant herbs, oils, perfumes and temple incense, and mentions healing ointments made of fragrant resins. The Epic of Gilgamesh tells of the legendary king of Ur in Mesopotamia (modem Iraq) burning incense made of cedar and myrrh to put the gods and goddesses into a pleasant mood. A tablet from neighboring Babylonia contains an import order for cedar, myrrh and cypress; another gives a recipe for scented ointments; a third suggests medicinal uses for cypress.

Egyptian aromas were potent: pots filled with spices such as frankincense (kondoor) preserved in fat still gave off a faint odor when opened in King Tutankhamen's tomb 3,000 years later. As depicted on wall paintings, solid ointments of spikenard and other aromatics were placed on the heads of dancers and musicians, where they were allowed to gradually-and dramatically-melt down over hair and body while dancing in the temples and for other occasions. People rouged their lips and cheeks, stained their nails with henna, and lined their eyes and eyebrows heavily with kohl (sormeh), a dark-colored powder made variously of crushed antimony, burnt almonds, lead, oxidized copper, ochre, ash, malachite and chrysocolla, a blue-green copper ore. Black and green eye shadows were used extensively by the Egyptians.

Such measures were intended not only to be aesthetically pleasing, but also to protect the individuals from the sun and the dust of the desert. Throughout the African continent people also coated their skin with fragrant oils for protection. This practice was used extensively in the Mediterranean, where athletes were anointed with scented lotion before competing. Lavender, lily, myrrh, thyme, marjoram, chamomile, peppermint, rosemary, cedar, rose, aloe wood (Ud), olive oil, sesame and almond oil provided the basic ingredients of most perfumes. Many were used in religious rituals and in the process of mummifying and preserving the dead. One of the most common oils was olive oil. The Olive was a native to Asia Minor and spread from Iran, Syria and Palestine to the rest of the Mediterranean basin 5,000 years ago. It is one of the oldest known cultivated trees. The Phoenicians spread the olive to the Mediterranean shores of Africa and Southern Europe. The olive culture was spread to the early Greeks and eventually to the Romans who spread them all over their territories.
Henna was made from the henna plant and other colors were made from animals such a the blood of black cows. The dyes were sometimes mixed with crushed tadpoles soaked in warm oil for added benefit. Henna was used to color the hair and also to paint body parts such as hands and nails. Thick hair was regarded as the ideal and braided hair extensions were often added to wigs to enhance a woman's appearance. Hairstyles were elaborate and pins were used to hold a wig or extensions in place. Tattooing was also popular and mummies are discovered with tattoos over their bodies.
Facial masks and frosted make up was prepared by grinding ant eggs mixed with face paints. In Egypt crocodile excrement was used for mud baths, sheep fat and blood for nail polish, and butter mixed with barley was used for pimples. All substances were transported and exported all over the area and were commonly used by different nations.
Trade routes to obtain fragrant goods were established throughout the Middle East well before 1700 BC and would be in use for the next 30 centuries-until the Portuguese discovered a way around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa. The Old Testament describes one group of early traders: "a company of Ishmaelites [Arabs] from Gilead, bearing spices, balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt".

As trade routes expanded, Africa, South Arabia and India began to supply spikenard and ginger to Middle Eastern and Mediterranean civilization. Phoenician merchants traded in Chinese camphor and Indian cinnamon, pepper and sandalwood; Syrians brought fragrant goods to Arabia. Myrrh and frankincense from Yemen reached the Mediterranean by 300 BC, by way of Persian traders. Traffic on the trade routes boomed as demand increased for roses, sweet flag, narcissus, saffron, mastic, oak moss, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, nutmeg, ginger, spikenard, aloe, grasses and gum resins. All were used for a number of purposes including making perfumes.

The prosperous ancients were avid consumers of cloths and jewelry. Headgear was popular with both males and females. Kings and queens represented gods and goddesses on earth and both did their best to dress as elegantly and as conspicuously and elaborately as gods would do. There are magnificent examples of crowns, jewelry and other ornaments at the Mesopotamian sections in British Museum in London and Pennsylvania University Museum in United States from the city of Ur (Iraq) around 3000 BC.

Iranians arrived relatively late on the scene. By the time Achaemenid (Hakhamaneshi) were established around 500 BC there was already 2500 years of tradition, culture and history in the area. At the beginning Iranians copied the more established Assyrian, Babylonian and Egyptians but soon they had their own style and trends. At Persepolis a number of males from different regions are portrayed wearing their own distinct clothing and headgear. Even Medes (Maad) are distinct from Persians. On the other hand Darius (Dariush) while in Egypt is portrayed totally dressed up as an Egyptian pharaoh (British Museum). The statuettes and other archaeological finds have provided a good picture of costumes and jewelry worn at the time. The Ouxus treasure at display in British Museum in London is a good example of jewelry and ornamental styles of the Achaemenid period.

They used the cosmetics, ointments and fragrances popular in the area and by controlling the trade routs made a bundle importing and exporting such goods all over their territories. Clothes were simple, wool and latter on cotton and silk were used as materials. Fabrics were dyed and designs were hand painted for the nobility. The needles of the day were coarse and bulky which meant stitching or sewing produced less than elegant garments unless the tailors spent enormous amount of time on the items. Clothing was held together with safety pins rather than buttons and buckles were used extensively. Footwear showed little distinction between ordinary males and females. One usually wore sandals tied round the ankle with thin strips of leather. There were outdoor footwear made from soft leather and slippers were used as well. Animal fur and leather were used extensively and most households produced their own wool and women wove their own fabrics.

The Greek conquest of Iran and the subsequent Seleucid dynasty popularized Greek style and culture in Iran and at the same time Iranians influenced Greek traditions . The Parthian dynasty popularized Iranian fashion styles all over the continent. Queen Zenoba the ruler of Palmyra (Syria) made a pact with the Parthian and fought against the mighty Rome and lost. She was very found of Iranian styles and is portrayed dressed in Parthian attire, despite the fact that Rome was the center of fashion and style at the time. The ancient cultures were very diverse and willing to adopt ideas and trends without prejudice. At the Parthian city and fortress Nysa (near Ashkabad in Turmenistan) Iranian, oriental and Hellenistic objects, ornaments and jewelry are discovered side by side. Headgear was as popular as before and gold with precious and semi-precious stones were used extensively for jewelry etc.
Sassanid period was the peak of Iranian culture and art. Hundreds of items at major museums in Europe, United States (Metropolitan in New York and Arthur Sackler in Washington DC are good examples) and the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg in Russia are a testimony to their talent and creativity. The upper classes amassed enormous wealth and lived in splendor. Remnants of carpets from the period show incredible designs with animals, trees and even gardens similar to the classical designs still used. Fabrics for clothing would have been woven with the same elegance and creativity. Beards and long hair were fashionable for men and women are normally portrayed with long hair and royalty is always portrayed with their own crowns.

There is little information on what rich Sassanid women would use for cosmetics. However the Roman sources contain a wealth of information and the women of Persia would have used almost the same ingredients and mixes. All ancient formulas were still in use with new ones added. Face powders were made from powdered chalk (sepeedab) or white lead. Eye shadows were used, and the eyebrows were thickened or the length was added on as it is done today. Eyeliner (sormeh) was made from soot or antimony powder. Saffron was also used to achieve other effects. Some women used black patches or beauty spots on their faces, particularly if they wanted to hide some sort of blemish. Red for coloring the lips was obtained from ocher or ficus (a lichen-like plant). Ocher was also used to add color to the cheeks (sorkhab). Make-up for the face was mixed in small plates. Face creams were sometimes made of milk and flour; and lanolin (from unwashed sheep's wool) was used as a skin lotion. Face powders, make-up, and perfumes tended to be applied liberally. Rose water was used extensively and remained an important item all the way to the early 20th century.

The arts and techniques used to make cosmetics and perfumes remained more or less the same for thousands of years and only changed as of middle ages. Discovery of alcohol by the famous Iranian scientist Razi (9th century AD) introduced major changes. Alcohol base perfumes still in use to day replaced the old oil base formulas. A master of Greek, Persian and Indian sciences Ibn Sina (Avicinna, 980-1037) improved distillation and introduced new techniques that changed the science of chemistry forever. This famous Iranian alchemist, astronomer, philosopher, mathematician, physician and poet wrote the famous Canon of Medicine that was used for centuries as the standard medical text in Universities for centuries to come. Ibn Sina used essential oils extensively for medical and aromatic purposes. He wrote 100 books and one was devoted entirely to roses.
The Book of Perfume Chemistry and Distillation by Yakub al-Kindi (803-870) describes many essential oils, including imported Chinese camphor. Gerber (Jabir ibn Hayyan), in his Summa Perfectionis, wrote several chapters on distillation. The 13th-century text by physician Samarqandi was also filled with aromatherapeutic lore, with a chapter on aromatic baths and another on aromatic salves and powders. Steams and incenses of marjoram, thyme, wormwood, chamomile, fennel, mint, hyssop and dill were suggested for sinus or ear congestion. Herbs were burned in a gourd, breathed as vapors, or sprinkled on hot stones or bricks.

Islam introduced new codes of behavior for men and women with veiling and segregation of the sexes at the heart of the new ideology. Women were only allowed to be seen by their husbands or close male relatives and were covered up in public where no fashion or jewelry could expose either their physique or status. Islamic restrictions on dress code and total veiling might have affected the appearance of women in public but historical accounts of lavish marriages between Caliphs and their beautiful brides attest to the diversity of designs, colors and fabrics worn indoors. The marriage of the Abbasid Caliph to the daughter of the famous Iranian minister Jaffar Barmakid is such an example. The intellectual and the historian Hariri in his illustrated manuscript Maghamat (1237 AD) has a series of illustrations showing the life of the citizens, trades, crafts etc.

The pictures show a variety of designs and colors worn by both males and females. By this time Damascus fabrics and designs were famous throughout the medieval world and were imported all over the planet, in fact they became so famous that the name Damask still is used in the fabric and design world. The trade routs carrying spices, incense, aromas etc were fought over by all and eventually the Europeans monopolized the routs. Illustrations from a Persian dictionary of the 16th century show the same varieties of color and design. Perfumes were in great demand and in fact shops selling herbs and spices were called Attari, atre means perfume, the most commonly used was made from rose and entire cities such as Ghamsar in Kashan were famous for their production of rose water (golab). This city ritual in Kashan practiced for centuries is almost dying and is practiced by a few producers still devoted to their ancient craft. Moshk a substance obtained from the dried blood of gazelles was amongst the most expensive perfumery of the time.

The medieval texts contain numerous instructions with respect to making all the usual make up items which means despite all restrictions imposed by the Islamic codes women still consumed such material en mass. The situation is comparable to present day Iran where cosmetic use and plastic surgery to enhance looks are booming right now. In fact introduction of polygamy (one man several wives), concubines, slaves and female war captives (masters had sexual rights over these) all under the same roof, would have resulted in tense competition amongst women for looking their best. The erotic illustrated books or the so called the pillow books such as The Perfumed Garden (16th century Tunis) instructs the males ready for lovemaking to be clean, wear perfumes and be gentle with their women. Public and private baths had attendants and specialists who provided all kinds of services including massage, aromatherapy, hair care, coloring the hands and feet with henna and hair removal for women. The later was achieved by bandandazi, using special threads that are moved in certain ways over the skin.

The hair is caught between two sets of threads and is pulled out. The process is initially a bit painful but the skin is left smooth and hair growth is hindered if used regularly. Body hair removal was a rite of passage and signaled passing from girlhood to womanhood. Only married women removed their body hair and the first one before marriage ceremony was a major ritual. These all-female events could include many friends, relatives, neighbors and servants. A whole day was spent in the baths with food, cold drinks tea and even musicians and dancers. Young men were clean-shaven while elderly and the more religious preferred a beard.

With the bride to be, all body hair was removed and once the eyebrows were plucked the girl had officially entered the kingdom of womanhood. In recent years with more traditional Iranian families moving to the West removing body hair has become an issue amongst parents and daughters. As far as the young girls are concerned these are common beauty and hygiene practices, while for their parents the act represents a major change and indicates becoming a woman without being married. Most jewelry items were specific to women since the Islamic times. Men wore rings and since the 20th century necklaces mainly chains, bracelets and recently earrings worn by young boys living in the West have become fashionable.

The last trend and also dyeing the hair by males is resented by the traditional families who regard such habits as womanly and conflict is created between boys and their parents. Public baths were common in the area since ancient times and reached their peak with the Romans who were the highest consumers of water at the time due to their bathing system. Their bath houses had several hot and cold water pools, steam rooms, masseurs, gym, aromatherapy and major spas took advantage of Hot Springs and mineral waters. Others copied the same system and structure and similar systems have survived in the Turkish baths and old style Iranian public baths. The Pagan Romans had mixed baths with no gender restrictions. Christianity banned such practices, but how Iranians bathed is not known except for the Islamic period where segregation of sexes was imposed. Soaps were introduced rather late and were made from animal fat and despite the modern productions of soaps they are still available in bazaars and stores selling traditional herbs and spices. Hair was washed with the leaves from the Lotus tree (Sedre), it was crushed made into powder and it is still used in Iran with modern variations entering the markets. Hairstyles varied as they do today, In Mogul, Safavid and Qajar paintings if women?s hair is exposed it is normally long and loose or sometimes braided. Hats were always common and the Islamic period styles are a lot simpler compared to the pre-Islamic period. Various conquerors from Arabs to Saljuk Turks and Moguls popularized their own styles and headgear from simple round hats to fancy turbans.

Classical Persian literature (all written by men) provides a very stylized and romantic picture of the perfect beauty. Long black curly hair, small mouth, long arched eyebrows, and large almond shaped eyes, small nose, extremely thin waste line and round face with beauty spots (Khal). The paintings and miniatures have used the same guidelines. Not being able to see females (except for a few related ones) the writers and the painters have used their imagination and created a very unrealistic picture of female beauty. It is fortunate that media and mass communication were not available at the time otherwise Iranian women would have had a hard time achieving such ideals, as hard as it is for the modern women to try and look like the super models of today.

Cosmetic industry was totally changed by the introduction of the new sciences and huge corporate establishments have dominated the world markets. Fabrics have had the same faith and the introduction of the synthetic fabrics in the 20th century also completely changed this industry. The bulk of the fabrics used in Iran are imported mainly from Asia and the local cosmetic industry is producing modern cosmetics and all major Western brands are imported. The introduction of the veil has once again created a double culture, the inside and the outside look. Modern middle and upper class females might look straight out of Cosmopolitan magazine at private gatherings but covered up when in public. Black as the desired color was very likely introduced and forced upon women from Safavid period. Modest and virtuous women were expected to look simple, shy, quite, dressed modestly with no color and make up. Still many women specially middle age and older women prefer dark colors to bright and happy ones.

In Iran some of the old formulas were still in use till the beginning of the 20th century. Sepeedab a facial makeup, sorkhab to add red to the cheeks and lips are found in bazaars. Sormeh still is widely used as eyeliner in India and some remote corners of Iran. Minerals to cleanse face, skin and body such as roshoor have made their way to North America. Henna has become very popular all over the planet and henna paintings and designs once used by men and women in Africa, India and Middle East is currently fashionable in the West. Even bandandazi has made its way to North America and is practiced by Iranian beauticians in major Iranian centers in this continent.

The fashion statements made in Iran have found a new function due to the restrictions imposed by the Islamic Republic. They are political statements as well, a voice of protest and symbolize resistance to the authorities. Contrary to previous centuries of Islamic dominance even the outer long coats and headscarves are fancy, stylish and even colorful. Once again women are forced to look plain, avoid colors and makeup, ironically the makeup/fashion business along with plastic surgery is booming in the country. The voice of protest has found a new medium for expression.

© Iranian.ws
http://www.iranian.ws/iran_news/publish/article_24573.shtml

Myrrh: Nature's Ancient Anti-Inflammatory Agent

2008-03-12T19:26:00.000-07:00

It's been used in the Middle East for thousands of years to treat infected wounds and bronchial complaints. In Mesopotamia and the Greek and Roman worlds, this powerful herb was considered a panacea for many human ailments-from lesions of the mouth to hemorrhoids. The Chinese even put it to work in treating psychiatric afflictions. MYRRH boasts a long history in Indian medicine for the treatment of mouth ulcers, gingivitis, throat infections, inflammation of the mouth, and respiratory catarrh. It's topically applied to ulcers and may be used as a mouthwash or gargle. In East Africa, it serves as an anti-inflammatory and antirheumatic agent.

High Trade Value

In ancient times, the Egyptians imported great quantities of myrrh from Palestine. Because of its unique aromatic fragrance, it was highly valued as a trade commodity. The Ishmaelite travelers who purchased Joseph from his meanspirited brothers were journeying to Egypt with camels loaded with spices, balm, and myrrh (Genesis 37:25). It was believed that the Queen of Sheba brought great quantities of the herb and other spices from Yemen as gifts for King Solomon. The long-heralded "balm of Gilead" is a member of the myrrh family, known far and wide as a healing agent for wounds.

When the sons of Jacob returned to him with the request from Joseph to bring Benjamin to Egypt the old patriarch sent products from the land of Palestine in an attempt to appease the prime minister. The shipment included myrrh, along with almonds, pistachio nuts, honey, and spices (Genesis 43:11).

Precious Perfume

Myrrh was commonly used as perfume in the Middle East. In ancient Persia, when King Ahasuerus set about choosing a new queen to replace Vashti, the eligible girls had to complete 12 months of beauty treatments, including a six-month cosmetic regimen with the oil of myrrh (Esther 2:12). That oil is still used today during massage treatments.
The herb was one of the ingredients of the anointing oil used in the Jewish tabernacle and served as incense in religious rituals centered on ancient gods. It was proved effective as a fiimigant for homes and temples of the Old Testament.

But it is Christ's life with which myrrh is most famously connected. The magi who visited Mary and Joseph at the birth of Jesus brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). That gift hinted at the future awaiting the tiny baby in the manger. Myrrh was commonly used as an embalming agent by Egyptians and others in the ancient world. After Jesus was crucified, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took His body and prepared it for burial using 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes (John 19:39).

Tree Bark Extract

Gum myrrh is the aromatic product that secretes from the bark of several species of Commiphora, a perennial shrub or small tree native to the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia and Somalia) and southwest Arabia (Yemen). Altogether, there are over 150 species of myrrh trees which are found throughout eastern Africa and Arabia. The composition of the gum that exudes from the bark of these trees varies slightly from one species to another.

When the bark of the myrrh tree is damaged, gum oozes out and forms yellow to reddishbrown small pearls or tear-shaped drops that may grow to the size of walnuts. The gum becomes hard and brittle when dried and then can be ground into powder. The extracted oil is used as a fragrance in various perfumes, ointments, soaps, and creams.

Properties and Uses

Myrrh has antiseptic, astringent and anti-inflammatory properties. It's useful for the topical treatment of mouth and throat infections such as mouth ulcers, inflamed gums, sore throats, and tonsillitis. Normally, it's dabbed onto the lesion two to three times a day. Its astringent properties make it beneficial for treating throat infections, nasal congestion, and coughs. The oil of myrrh can also serve as an astringent in mouthwashes and gargles.

Guggul-the resin from C. mukul, or Indian myrrh-is of great importance in Indian medicine for the lessening of joint pain in arthritis. In clinical research, guggul has not only been shown to boast anti-inflammatory properties; but its content of steroidal saponins allows it the added bonus of reducing serum cholesterol levels. A number of studies reveal the potential of guggul to treat rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Since 50 percent of myrrh is mucilage, it provides soothing properties to treat inflammations and ulcers. Its aldehydes and phenols stimulate a drying and cleansing action when applied topically. As a salve, the herb treats hemorrhoids, wounds, and bedsores. Myrrh also contains about 8 percent essential oil-a fraction rich in terpenoids-that creates - the characteristic odor of myrrh.

Official Recognition

In Germany, approval has been given for the use of myrrh in the topical treatment of inflammations of the throat gums, and mouth, as well as for prosthesis pressure marks. It's also included in mouthwashes and balms for wounds and minor skin inflammations. In France, it has received approval for nasal congestion from the common cold.

Source: Vibrant Life
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1291953/myrrh_natures_ancient_antiinflammatory_agent/

Cropwatch

2008-02-10T21:32:00.000-08:00

Cropwatch is an independent watchdog for Endangered & Vulnerable Natural Aromatic Products used in the Aroma (Perfumes, Flavours, Aromatherapy, Cosmetics), Herbal, Traditional Medicine & Phytochemical Industries.

The newest newsletter is up @ http://www.cropwatch.org/

Peppermint~ 'tis the Season

2007-12-02T18:01:00.000-08:00

Alternative medicine: Peppermint
Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:31:52
By Patricia Khashayar, MD., Press TV, Tehran

Peppermint, a popular gum and toothpaste flavor, is not only a calming agent but also soothes stomachaches and helps indigestion.

Botanical: Mentha piperita
Family: N.O. Labiatae
Synonym: Brandy Mint.

Habitat:

Peppermint, native to Europe and Asia, grows wild in moist and temperate areas. Some varieties are indigenous to South Africa, South America, and Australia.

Description:

Peppermint is a hybrid mint, a cross between watermint (Mentha aquatica) and spearmint (Mentha spicata). The plant grows to about 60cm tall and has simple, toothed, and fragrant leaves growing opposite to the flowers.

The stems, 60 to 120cm high, are quadrangular and often purplish. The whorled clusters of little reddish-violet flowers are in the axils of the upper leaves, forming loose, interrupted spikes, and rarely bear seeds.

The entire plant has a distinctive odor, due to the volatile oil present in all its parts. When consumed it has a hot, aromatic taste at first, and produces a cold sensation in the mouth due to the menthol it contains.

Part Used Medicinally:

Herb. Leaves.

Constituents:

The essential oil of peppermint (up to 2.5% in the dried leaves) is mostly made up from menthol (50%), menthone (10 to 30%), menthyl esters (up to 10%) and further monoterpene derivatives (pulegone, piperitone, menthofurane).

It contains high amounts of manganese, vitamin C and A as well as trace amounts of various other nutrients such as fiber, iron, calcium, folate, potassium, tryptophan, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, riboflavin, and copper.

Menthol and menthyl acetate, which are responsible for peppermint's pungent and refreshing odor, are mostly found in older leaves.

Medicinal Uses:

Peppermint oil allays morning sickness and nausea, and is used to disguise the taste of unpalatable drugs. Its anti-spasmodic quality adds to peppermint's power of relieving pains originating from the alimentary tract.

Peppermint is good for certain forms of dyspepsia, and used in flatulence and colic disorders. When its stomachic effects are required it should be combined with other medicines.

Peppermint calms the muscles of the stomach and improves the bile flow, which the body uses to digest fats. It may also help the body break down gallstones.

Spirit of peppermint in hot water or peppermint oil given in doses of one or two drops on sugar are good household remedies for flatulent colic.

Inhaling peppermint or applying it to the skin can relax muscles; it also inhibits the growth of certain bacteria.

It is widely used in cholera, diarrhea, sudden abdominal pains and cramps.

As tea or tablets, peppermint is a treatment for colds, coughing, acute respiratory difficulties, and bacteria, fungal and viral infections.

Inhaling peppermint oil can soothe allergy-irritated nasal passages. Rubbing it on the chest relives other respiratory discomforts. It has also been proven to have antiviral properties against a number of infectious agents, including herpes.

Peppermint oil has been recommended for puerperal fevers, in divided doses.

An infusion of equal quantities of peppermint herb and Elder flowers can cure colds or mild influenza within 36 hours, without risk of overdose or harmful effects on the heart.

Peppermint is used to raise internal heat and induce perspiration, although its strength is soon exhausted.

Peppermint tea is good for palpitation.

Its calming and numbing effect have made it an excellent treatment for headaches, skin irritations, morning and travel sickness, depression-associated anxiety, and nausea.

Applying peppermint topically soothes skin irritations caused by hives, poison ivy, or poison oak.

Research has shown that applying peppermint to the forehead and temples favorably compares with acetaminophen in terms of its ability to reduce headache symptoms.

Peppermint and its main active agent, menthol, are effective decongestants. It is also a good expectorant, and soothes sore throats and dry coughs.

It helps the appetite by increasing saliva.

Medicine containing menthol can relieve the pain of rheumatism, neuralgia, throat infections and toothaches. It also acts as a local anaesthetic, vascular stimulant and disinfectant.

Peppermint has also been used to reduce muscle spasms associated with endoscopy, colonoscopy and barium enemas.

Peppermint can also be a treatment for the ulcerative conditions of the bowels.

Preparation:

Applying the oil from fresh peppermint leaves to the body can relive rheumatic affections, headaches and local pains.

Lightly coating the forehead with a tincture of 10% peppermint oil, and allowing it to evaporate treats tension headaches.

Peppermint tea soothes stomach discomfort and can aid digestion. It can be prepared by pouring boiling water over the herb and steeping for 3 to 5 minutes.

Caution:

Peppermint tea is generally a safe way to soothe stomachaches. However, individuals with gastoesophageal reflux disease should not use peppermint even though they might have symptoms like indigestion and heartburn.

Pregnant or nursing women should drink peppermint tea only in moderation and those with a history of miscarriage should not use peppermint during pregnancy.

Menthol or peppermint oil applied to the skin can cause contact dermatitis or other rashes like hives.

Some have described experiencing hot flashes from using the oil.

Small children or infants should not inhale the oil and it should be kept away from the eyes and mucus membranes.

Peppermint oil should be diluted and taken in very small amounts, since it can cause negative effects like cramping and diarrhea, rarely drowsiness, tremor, muscle pain, slowed heart rate, and in severe cases of overdose, coma.

Pure menthol is poisonous and should never be taken internally.

Topical peppermint oil increases the absorption of 5-fluorouracil, a medication used in cancer treatment.

Menthol is a known allergen, which may cause cardiac collapse in some children.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=32772§ionid=3510210

Israeli Scientist Uses Cinnamon to Save Lives

2007-11-13T17:17:00.000-08:00

IsraelNN.com) Cinnamon may spice up more than cuisine, perfume, air fresheners and pharmaceutical products, according to a study by Tel Aviv University Professor Michael Ovadia.

The Israeli scientist began his research into the medicinal properties of cinnamon after pondering the weekly Torah reading he heard at synagogue seven years ago.

"There is a passage that explains how the High Priests, the [Kohanim] would prepare a holy oil used to be on their bodies before they made a ritual animal sacrifice," recalled Ovadia in an interview published by Israel21c. "I had a hunch that this oil, which was prepared with cinnamon and other spices, played a role in preventing the spread of infectious agents to people."

Research by the university's Department of Zoology found the fragrant spice, used in everything from cooking to aromatherapy and perfume, could neutralize viruses and immunize against certain infections.

Avian Flu H9, Sendai virus, HIV and Herpes Simplex 1, and Newcastle disease virus were all found to respond in Ovadia's experiments. It is important to note, however, that the cinnamon extract used in the studies was from a particular variety of cinnamon using coumarin and cinnamon aldehyde, which are byproducts of the actual spice.

Most important: be aware that these substances can also be highly toxic and damage the liver if ingested in large quantities. "You cannot take high doses from the natural form of cinnamon," warns Ovadia. "If you used it several times a day to protect you from the flu, it would be toxic."

The essential oil produced from cinnamon bark has long been used by aromatherapists in a variety of ways, including as a stimulant and antiseptic.

In one of the best known books in the field of aromatherapy, famed French aroma therapist Jean Valnet, MD lists cinnamon as an effective element in remedies to combat the flu, as well as intestinal parasites, problems in the digestive system and other physical issues. Valnet's mentor, Robert Tisserand, warns that cinnamon oil is so powerful that it should not be used on the skin at all.

But it is not surprising that a Jewish scientist in the Land of Israel would be the one to discover a way to fight life-threatening disease with cinnamon, given its history as one of the most powerful spices used in the most ancient Jewish rituals.

This month a patent-pending research and license deal on the extract was signed between Tel Aviv University's technology transfer company, Ramot, and Frutarom, an Israeli-based multi-national "nutraceutical" company. Frutarom expects to use the cinnamon extract in myriad applications, including an air spray to prevent the spread of Avian flu in airports and a daily supplement to be marketed as an anti-flu preparation.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/124223

Scent of loss in business

2007-10-26T16:40:00.000-07:00

Wednesday October 24 2007 11:03 IST
Express News Service

KENDRAPARA: For ages at least 30 Muslim families of the district have been eking out a living by preparing perfumes (itar) from the flowers of ‘champa’ and ‘kia’.

But the perfumers, led by Sk. Hakim (65) of Chaudakulat village under Pattamundei block, are forced to do part-time business due to non availability of good quality flowers.

“Most of the perfumeries are running much less than the installed capacity as we do not get regular supply of flowers,” said Hakim.

“Demands of local made itar is decreasing by the year due to availability of cheap scent in the market. Many people now-a-days use itar only during marriages and some religious functions,” said Mohammed Akil (46), another perfumer of Dobandha village.

However, last week’s Id brought cheers for the perfumers. “A large number of Muslims prefer to purchase itar from us during the Id and other religious functions. We did brisk business this Id,” said Amjad Ali (42), who has a itar perfumery at Ranapada village in Kendrapara.

“Three decades back, we used sandalwood oil to prepare good quality itar. But due to scarcity and skyrocketing prices of sandalwood it is now impossible to use sandalwood oil in itar,” said Sahid Ali, another villager.

The itar-makers, initially, used to be only Muslims. Later many Hindus took to the trade. Shortage of kia flowers is another impediment for the itar-makers.

“We used to get kia flowers from Ganjam district and some areas of Kendrapara and Jagatasinghpur. But, due to rapid urbanisation and industrialisation, large areas of kia bushes are being denuded. We are also not getting sufficient quantity of champa flowers as many people are not planting the flowering trees,” added Ali.

The perfumers are sceptic about the future of this age-old profession. Young persons have little interest to take to this trade.
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEQ20071024004202&Page=Q&Headline=Scent+of+loss+in+business&Title=ORISSA&Topic=0

Cinnamon Spice Offers Health Benefits

2007-10-08T21:21:00.000-07:00

Ricky Hussey
October 7, 2007

Cinnamon is widely used both in the food and pharmaceutical industry because of its antiseptic properties. The cinnamon bark oil is used as a flavoring for digestive aids, liniments, and oral care products. It is also used in many perfumes, soaps, and lotions. In addition, cinnamon leaf oil is used in the food industry as flavorings to candies, sauces, and pastries. The commonly used ingredient is actually the soft, inner bark of the cinnamon tree.

This spice is now being heralded as the latest in the long line of herbal medicine wonders? According to research findings, one teaspoon of cinnamon contains 28 milligrams of calcium, one milligram of iron, fiber, and vitamins C, K, and manganese.

The use of cinnamon dates back in Chinese medicine to 2800 BC, and is known as â€œkwaiâ€ in the Chinese language. Ancient Egyptians used it in the embalming process of corpses because of its fragrance. Medieval physicians used this spice to treat coughs, hoarseness, sore throats, and other types of infections. Cinnamon also has antibacterial and inflammatory properties that help reduce joint and muscle pain, especially the discomforts associated with arthritis.

Many health specialists advice diabetics to take daily dose of cinnamon to regulate blood sugar levels. It can also benefit one's health by improving the body's digestive system and relieve many stomach discomforts.

In aromatherapy, cinnamon oil is used to stimulate and warm the senses, restore vigor, and treat stress and anxiety. Cinnamon oil is also important in strengthening the immune system because its scent is said to treat early stages of cold and fever. The oil of cinnamon is also used as a physical and emotional stimulant, with many believing that it can actually enhance one's libido.

Medical research also indicates that the scent of cinnamon may reduce drowsiness, irritability, pain, and frequent migraines. In some studies, the essential oil provides relief to tight muscles, ease painful joints, and relieve menstrual cramps in women. Cinnamon also increases the action of enzymes that break down the food in the body and help improve one's metabolism.

Traditional uses of cinnamon

Many traditional cultures around the globe have been using cinnamon not just as an ingredient in their favorite dishes but as a medicine as well. In fact, cinnamon has been highly valued for its medicinal properties for hundreds, perhaps even thousands of years.

Here are the other health benefits of Cinnamon:

Â· Studies have shown that just 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon included in a daily diet can lower cholesterol.

Â· Cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar, making it especially beneficial for people with diabetes.

Â· Cinnamon has shown an amazing ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections.

Â· A study released by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Maryland showed that cinnamon reduced the proliferation of leukemia and lymphoma cancer cells.

Â· It has an anti-clotting effect on the blood.

.Relief from congestion - Cinnamon and other spices have long been consumed to relieve congestion that comes from colds, allergies, and other common conditions.

.Muscle and joint pain relief- Those who eat cinnamon on a regular basis often report that their muscle and joint pain, as well as stiffness, is reduced or even eliminated.

Â· When added to food, it prevents bacterial growth and food spoilage, making it a natural food preservative.

Â· Smelling cinnamon may boost cognitive function and memory.

Â· Researchers at Kansas State University found that cinnamon fights the E. coli bacteria in unpasteurized juices.

Indeed, cinnamon has many benefits that can be used to improve one's health and well-being. If taken together with a balanced, healthy diet and plenty of exercise --- one can bring back the spice of life that everyone longs for.

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=39583

Spa strategy to beat cig craving

2007-09-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

Spa strategy to beat cig craving
By Richard Harris
Comment

Sophie Cleminson brushes Dead Sea mud on to Richard Harris
Can a series of treatments at a health spa help a seasoned smoker cope with the pangs of giving up cigarettes? Richard Harris found out.

AS a smoker of more than ten years standing, the smoking ban seemed the perfect opportunity to give up the evil weed for the sake of the two kippers masquerading as my lungs.

With the prospect of being nicotine-free and having to go cold turkey in my head, Alquimia Spa's offer of their new anti-tobacco, detoxification and purifying treatment seemed an ideal opportunity.

Alquimia says the treatment is designed for both smokers and non-smokers who have been exposed to cigarette smoke, and want to negate its effect on their skin and their bodies.

The treatment uses aromatherapy to moisturise, oxygenate and detoxify the skin, while the association with pleasure that tobacco gives a smoker is separated by stimulating pressure points.

Spa treatments manager Sophie Cleminson first stimulated the respiratory channels with a Breathe Easy blend of essential oils on a hot towel.

She then pressed into the pressure points before I was given a full body exfoliation using Dead Sea salt, which she said oxygenates the skin, replaces minerals and improves circulation.

Mud from the Dead Sea with essential oils mixed in was then rubbed all over me, before I was wrapped up in a plastic sheet to allow the oils to be fully absorbed by the skin.

My face was then given similar treatment, with Sophie saying that the Dead Sea mud really helps to cleanse the skin deeply and draw out the toxins and waste that we pick up from smoking and in our everyday lives.

I was then invited to have a long soak in a hot bath before the second round of the treatment began.

With the mud washed off I was given an all-over massage concentrating on the body's energy points.

Sophie said when stimulated the energy points on the face are good for promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety - perfect for a smoker who hasn't had a cig all day.

Those on the chest help in alleviating congestion and breathing difficulties - again perfect for any slave to nicotine - while stimulating the legs helps reduce cramps.

She said: "They all relate to different things, but will all help with the symptoms of quitting smoking," adding that the treatments also help to "detox" the body and so will help to push toxins like nicotine out.

Now it may have been the pleasure of being pampered solidly for two-and-a-quarter hours.

But I can honestly say that for those 135 minutes I did not even think about a cigarette, despite having stopped that very morning and my body previously reminding me about the fact every two minutes.

I also found I was much calmer for the rest of the evening - and I write this as a sceptic about the power of essential oils, pressure points and detoxification.

It is now eight days since the treatment and, without the use of patches or nicotine chewing gum, I am still cigarette-free.

Whether that is due to luck, will-power or Alquimia's treatment is impossible to say.

But I feel the treatment certainly helped, if for no other reason than to provide an extra incentive to remain fag-free.

For more information on the anti-tobacco, detoxification and purifying treatment, phone Alquimia Spa in Stonegate, York, on 01904 632888, or email info@alquimiaspa.com.

Products used during the treatment

* Dead Sea salts - to peel, oxygenate and reintroduce minerals to the skin.

* Dead Sea mud - to purify, decongest and oxygenate.

* Ylang ylang cleansing emulsion - to cleanse and calm.

* Orange blossom facial tonic - to moisturise and calm.

* Carrot oil - to oxygenate.

* Wheat germ oil - to reduce free-radicals.

* Rosehip oil - regenerates and has anti-ageing properties.

* Breathe Easy aromatherapy blend - for lung oxygenation.

* Petit grain essential oil - calms and revitalises.

* Lavender essential oil - calms and regenerates.

* Geranium essential oil - balances and calms.

* Cedar essential oil - relaxes and calms.

* Pine essential oil - refreshes breathing channels.

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/display.var.1560831.0.0.php

GM geranium with improved oil quality

2007-07-28T15:32:00.000-07:00

Oils extracted from rose-scented geranium species have many uses in the perfumery, cosmetic, food and pharmaceutical industries.
Because of the importance of essential oils from geraniums, researchers are seeking ways to increase oil yield and quality in the species.

Indian researchers report that one method that can help improve geranium oil quality is the hairy root transformation method. The group of Gauri Saxena produced transgenic geraniums from the cultivar ‘Hemanti’ using Agrobacterium rhizogenes mediated re-insertion. Hairy root cultures from Hemanti were produced by wounding explants with sterile needles dipped in bacterial suspension. The wounded explants were subsequently grown in a tissue culture medium.

The researchers reported that two of their transgenic lines differ in oil composition profiles from the non-transformed control. The transgenics have oils that have low concentration of citronellol and high concentration of geraniol. In addition, there are higher levels of compounds called geranyl esters which improve olfactory value.

For more information, the paper published in Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture can be accessed by subscribers at

http://www.springerlink.com/content/b5j878x1g30v8233/
http://www.checkbiotech.org/green_News_Genetics.aspx?infoId=15213

Copyright © 2007 ISAAA

Olive Oil Compound Slows HIV Spread

2007-07-13T19:53:00.000-07:00

Maslinic acid – a natural product extracted from dry olive-pomace oil – inhibits serin-protease, an enzyme used by HIV to release itself from the infected cell into the extracellular environment and spread the infection into the whole body.

Research carried out by the Bionat team, from the University of Granada, headed by Prof. Andrés García-Granados, senior lecturer in Organic Chemistry, determine that the use of olive-pomace oil can produce an 80 per cent slowing down in AIDS spreading in the body.

Maslinic or crataegolic acid is a pentacyclic terpene with antioxidant and anticancer effects found in wax from olive skin, alongside oleanolic acid. The effects of this compound in the fight against AIDS are simultaneously being studied in the UGR and in Hospital Carlos III in Madrid by a team headed by Prof. Vallejo Nájera.

Maslinic acid innovative properties stem from its powerful protease-inhibition activity, allowing researchers from Granada to register two patents on behalf of the UGR to produce drugs for treatment of diseases caused by protozoa Cryptosporidium – a parasite causing small intestine infection and diarrhoea – and by HIV.

The University of Granada has already registered almost ten other patents related to this compound’s properties. Maslinic acid is also a very active compound in opportunistic parasitic infections seriously affecting HIV patients.

In trials carried out by these researchers with the MT2 cell line, for concentrations of 25 and 30 µg/ml maslinic acid inhibited replication of a primary HIV-1 isolate. For 25 µg/ml a decrease in the cytopathic effect and in p24 antigen levels in the supernatant culture medium was detected. For 30 µg/ml, there was total absence of the cytopathic effect and also a decrease of p24 antigen levels.

The UGR Faculty of Sciences hosts a unique maslinic acid production pilot plant where the company MANINVEST S.L. – staffing scientists from the UGR departments of Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry and Parasitology, as well as a coordination economist – is carrying out research on technology implementation and business programmes tuning aimed at making manitol and maslinic and oleanolic acids programmes more profitable.

Whilst manitol is obtained from olive oil waste water (alpechín) and olive-tree leaves, both acids are extracted from dry olive-pomace oil (orujo) produced at the olive-milling stage during olive oil elaboration process.

To this day, only oleanolic acid – produced in China – has been marketed. However, maslinic acid has gained importance as it is not still on the market and has a greater biological activity.

Prof. Andrés García-Granados’s team intends to continue working in the design and implementation of new maslinic acid by-products to fight against HIV, as well as in other innovative research projects financed by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology and the Andalusian Regional Government.

The number of HIV infected people has decreased from 40.3 millions in 2005 to 39.5 millions in 2006, and new yearly infections have been reduced from 5 millions to 4.3 millions, according to both international organisations.

Contact:

Universidad de Granada
http://www.scientistlive.com/16853/olive-oil-compound-slows-hiv-spread.thtml

|| Health News ||

July 13, 2007

Olive oil found to inhibit spread of HIV
Olive oil has become an essential ingredient in the fight against HIV, according to a press release from Spain's University of Granada on Thursday.

Research performed by the Bionat team, headed by Prof. Andrés García-Granados, has found that maslinic acid—a product found naturally in dry olive-pomace oil—inhibits serin-protease, an enzyme used by the virus to release itself and spread through the whole body. The study determined that the use of olive-pomace oil can produce an 80% decrease in the spread of HIV.

In the press release García-Granados and the Bionat team expressed their hope to develop an efficient way to produce and market new maslinic acid by-products to augment the fight against HIV. (The Advocate)
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid47357.asp

Lemongrass; Antidote to Malaria

2007-06-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

Lemon grass, antidote to malaria, typhoid, pains
Muda Oyeniran, Lagos

BEFORE the advent of orthodox medicine in the treatment of malaria, typhoid fever and other ailments, the traditional African society had devised various means of combating such ailments. Our fore-fathers in the village had relied principally on herbs as solution to their health problems. African forests are very rich in plants of high medicinal values with proven efficacy in the treatment of fevers, pains, diarrhoea, menstrual problems and so on.

One of such plants with high medicinal value is lemon grass popularly called Kooko oba in Yorubaland, Isauri (in Hausa); Acharaehi (in Igbo), Myoyaka makara (Ibiobio); Eti (in Edo); Ikon eti (Efik). Lemon grass is an aromatic tropic plant with long, slender blades that can grow to a height of 5ft (1.5m). It is scientifically called Cymbogon citratus and belongs to the plant family Graminae. Believed to have a wide range of theraeutic effects, lemon grass has been used for centuries in West Africa, South America and India and has also become popular in Europe and the United States. Although native to West Africa, lemon grass can also be found growing in India, South American, South East Asia, Australia and the United States. Lemon grass is considered by herbalists to have several useful properties including antibacterial, antifungal and fever-reducing effects. Some of these claims have been supported by animal and laboratory studies. In one test-tube investigation, published in the medical journal Microbios in 1996, researchers demonstrated that lemon grass was effective against 22 strains of bacteria and 12 types of fungi. Scientific research has also supported the herb’s reputation as an analgesic and sedative.

Lemon grass oil had also been found to be pain-killing. A study conducted in rodents suggests that myrcene, a chemical found in the essential oil of lemon grass may act as a site-specific pain reliever. Unlike aspirin and similar analgesics which tend to alleviate pain throughout the body, myrcene seems to work only on particular areas. Apart from this, the lemon grass oil can help in reducing fever, aids digestion and can be used as an anti-oxidant. Recent studies indicate that lemon grass can be successfully used to treat drug resistant malaria and typhoid fever. Before now, lemon grass has been used in local anti-malaria preparations. For treating malaria, a cup of boiling water is usually poured over lemon grass to make an fusion. It is then allowed to stand for about five minutes before it is strained and drank. However to treat typhoid, it is recommended that lemon grass leaf be boiled in water for about half an hour with whole lime, grape fruits, unripe pawpaw fruits, unripe pineapples, cut garlic and bark of Alstonia bonnei (awun in Yoruba; cheesewood/pattern wood in English).

As rightly observed by Professor Tolu Odugbemi in a paper he presented recently in Lagos, the usual practice for the collection of medicinal plants either for use or sale is for traditional medical practitioners or herb-sellers to scout around the roadsides in villages, traditional small dwelling houses, regular wet areas found around locally-built bathrooms (baluwe) and other unhygienic places. But this is no longer the case with lemon grass as the herb is now cultivated over a large hectares (150 hectares) of land in Odogbolu town, Ogun State where it is then harvested and hygienically processed into teabags for convenient usage to ward off fever, flu, headaches and pains. This is made possible by Eurobridge Industries Limited, a company based in Lagos. According to Mr. Richard Farrant, Managing Director of the company, the lemon grass herbal tea under the brand name ‘Dara Dara’ is caffeine-free and purely natural as it is grown originally without pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or fertilizers. ‘Dara Dara’ according to him, is NAFDAC approved and has been endorsed by the Federal College of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (FCCAM).

He revealed that lemon grass in ‘Dara Dara’ herbal lemon grass tea is high in vitamin C and essential oils.
http://www.tribune.com.ng/21062007/hlt2.html

Superplants blooming with health and beauty

2007-06-11T19:26:00.000-07:00

From goji berries to pomegranates, the latest trends in healthy foods often appear to have two requirements: to be natural and to be exotic. Scotland's boggy moorland may fall short of the exotic, but it is producing some of the trendy natural health foods of the future. Home-grown plants from Scotland's woodlands and moorlands are increasingly appreciated for their health benefits. The recent launch of a new range of Boots Botanics skincare products containing bog myrtle, which thrives in the Highlands, is just the beginning of a new wave of investment in native Scottish plants with potential cosmetic and medicinal benefits.

This comes at a time of increased demand from consumers for natural ingredients over synthetic ones, and Scotland is set to capitalise on the economic benefits this will bring. Whether a plant is wild and harvested on a small-scale, or commercially cultivated, jobs are likely to be created, from harvesting through processing to production.

Here is our rundown of some of the top Scottish "superplants" that are paving the way for a new, sustainable industry in native flora.

Sea Buckthorn
What is it?
Sea Buckthorn, or hippophae rhamnoides, is a thorny deciduous shrub around one to three metres tall. It flowers in spring and produces large, round orange berries in autumn. These berries contain several lipids, vitamins C and E, carotenoids, flavonoids, minerals and aromatic compounds.

Where does it come from?
The plant is indigenous to the Himalayas and Siberia, but has spread to coastal and mountainous areas of Europe. In Scotland, it has colonised areas of East Lothian, from Musselburgh to Berwick, and the Moray coastline, mainly around Findhorn Bay.

What are its benefits?
Sea buckthorn has been used in Chinese and Russian medicine for many years and has recently come to the attention of researchers in Europe. Cosmetic skin products containing sea buckthorn are available from environmentally-conscious manufacturers including Weleda and Dr Hauschka. Yet research carried out in Finland and published by the British Nutrition Foundation has suggested it can improve the symptoms of atopic dermatitis when taken as a dietary supplement. Preliminary clinical trials suggest that sea buckthorn could have a positive effect on blood counts. Its high vitamin C content means that it could be eaten as a health food, although the variety growing in Scotland produces berries that are too astringent to be eaten raw. It may also have a use in increasing the lustre of human hair.

What is happening in Scotland?
The Food Innovation Institute (F2i) in Morayshire is leading the research into sea buckthorn.

David Miskin, its director, says: "We're researching the optimal growing conditions for sea buckthorn cultivars. This includes the soil type, shade, drainage and other environmental factors that may affect berry yield and quality."

The institute is also examining the best way to harvest the berries. Once the ideal growing conditions and harvesting method are determined, F2i will focus on commercial food and cosmetic uses for the berries.

Four Scottish shrubs are thriving thanks to their cosmetic and medicinal benefits.

Blaeberry
What is it?
The Scottish blueberry, or vacc- inium myrtillus, is a low-growing perennial shrub producing dark blue berries with a grey tinge when ripe.

Where is it found?
In moist, acidic and often hilly areas of Scotland, though it can grow on sites from sea-level to 1250m above. It is abundant in the Highlands, particularly in the birchwoods and pinewoods of the Caledonian forest. A well-known site in the south of Scotland is "blaeberry hill" near Eskdalemuir in the uplands of Dumfries and Galloway, where blaeberries used to be collected for market.

What are its benefits?
Blaeberries are high in antioxidant constituents known as anthocyanins, which are the pigments that give flowers and berries their red, purple, blue or black colours. Antioxidants mop-up free radicals, or cellular atoms with an odd number of electrons, which can damage cells. Free radicals may be implicated in a number of conditions including hardened arteries, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. Blaeberries and wild blueberries (vaccinium angustifolium) from Canada have the highest antioxidant capacity of all blueberries. Blaeberries were traditionally thought to improve eyesight and night vision. However, clinical tests on young people have so far found no evidence of this. Tests on older people with poor eyesight or problems such as diabetic retinopathy will follow. Pre-clinical trials have shown that extract of blaeberry can reduce inflammation, help in wound-healing and improve the tone of the arterial walls. In some cases, they have been shown to have an anti-ulcer effect, while blaeberry leaves have been shown to help regulate insulin and lower cholesterol. Recent tests on animal and human cancer cells have suggested that blaeberry may inhibit their growth.

What is happening in Scotland?
The harvesting and cultivation of blaeberries is in its infancy in Scotland, but it's a project that medical herbalist Heather Griggs intends to pursue while researching a PhD on the topic. "It would have benefits for food and drink, rural enterprise and medical research in Scotland," she says. "At the moment, the largest obstacles to this are a lack of harvesting infrastructure and processing equipment. We need to link industry, forestry, agriculture and academia to develop a forest-based cropping system, with harvesting and processing machines. Other similar projects, such as Highland Natural Products' bog myrtle project, have taken a decade of research, development and substantial funding. I hope to take it one step at a time, while trying to work with local and Scottish companies to begin the long research and development process."

Bog myrtle
What is it?
A moorland shrub with dark green waxy and fragrant leaves that favours damp, acidic soil. Also known as sweet gale.

Where does it come from?
Bog myrtle grows naturally in the Highlands of Scotland, but a new partnership between Highland Natural Products (HNP) and Boots will see new areas of cultivated crops. These are expected to increase from 10 hectares in 2009 to 2900 hectares in 2016. Plantation areas may include the Borders, Aberdeenshire and Morayshire.

What are its benefits?
Bog myrtle was selected as a new ingredient in Boots' Botantics range of skincare after five-year trials showed that its essential oil improved blemish-prone skin. It is now included in products including cleansers and moisturisers. Extracts are used in insect repellents for their antibacterial and antioxidant properties.

What is happening in Scotland?
HNP has a long-term plan to initiate commercial production of bog myrtle. "In the short term, sufficient quantities are available from wild-harvested areas," says Richard Constanduros, its managing director. "We'll move away from those to a more sustainable, cultivated crop over the next five years, and we have an exclusive agreement with Boots for cosmetic supply.

The impact on jobs will be significant when we go into production, both in growing the crop and associated activities like tractors doing the harvesting. We'll be looking at its use as an insect repellent in the future, in terms of creating some kind of lotion."

It is estimated that wild harvesting of bog myrtle could involve 40 growers, principally crofters and other landowners, while the demand for cultivated crops could involve up to 150 growers. Bog myrtle plantations could generate more than £2m a year for growers by 2016.

Conifer needle oil
What is it? Oil distilled from the needles of conifer trees including Scots pine, Douglas fir, Noble fir and Sitka spruce. It has a woody aroma.

Where does it come from?
The needles are sourced from felling operations on Forestry Commission land across Scotland.

What are its benefits?
Pine oil is used in aromatherapy to soothe stressed muscles and joints. It has similar properties to eucalyptus and the action of both oils is enhanced when they are blended. It is also used in blends with bergamot, lavender, lemon, rosemary and tea tree oils. It has antibacterial, antiseptic, astringent, decongestant and various anti-fungal properties.

What is happening in Scotland?,br> HNP is working in partnership with the Forestry Commission Scotland to use the brash (clippings) from commercial felling operations to produce the oil. "It's a bit tongue-in-cheek to say the brash is more valuable than the wood, but it does have a significant value which I think foresters don't appreciate," says Constanduros. "One of the attractions is that we know exactly what plantations they come from, so we have the traceability that customers need. Most of the pine fragrances are currently synthetic, so we'd be hoping to produce a natural and higher quality fragrance. There's the possibility of developing household products and toiletries." He believes that needle oil could have significant benefits for local employment.
BETH PEARSON
http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/features/display.var.1460834.0.0.php

The Science of Smell

2007-06-10T16:24:00.000-07:00

The Science Of Smell [ 2007-6-10 ]
By P. Gopakumar
MODERN researches suggest that smells and odours actively influence our moods, memory, deep emotion, the endocrine glands and even the immune systems. The science of smell is one of the oldest forms of natural medical care dating back to centuries of years. Aromatic oils and herbs were then used to beautify bodies, for physical and mental well being, for religious purposes and for embalming. Natural oils that smell are used for controlling pain or for rubbing into the body during massage. In other words, this healing system relies on the most potent, vital essence of plant energy called essential oils extracted from the roots, stems, leaves and flowers - the life force of plants.

Living

Since a single drop of an essential oil is equal in value to an ounce of living, the essence is highly potent. These essential oils are natural capacitors, with the ability to store energy and release it when needed. Absorbed into the system through inhalation and application, they enter the body and leave within a stipulated time to have an instant effect. Aromatherapy offers a holistic natural approach in treating an array of physical, mental and emotional problems, affecting the state of an individual.

Essential oils control the negative feelings while helping stimulate the positive ones and, in general, enhance emotional equilibrium and relaxation. Smelling peppermint is enough to overcome lethargy. If you cannot sleep, try sprinkling lavender oil on your pillow to doze off peacefully. As excellent stress relievers, essential oils are a boon to insomniacs. If you are suffering from nasal congestion and cough, eucalyptus oil could be just fine.

Our sense of smell is working all the time, although we are least aware of it. It can constantly evoke a certain memory and can just as quickly signal a change of mood. Scents have this power over our olfactory system, which is directly connected to the brain. The responses, thus, created affect the digestive and nervous system, thereby, our emotional behaviour. It is accepted that deep relaxation and a sense of well being can be associated with certain smells, and this could contribute to the healing process.

Lavender has been shown to increase the alpha waves in the brain - associated with a relaxed state - possibly in triggering soporific hormones in the brain. Overweight people can breathe in inhalers containing banana, green apple or peppermint scents whenever they feel hungry. These scents are enough to make one feel satisfied, as a result of which they tend to eat less. This can help in losing weight without going on a diet or regular exercising.

A bit of peppermint can keep one focused and alert. It can boost performance and help in jobs needing great concentration. It is a proven fact that exposures to peppermint help air traffic controllers feel less tired and make them more focussed. In Japan, researchers claimed that when a lemon scent was wafted through the workplace, errors by keyboard operators dropped by 54 percent. Jasmine, on the other hand, minimised errors by 33 percent. A pleasing scent can also lift one�s spirits.

Aromatherapy has also marked its presence in the world of beauty. Almost magical in their properties, essential oils can help achieve a glowing skin. They also fight wrinkles, loss of flexibility, pigmentation and other skin complaints besides scalp problems like dandruff and hair loss.

Essential oils also have medicinal properties like antiseptics, antibacterial, disinfectant, antiviral and antitoxic. But their greatest effectiveness lies in their ability to revitalise, cure, disinfect and stimulate the metabolism by releasing toxins and accelerating healthy cell production. This form of treatment is totally free of any side effects when used under the direction of a qualified aroma therapist. It is also a safe, effective, environment-friendly alternative to conventional medicines and cosmetics.

For optimum effect, aromatherapy is best prescribed depending on the nature of specific illness. Each individual being unique, the combination of oils prescribed would also be unique. Smell being the most essential factor, the oil has to appeal to the user in order to extract maximum benefits. Aromas may have varied effects on people. More than two hundred varieties of essential oils can be concocted, each having its distinct therapeutic properties.

After inquiring into one�s lifestyle and medical history, the aroma therapist will either decide oils they consider suitable or ask the patient to select their preferred aromas. The oil, which must be of high quality and free of additives, should be diluted in vegetable-based carrier oil for massage. An aromatherapy massage uses techniques to relieve tension and improve circulation. It is believed that this allows oil molecules to get absorbed into the blood stream to pass efficiently into the nervous system. Massage can cause sleepiness and aching muscles. A full body massage usually lasts for about an hour while a face massage lasts for thirty minutes.

Therapists

Geranium, lavender and sandalwood are excellent bath oils. To scent a room, put 2-3 drops of oil with little water in a vaporiser and place it over a lighted candle. Asthmatics and those who suffer from nasal bleeding should avoid inhalations. Rosemary and German chamomile oils are contraindicated during pregnancy. Intake of oils should be only under the direction of a qualified therapist. Do not apply oils near the eyes. Keep them away from flames and children.

http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/content.php?nid=20680

Bulgaria's Rose Oil to Hit Record Output in 2007

2007-05-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

Record high production of rose oil is expected in Bulgaria for 2007. File photo by Yuliana Nikolova

The production of rose oil in Bulgaria for 2007 is expected to reach record high amounts, the head of the oil rose research institute Nedko Nedkov said Friday.

The production is expected to reach the record 2.5 tons, having in mind that the only place where this expensive product is made is the rose valley in the Bulgarian town of Kazanlak.

Compared to 2006, not the valley will give enough rose oil to bring a 66% growth of the production. This is due to the fact that for the first time this year the oil will be gathered from around 3500 hectares of rose fields.

The picking of the oil roses started last week and the producers say this will be one of the best yields for the past several years.

Bulgaria has invested around BGN 100 M in the last 5 years for enlarging the rose plantations and for the building of modern oleaginous distilling facilities.

The Bulgarian oil rose is one of the most expensive products, sold all over the world and is mainly used for the production of high quality perfumes and essential oils. At the moment a kilogram of rose oil costs EUR 4000 at the international market.

Bulgaria is among the four biggest producers of rose oil in the world, together with Turkey, Morocco and Iran.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=81105

Hocus-Pocus, and a Beaker of Truffles

2007-05-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

synthetic The truffle oil used in many restaurants does not get its flavor from truffles. It is a mix of olive oil and chemical compounds.

By DANIEL PATTERSON
Published: May 16, 2007

A TRUFFLE by any other name may smell as sweet, but what if that name is 2,4-dithiapentane? All across the country, in restaurants great and small, the “truffle” flavor advertised on menus is increasingly being supplied by truffle oil. What those menus don’t say is that, unlike real truffles, the aroma of truffle oil is not born in the earth. Most commercial truffle oils are concocted by mixing olive oil with one or more compounds like 2,4-dithiapentane (the most prominent of the hundreds of aromatic molecules that make the flavor of white truffles so exciting) that have been created in a laboratory; their one-dimensional flavor is also changing common understanding of how a truffle should taste.

When I discovered truffle oil as a chef in the late 1990’s, I was thrilled. So much flavor, so little expense. I suppose I could have given some thought to how an ingredient that cost $60 an ounce or more could be captured so expressively in an oil that sold for a dollar an ounce. I might have wondered why the price of the oils didn’t fluctuate along with the price of real truffles; why the oils of white and black truffles cost the same, when white truffles themselves were more than twice as expensive as black; or why the quality of oils didn’t vary from year to year like the natural ingredients. But I didn’t. Instead I happily used truffle oil for several years (even, embarrassingly, recommending it in a cookbook), until finally a friend cornered me at a farmers’ market to explain what I had should have known all along. I glumly pulled all my truffle oil from the restaurant shelves and traded it to a restaurant down the street for some local olive oil.
That truffle oil is chemically enhanced is not news. It has been common knowledge among most chefs for some time, and in 2003 Jeffrey Steingarten wrote an article in Vogue about the artificiality of the oils that by all rights should have shorn the industry of its “natural” fig leaf. Instead, the use of truffle oil continued apace. The question is, Why are so many chefs at all price points — who wouldn’t dream of using vanillin instead of vanilla bean and who source their organic baby vegetables and humanely raised meats with exquisite care — using a synthetic flavoring agent?

Part of the answer is that, even now, you will find chefs who are surprised to hear that truffle oil does not actually come from real truffles. “I thought that it was made from dried bits and pieces of truffles steeped in olive oil,” said Vincent Nargi of Cafe Cluny in Manhattan, which made me put down my pen and scratch my head. The flavor of real truffles, especially black, is evanescent, difficult to capture in an oil under the best of circumstances.
But, much as I did for years, chefs want to believe. Stories of sightings of natural truffle oil abound, like a gourmand’s answer to the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus. One chef told me in an excited, slightly conspiratorial tone that Jing Tio of Le Sanctuaire in Santa Monica, Calif., who sells high-quality specialty ingredients to chefs, mixed his own oil to order.
This seemed unlikely. When I asked Mr. Tio, he gave me a funny look. “Natural?” he said, rolling his eyes. “Nooo ...”

Truffle companies are secretive, and speaking to their representatives does little to illuminate their production techniques. I was told by Federico Balestra at Sabatino Tartufi that its oil is now “100 percent organic,” made from dried truffles and other ingredients with flavors “similar to truffle.” Vittorio Giordano of Urbani Tartufi called its manufacturing method, though conducted in a laboratory, a “natural process.” He described the essence that his company uses as “something from the truffle that is not the truffle.”

Whereas once truffles were hallmarks of local cooking — black in France and white in Italy — the globalization of cuisine has led to worldwide demand for an ingredient whose output continues to decline. As with some highly collectible wines, the virulent combination of high value and scarcity have created an environment ripe for fraudulent behavior. French agencies conduct chemical analyses of black truffles to ensure that they are not inferior Chinese or Spanish truffles soaked in truffle oil or juice. White truffles from other areas of Italy have been known to show up at the Alba market, summer truffles passed off as winter. But when it comes to the oil, chefs are helping to perpetuate the fraud. Why?

Call it the LVMH-ization of cooking. Truffles have become a luxury brand, one that connotes a way of life as much as a style of cooking. “Chefs use truffle oil because it’s easy to add a gloss of glamour with it — and because it helps sell dishes,” S. Irene Virbila, chief restaurant critic of The Los Angeles Times, said in an e-mail message.

Although the scent of a truffle just dug can be one of the most profound gustatory experiences of the Western world, it’s one that not many people in this country have had on truffles’ native soil. Once there were only a few expensive and exclusive restaurants that recreated that experience, which only select customers could afford. Truffle oil has simultaneously democratized and cheapened the truffle experience, creating a knockoff that goes by the same name.

The competitiveness of the restaurant scene has a lot to do with this trend. What most people know of truffles is truffle “aroma,” which has helped shape their expectations of what they’re paying for — and how much they should have to pay to get it. “Price is definitely a factor,” said Shea Gallante of Cru in Manhattan, who uses black truffle oil to reinforce the flavor of real black truffles in a midwinter pasta dish. “If I didn’t use the two drops of oil I would have to add another 8 to 10 grams of truffle,” he said, making the dish too expensive for his clientele. Many chefs agree that the quality of truffles in this country has fallen in recent years, added to the fact that every minute a truffle spends out of the ground enervates its flavor. The increased scrutiny of imported goods hasn’t helped; prolonged stays in customs might be keeping the country safe from exploding fungi, but it’s not doing much for the truffle’s aromatic intensity.

And Americans, as many were quick to note, like big flavors. “People expect the slap in the face of truffle oil,” said Jonathan Gold, the restaurant critic for LA Weekly. “They have lost their taste for subtlety; they want bigger than life flavors that are amped up with aromatics. That’s American cooking at the moment.” Many chefs are turning to truffle oil as a way to get truffle aromas that, as many chefs put it, “jump off the plate,” often dressing real truffles in the oil before sending them to the table to heighten their effect. It raises the question, What will happen when there is a synthetic heirloom tomato scent or an imitation ripe peach flavor? Are we moving toward an era of fake food?

Probably not. Truffle oil seems unique in this regard. Most chefs I spoke with said they were undisturbed by its artificiality, although they are quite concerned with its “proper” usage, which chiefly comes down to restraint: less, in this case, is more. This is curious, considering that the same chefs will say in the next breath that the best way to use real truffles is in profusion. Some call truffle oil “authentic” only when used in conjunction with real truffles, while others maintain that they like it for what it is, something altogether different.

“I used to use white truffle oil a lot, but now I only use a little bit in my liquid black truffle ravioli,” Grant Achatz of Alinea in Chicago told me. “It adds a little more perfume, a slightly different flavor. I cut my teeth cooking at the French Laundry, and when we were using truffles there was always a bottle close by. But after I was on my own for a while I started to ask myself why I was using it, and I didn’t have a good answer. It doesn’t even taste like truffle.”

Chris L’Hommedieu, chef de cuisine at Michael Mina in San Francisco, used truffle oils during his tenure as chef de cuisine at Per Se in New York, although he said he never developed a taste for them. But when asked how much of his aversion to truffle oil was due to its artificiality, he told me: “One hundred percent. I learned that from Jean-Louis.”

Mr. L’Hommedieu’s recollection involved the late chef Jean-Louis Palladin, with whom he worked at Palladin, a Manhattan restaurant that is now closed. Returning from a trip out of town, Mr. Palladin was enraged to walk into the kitchen and find that in his absence bottles of truffle oil had cropped up everywhere. Grabbing two of them, he called the staff out to the alley behind the restaurant where the garbage was held. He hurled the oil at the side of the building, smashing the glass bottles against the wall. “It’s full of chemicals,” he screamed at his confused and frightened staff members, who scrambled back to the kitchen through the gathering scent of truffle oil mingled with the fetid air of the alley. “No more!”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Daniel Patterson is the chef and owner of Coi, a restaurant in San Francisco. With this column, De Gustibus returns to The New York Times as an occasional forum for various writers to employ opinion, argument or provocation in reflections on food or drink.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/16/dining/16truf.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Oldest Perfumes Found on "Aphrodite's Island"

2007-03-29T20:22:00.000-07:00

John Roachfor National Geographic News
March 29, 2007

The world's oldest known perfumes have been found on the island reputed to be the birthplace of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, lust, and beauty, Italian archaeologists announced last week.

Discovered on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus in 2003, the perfumes date back more than 4,000 years, said excavation leader Maria Rosaria Belgiorno of the National Research Council in Rome.

Remnants of the perfumes were found inside an ancient 3,230-square-foot (300-square-meter) factory that was part of a larger industrial complex at Pyrgos.

The buildings were destroyed during an earthquake in 1850 B.C., but perfume bottles, mixing jugs, and stills were preserved under the collapsed walls.

The artifacts are currently on display at the Capitolini Museum in Rome, along with modern reproductions of the centuries-old scents.

Dwight Loren is a perfumer and fragrance consultant with Essential Creations in New Jersey and a member of the American Society of Perfumers.

He said Grasse, France, is considered to be the center of modern perfume making, but the industry is known to have ancient roots.

"How sophisticated it was we don't know, but certainly people were looking at natural ingredients to enhance either their own body or their environments or to use them in medicine," he said.

Scents Re-created

Belgiorno's team analyzed the remains of the mixing jugs and identified 14 fragrances native to the Mediterranean region used in perfume production.

Extracts of anise, pine, coriander, bergamot, almond, and parsley are among the ingredients the ancient perfume-makers preferred.

The team also discovered four "recipes" concocted with the different fragrances.

An experimental archaeology center in Blera, Italy, recreated these perfumes using techniques described by Pliny the Elder, a Roman author who died observing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79.

Plants and herbs were ground up and mixed with olive oil in clay jugs, then distilled in a clay apparatus, Belgiorno explained.

The smell of the perfumes is "a nice experience that re-creates in our mind a sort of ancestral reminder," she said in an email interview.

Parsley, she noted, "is a terrible fragrance if used alone, [but it] forms a nice scent if blended with other fragrances."

The re-creations are not yet for sale to the general public, but the excavation team is looking for a partner to market them. Proceeds would fund further archaeological work.

Loren, the perfume industry consultant, said such a venture could prove viable if marketed to the appropriate niche, such as museum visitors, and packaged in a similar way to the ancient concoctions.

Aphrodite Connection

Aphrodite was likely recognized as the goddess of Cyprus because the island was already well known for its perfumes by the time the myth arose, according to Belgiorno.

Many perfumes today are considered aphrodisiacs—substances believed to boost sexual desire (related: "Do Aphrodisiacs Really Work?" [February 14, 2006]).
"The Cyprus perfumes were born before Aphrodite, and after Aphrodite they remained linked to the island and its goddess," Belgiorno said.

The archaeologist added that she doesn't know why the people of Cyprus started making and wearing perfumes 4,000 years ago.

In ancient Egypt, she noted, perfumes were used for cosmetic and pharmaceutical purposes as well as religious ceremonies.

Regardless of how the Cypriot perfumes were used, she believes today's fragrances just don't compare.

"We have lost the real world of natural fragrances," she said, "because most of the perfumes of today are chemical reproductions of the natural fragrances and scents."

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/03/070329-oldest-perfumes.html

Ancient perfume found on Venus' island

2007-03-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

ROME, March 16 (UPI) -- Archaeologists exploring Cyprus, said to be home to Venus, the goddess of love, have stumbled upon the world's oldest known perfume factory.
A display of the prehistoric scents and 60 objects from the Cyprus discovery can be seen at Rome's Capitoline Museums, ANSA reported. The distilling equipment is believed to be 4,000 years old.

"We were astonished at how big the place was ... Perfumes must have been produced on an industrial scale. No wonder the island got its reputation for possessing the skills of Aphrodite," said National Research Council archaeologist Maria Rosa Belgiorno, using the Greek name for Venus, ANSA reported.

Perfumes are displayed in alabaster vials found in 2003 and are made of olive oil, pine, coriander, laurel, bergamot, parsley and bitter almonds, ANSA said.
The scents are named after the Greek goddesses Aphrodite, Hera, Athena and Artemis.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20070316-14243100-bc-italy-perfume.xml

Egyptian pots hold cosmetics secrets

2007-03-15T18:49:00.000-07:00

By Simon Pitman 3/15/2007 -

A collection of canopic jars held in the Louvre in Paris, France, since 1905 have unearthed some of the natural ingredients that were used in ancient Egyptian beauty treatments thousands of years ago.

Originally the jars had been thought to contain the embalmed organs of the great Egyptian pharaoh Rameses II, but a team of researchers from the University of Strasbourg found that instead of the beeswax and bitumen synonymous with such formulations, they contained something quite different.

In fact the blue pots, which are covered with Egyptian hieroglyphs, contained animal fats, similar to the fatty acids found in pig fat, a report by the New Scientist said.

Although animal fats are not commonly used in mass market personal care products these days, the researchers say that they also found aromatic alcohols found in pine or cedar imported from the Levant.

In ancient Egypt pine and cedar oils were used in scented ointments, whereas now they are commonly used in natural bath and body products, as well as deodorants and essential oils.

Further more radioactive carbon tracing found that the pots were dated from around 1035BC, dating them almost 200 years after the death of Ramases II.

The discovery comes three years after archaelogistis came across a pot of Roman face cream estimated to be nearly 2,000 years old at a construction site in south London.

The face cream container was unearthed at an archaeological dig and its contents were believed to have been used by fashion conscious Roman aristocrats desiring a paler complexion.

The fact the cosmetic product had not suffered decomposition, and that its contents remained largely intact, allowed scientists from Bristol University to create a replica using its exact formulation, substituting its ingredients for modern-day fresh alternatives.

Approximately 40 per cent of the product's ingredients were starch and animal fat, most likely to have been derived from the carcass of a cow or goat.Indeed, another chemical compound, tin oxide, was also found in the face cream formulation, which is commonly used in contemporary cosmetics products as a whitener.

http://www.cosmeticsdesign.com/news/ng.asp?n=75012-egyptian-cosmetics-natural-ingredients

Scent Activates Memory During Sleep, Study Says

2007-03-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

A medical student playing a version of concentration, memorizing the location of card pairs on a computer screen.

By BENEDICT CAREY
Published: March 8, 2007

The New York Times

Scientists studying how sleep affects memory have found that the whiff of a familiar scent can help a slumbering brain better remember things that it learned the evening before. A rose bouquet — delivered to people’s nostrils as they studied and, later, as they slept — improved their performance on a memory test by almost 15 percent.

The new study, appearing Friday in the journal Science, is the first rigorous test of odor on human memory during sleep. The results — whether or not they can help students cram for tests — clarify the picture of what the sleeping brain does with newly studied material, and of what it takes for this process to succeed.
Researchers have long known that sleep is crucial to laying down new memories, and studies in the 1980s and ’90s showed that exposing the sleeping brain to cues associated with learning — the sound of clicking, for instance — could enhance the process. But it is only in recent years that scientists have begun to understand how this is possible.

“The idea didn’t get any traction with scientists back then, because it didn’t make sense,” said Dr. Robert Stickgold, a psychiatrist at Harvard, who was not involved in the research. He added that the new study “shows not only that sleep is important for declarative memory, but also allows us to look at exactly when and how this process might happen.”

In the study, neuroscientists from the University of Lübeck and the University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, had groups of medical students play a version of concentration, memorizing the location of card pairs on a computer screen. Upon learning the location of each pair, the students received a burst of rose scent in their noses, through a mask they wore. The researchers delivered the fragrance in bursts because the nose quickly adjusts to strong smells in the air, and begins to ignore them.

The students went to sleep about a half hour later, with electrodes on their head tracking the depth of their slumber. Neuroscientists divide sleep into stages, including deep or slow-wave sleep and the shallow, dream-rich state called rapid-eye-movement sleep, or R.E.M.

The brain is thought to process newly acquired facts, figures and locations most efficiently in deep sleep. This restful state usually descends within the first 20 minutes or so after head meets pillow, and it may last an hour or more, then recur later in the night. The researchers delivered pulses of rose bouquet during this slow-wave state; the odor did not interrupt sleep, and the students said they had no memory of it.

But their brains noticed, and they retained an almost perfect memory of card locations. The students scored an average of 97 percent on the card game, compared with 86 percent when they played the concentration game and slept without being perfumed by nighttime neuroscience faeries.
The students did not get the same boost when they received bursts of the fragrance before falling asleep, and their improvements were not a result of practice, the study found.

Previous research has shown that regions of the cortex, the thinking and planning part of the brain, communicate during deep sleep with a sliver of tissue deeper in the brain called the hippocampus, which records each day’s memories. What is most likely happening, the study’s authors argue, is that the cortex is reactivating the same set of neurons that fired when a particular fact was noticed or learned. The hippocampus then encodes that firing sequence back in the cortex, consolidating the memory.

“We would expect spontaneous reactivation driven by the slow-wave sleep, but by presenting the rose odor cues we intensified this activation and enhanced the transfer of these memories into the neocortex,” said Dr. Jan Born, a neuroscientist at Lübeck and an author of the study. His co-authors were Bjorn Rasch, Christian Büchel and Steffen Gais.

Olfactory sensing pathways in the brain lead more directly to the hippocampus than visual and auditory ones. That may be why smells can be linked so closely to memory, and may revive forgotten joys, humiliations and other remembrances of things past.

To check their reasoning, the researchers took M.R.I. images of some of the students’ brains during their rose-scented slumber. As predicted, regions of the cortex became noticeably more active, as did the hippocampus.

The findings suggest that distinct sleep states may be specialized to integrate different kinds of information. The researchers found, for example, that the rose scent did not enhance memories of a learned, finger-tapping sequence — a rhythmic memory that does not appear to be consolidated by the hippocampus.

Likewise, rose fragrance during R.E.M. sleep made no difference to the students’ scores. It may be that the hues, horrors and hilarity of dreams during R.E.M. reflect the brain’s efforts to digest and integrate emotional, rather than factual, memories, Dr. Stickgold said.
“Extracting patterns and rules and what we call the gist of a memory might turn out to be antithetical to the process of nailing down the facts themselves,” Dr. Stickgold said. “So, for instance, you might use R.E.M. to integrate one, and slow-wave sleep for the other.”

The new findings do not close the book on how memories are formed and consolidated during sleep. Other scientists have found evidence that rather than reactivation, the brain’s slow-wave state induces an overall weakening of neuron-to-neuron signaling, making recently recorded memories look bolder by reducing the background neural “noise.” And it may be, Dr. Born said, that both processes are occurring during sleep: a pruning away of the noise of the day’s irrelevant observations, and a replaying of its important ones.

Either way, the researchers said, the new findings are likely to prompt some creative thinking on the part of students facing the terror of final exams. The German research group has preliminary evidence that acrid smells might be even better in enhancing memory.
“We use an apparatus to sense the onset of slow-wave sleep and deliver the odor” in short, alternating bursts, Dr. Born said, adding, “I suppose for some students it would not be too difficult to develop something like this.”

That’s what engineering departments are for. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/08/science/08cnd-sleep.html?em&ex=1173589200&en=ca355ce84aa95616&ei=5070

Scent could snuff out hospital bugs

2007-03-07T16:04:00.000-08:00

Scent could snuff out hospital bugsYakub Qureshi 7/ 3/2007

AN air-freshener that floods hospitals with relaxing aromatherapy scent could signal the end of deadly bugs.

Microbiologists at Manchester Metropolitan University have developed a unique blend of natural oils which destroy infections such as MRSA.

They hit upon the idea of using an industrial air-freshener already used in some hospitals and offices to spread the bug-killing aromas. The results have been amazing. Machines in two wards at Wythenshawe Hospital wiped out 90 per cent of MRSA bacteria in a month-long trial.

Scientists now believe they could revolutionise the way hospitals tackle infections and help prevent thousands of patients catching hospital infections.

For several years scientists have known oils extracted from natural ingredients like roses or cedarwood, normally used in aromatherapy, can kill MRSA and other infections. But they have puzzled about how best to use this in busy hospitals.

Prof Val Edwards-Jones and Dr Anna Doran developed a unique mixture of essential oils they found to be most effective at killing bugs. They experimented with using the oils in wound dressings and creams, then hit on the idea of spraying oils into the air in an attempt to kill all germs present in a room.

Atmosphere

Last year they teamed up with Wigan firm Scent Technologies, which makes air fresheners for offices and industrial areas, and were able to adapt existing equipment to disperse their oils into the atmosphere.

Prof Edwards-Jones, who has been researching the properties of essential oils for a decade, said: "We had been looking at dispersal systems where the particles of oil did not dissipate quickly but stayed in the air longer. We had thought about using a candle which released the oils, but this company had been producing air fresheners so its system was just what we were looking for.

"We found the bacteria count came down by 90 per cent. We had people on the ward with MRSA, and this did not spread during the trial. There were no cases of cross-infection.

"The spray alone doesn't mean people will not get bugs, but it does reduce the chances and can minimise the spread.

"We were able to get a low level of oil into the atmosphere so it did not flood the ward at once with scent but built up gradually over a period. When we switched the machines off, the bacterial counts started to rise again."

Every year, hospital-acquired infections like MRSA kill an estimated 5,000 people in Britain. The spray was tested in a laboratory and then an office environment before researchers convinced bosses at Wythenshawe Hospital to pilot the system in two wards of the burns unit. Scientists monitored MRSA and other bugs in each ward before and after the device had been installed.

They saw a massive decline in the bacteria count during the month-long trial late last year. Burns patients have normally lost large amounts of skin and are particularly susceptible to infection. Hospital staff say they are happy still to have the devices. The scientists, who have patented their unique blend of oils, hope to market their discovery to hospitals and nursing homes soon. Similar research is being carried out by Manchester University and Christie Hospital.

Picture above: PIONEER: Dr Anna Doran has supervised the testing of the natural oils vapour

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1001/1001223_scent_could_snuff_out_hospital_bugs.html

Sweet smell of success in the birthplace of perfume

2007-02-26T08:32:00.000-08:00

The sweet smell of success in the birthplace of perfume,

yet flowers a staple in Grasse, France

Sunday, February 25, 2007
Phyllis MacchioniSpecial to The Plain Dealer
Grasse, France --

If you leave the Mediterranean Sea behind you at Cannes and head north toward the Maritime Alps, the road winds upward past lush vineyards and fields of lavender. Castles and monasteries hide in verdant hills and knock-you-to-your-knees panoramas appear around every bend in the road.

Then the pink, mimosa-yellow and jasmine-white fields begin to appear, colored by the thousands of flowers that grow near this medieval French city that clings like a lover's fragrance to the steep hills high above the French Riviera. You have arrived in Grasse, the city of flowers and perfume.

The narrow cobblestone streets wind past well-kept 17th and 18th century buildings, sometimes going through handcrafted stone tunnels that open onto large treed squares. The slight patina that covers the buildings is from the centuries of fragrance laden clouds that have floated in from the flower fields nearby.

Throughout town, large pots of fragrant blooming plants and colorful flowers hang from every lamppost. Blood-red geraniums, pink carnations and white Sweet Williams cascade from ancient wrought-iron balconies. The air smells sweet in Grasse, and it should, for Grasse is the birthplace of the perfume industry.

Along Boulevard du Jeu de Ballon, one of the town's main thoroughfares, you'll find shops filled with beautifully packaged fragrances. The posh boutiques sell not only cut glass flacons of delicious smelling perfumes, tasseled and beribboned and crowned with gilded stoppers, but cologne, sprays, fragrant soaps, lotions, candles and essential oils. Perfume and scents have been a part of life in this small town since before the French Revolution.

During the 18th century, Grasse became the largest production center for raw perfume materials, specializing in jasmine and rose petals. Paris became the commercial counterpart to Grasse and the world center of perfume. Perfume houses such as Houbigant (which still produces Quelques Fleurs), Lubin, Roger & Gallet, and Guerlain, which were all in Paris, based their industries on the flowers they bought from Grasse. In those days, an early morning walk around town would bring you face to face with mountains of freshly picked rose petals, vats of mimosa or jonquils or baskets of violets and orange blossoms, harvested in the hours just before dawn when the oil in the flowers is the most concentrated.

But there are few mountains of flowers waiting to be processed these days, and no one talks about the price of jasmine or rose petals anymore. Today it's the price of guaiacol, ionone and the other chemicals used in the production of perfume that is discussed over lunch. Changing tastes and the development of modern chemistry laid the foundations of perfumery as we know it today. Alchemy gave way to chemistry and new fragrances were created.

Today both old and new perfume-making techniques are followed in Grasse. This is where Chanel No. 5 was created and is still produced, as are many other perfumes and scents for top Parisian fashion houses such as Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent. The scents are produced in small, private laboratories scattered throughout town.

You can see how scents are created by visiting one of the town's three large perfume houses: Fragonard, Galimard or Molinard. I chose to visit Galimard simply because it is the oldest. The original Monsieur Galimard supplied pomades and perfumes to the Perfume Court of Louis VX, and the company has been making perfume and scents ever since.

At the Galimard factory I met Jacques Maurel, the Galimard "nose" or master parfumeur. Maurel is one of 50 in the world certified to make perfume. Perfumers are surrounded by hundreds of dark brown bottles filled with scents. As part of their training, noses must be able to recognize and identify as many as 4,000 odors and be familiar with the classical Renaissance techniques of perfume-making.

While you probably won't be able to get the formula for Chanel No. 5, a visit to the Perfume Museum, near Rue Jean Osola, will give you an idea of the serious chemical protocols that go into making perfume. While you are there, look at the collection of antique perfume bottles. Some of the lead crystal bottles, particularly those designed by Rene Lalique, Baccarat and Louis Tiffany, are priceless works of art. This is also a good place to start your walking tour of Grasse.

Daily flower mart like the old days. Just across the street from the Perfume Museum is the Fragonard museum, the family home of artist Jean-Honore Fragonard, Grasse's most famous artist. His large religious painting, "Washing of the Feet," hangs in the 12th-century Cathedral of Grasse, Notre Dame du Puy, in the Place du Petit Puy. From the Cathedral it is just a short walk to Place aux Herbes, and from there to the town's principal square, Place aux Aires, where you can relax and enjoy lunch under the large trees.

The daily flower mart arranged around the three-tiered fountain in the center of the square is reminiscent of the bygone days when the local perfumers came here to buy wheelbarrows full of rose petals and jasmine to take back to their workshops.

A stop at the Epicerie et Confiserie de Provence in Place aux Aires will bring you face to face with exquisite handmade chocolates and candied violets.

Grasse is an easy day trip from Cannes or Nice. There are no long lists of must-see sites to make you feel guilty about sitting, sipping a cup of French roasted coffee and people watching.
If you plan to be in Grasse for any length of time, the Bastide Saint-Antoine, is a good place to stay. There are only 11 rooms at this 18th century country house that doubles as a hotel, so you need to book ahead. All the rooms have king-size beds, and the hotel's gourmet restaurant is run by master chef Jacques Chibois, Gault-Millau's chef of the year in 1997.

There are several other good options. The Hotel des Parfums, located in the center of Grasse, is lovely and not particularly expensive.

If the weather is nice, take a ride in the country and visit the flower fields. The rose fields are open from early May to mid-June. The jasmine fields are open from July to October. Reservations are necessary and can be made by the Grasse Tourist Bureau.

Macchioni is a free-lance writer who lives near Milan, Italy.

http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living/117235532722680.xml&coll=2

Aromatherapy and Affect

2007-02-21T08:10:00.000-08:00

Category: Culture Wars • Medicine • Mental Health • Neuroscience • Psychiatry • Research • Stupid People

Posted on: February 20, 2007 8:00 AM, by Sandra Kiume

Lavender essential oil aromatherapy carries a long list of pseudoscience claims, and though some are outrageous, it seems aromatherapy for relaxation may have some science to back it up. Smelling lavender and rosemary increases free radical scavenging activi ty and decreases cortisol level in saliva, Atsumi and Tonosaki [who are dentists, not psychiatrists], Psychiatry Research, Feb 2007 (epub). "Our study may be the first to report the cortisol-lowering effect of smell in human saliva," they said, concluding that lavender and rosemary scents may provide protection against oxidative stress.

Does this justify my rosemary mint shampoo and lavender soy moisturizer as medical expenses? I wonder what Ben Goldacre would say.
The handful of other aromatherapy studies include Ambient odors of orange and lavender reduce anxiety and improve mood in a dental office, Lehrner et al., Physiol Behav. 2005 Sep 15;86(1-2):92-5, and Aromas of rosemary and lavender essential oils differentially affect cognition and mood in healthy adults, Moss et al., Int J Neurosci. 2003 Jan;113(1):15-38. The latter reported:

... lavender produced a significant decrement in performance of working memory, and impaired reaction times for both memory and attention based tasks compared to controls. In contrast, rosemary produced a significant enhancement of performance for overall quality of memory and secondary memory factors, but also produced an impairment of speed of memory compared to controls. With regard to mood, comparisons of the change in ratings from baseline to post-test revealed that following the completion of the cognitive assessment battery, both the control and lavender groups were significantly less alert than the rosemary condition; however, the control group was significantly less content than both rosemary and lavender conditions. These findings indicate that the olfactory properties of these essential oils can produce objective effects on cognitive performance, as well as subjective effects on mood.

The Reebok Zan Chi Aromatherapy tank top is designed to release lavender or peppermint scent from heat-sensitive fabric but has yet to be studied empirically. Maybe it'd be useful for anxiety-provoking situations beyond yoga, but there's no FDA approval for it or any other of the vast range of aromatherapy products for mental health. Like the lavender bunny (pictured above). " Ease stress and tension the easy way by squeezing her often, sniff, enjoy!"

One neuroimaging study, EEG asymmetry responses to lavender and rosemary aromas in adults and infants, Sanders et al., Int J Neurosci. 2002 Nov;112(11):1305-20., recorded a shift from left frontal activity to right frontal (indicating a calmer emotional state), could blossom into a whole new subtype of neuromarketing (neuroperfumery?) for products like Smiley.

Touting itself as an "olfactive antidepressant," Smiley is a perfume containing "micronutrients to activate happiness" with theobromine and phenylethylamine mixed into extrait de parfum ("maximum dose"), eau de toilette ("normal dose"), and a tanning simulator lotion (dose unspecified). The "pharmacodynamic action" of those neurochemicals is usually delivered via chocolate - ingested - not perfume - an ambient whiff. You could dip yourself in melted chocolate and still not feel elation from the phenylethylamine transdermally.

But Smiley doesn't take itself or its scientific claims seriously (it's a chic concept from a French parfumier) so hopefully consumers won't either. Visual designer ora-ito said, "I was immediately seduced by the idea of taking part in the creation of the very first perfume-treatment! For the Damien Hirst fan that I am, it's a kid's dream coming true to develop an ironic clinical universe." There's a photo of 50 Cents (sic) hyping the brand in Cannes. Ironic is key.

No word from Clinique, manufacturers of Happy.

Makers of lavender and rosemary essential oils must be thrilled by this latest study, but buyer beware. Though hawked by the Discovery Channel, Lovey the Lavender Lamb hasn't been in a lab.

[cross-posted to Neurofuture]
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Infection fight breakthrough

2007-02-18T20:41:00.000-08:00

BUG BLITZER: Roy Jackson of Scent Technologies and the vaporiser device which may help hospitals control MRSA

By Charles Graham

A Wigan firm is pioneering a gadget that will blitz killer superbugs in Britain's hospitals.

Scent Technologies, a tiny operation on Miry Lane, has teamed up with scientists from Manchester Metropolitan University to create a vaporiser containing a secret formula of essential oils which, when sprayed into the air, kill deadly micro-organisms.

A 10-month trial of the system at the burns unit of Wythenshawe Hospital has seen spectacular results. Airborne bugs, including lethal MRSA, were reduced by 90% and infections on the ward plummeted.The device and formula have now been patented and Scent Technologies MD Roy Jackson says the operation is too big for his firm to handle and they are looking for investors and a buyer.

He said: "This is an enormous breakthrough in the treatment of infections that have been very much in the headlines in recent years.

The vaporiser and essential oils reduced mircrobes at Wythenshawe by 90%. You can never reduce them by 100% because people coming and going bring new ones in.

"When the trial ended, infections suddenly shot up again so they have now asked for the apparatus to be installed permanently. This should go worldwide now. These are very exciting times."

Dr Valerie Edwards-Jones, assistant director of research, and post-doctoral research assistant Anna Doran, from Manchester Metropolitan University, had been researching the effects of essential oils on micro-organisms for several years.

Scent Technologies came to their
attention because its products – which were used for masking unpleasant smells in everything from hospitals to the new Queen Mary liner – uniquely used dry dispersal rather than wet aerosols, which is what the scientists were looking for.

Scent had itself discovered that the oils it was using to filter fresh air were having beneficial effects on hospital infections but the recipe has been super-refined by the university egg-heads.

Dr Edwards-Jones said: "The results of our trial at Wythenshawe were extremely promising with bacterial counts in the air reduced by over 90%. "We have specifically looked at MRSA and the oils do kill it. We are also looking at spraying the substance directly on to patients to decontaminate them."I would hope that this product could spread across the planet."
Last Updated: 16 February 2007

http://www.wiganonline.co.uk/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=2056247&sectionid=66

Artisan Natural Perfumers Guild

2007-02-09T21:03:00.000-08:00

Artisan Natural Perfumers Guild Joins CropWatch in Boycott Against International Fragrance Association's 40th Amendment: online poll and petition show momentum gaining.

Proposed fragrance industry guidelines to limit natural essential oils in perfumes and cosmetics: small businesses worldwide to be impacted.

For Immediate Release

MIAMI SHORES, Fla./EWORLDWIRE/Feb. 8, 2007 --- On February 7, 2007, fragrance and flavor trade magazine Perfumer & Flavorist released the results of an online poll showing 85.1 percent of readers in favor of boycotting proposed fragrance industry guidelines that will heavily limit the use of natural essential oils in perfumes and cosmetics.

Compliance with these guidelines (the IFRA 40th Amendment) requires that listed essential oils and naturally occurring constituents be kept to certain minimal levels in consumer products. At the core of the Amendment are safety issues in regard to skin reactions. The ANPG and Cropwatch fully support sensible safety guidelines to protect the consumer but do not believe IFRA has proved that many of the essential oils affected present the supposed risk, nor have they allowed input from the impacted concerns, especially small businesses.

IFRA guidelines have become the industry norm globally. The livelihood of many small businesses is being threatened by an organization that does not represent them. Adhering to the complex measures not only requires sophisticated computer software, which most small natural products businesses do not possess, it also unfairly targets natural ingredients. Without a level playing field, these small businesses cannot be expected to compete.

Approximately 200 essential oils will be controlled by IFRA if their 40th amendment is ratified.

Just as demand for natural toiletries and fragrances is growing worldwide, the 40th Amendment could do damage from the level of growers, distillers, up to suppliers and manufacturers. The end result may be the closure of businesses and the absence of genuine naturally scented shampoos, creams, lotions, perfumes and soaps from store shelves.

To illustrate how the existing and proposed regulations from IFRA do not make sense, ANPG President Anya McCoy recently blogged on Peanuts vs. Perfume. Peanuts can kill susceptible people yet their sales are unrestricted: Some perfumes may cause a rash yet the International Fragrance Association's (IFRA) 40th Amendment wants to severely limit the public's access to them.

Since the call for a boycott was proposed two weeks ago by little-guy Cropwatch, 549 people have signed an online petition, backing the challenge to the Goliath IFRA ('http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ifra40/signatures.html'). Therefore, the ANPG joins Cropwatch in asking for a moratorium on the IFRA 40th amendment until these issues have been fully addressed. For more information, download a detailed FAQ from 'http://artisannaturalperfumers.org/cropwatch_ifra.htm'.

Mandy Aftel, Guild Founder
Anya McCoy, Guild President

CONTACT:
Anya McCoy, President
Artisan Natural Perfumers Guild
P.O. Box 245
Miami Shores, FL 33153
PHONE. 305-756-0065
Website: 'http://www.artisannaturalperfumers.org/'
E-mail: 'http://www.artisannaturalperfumers.org/contact.htm'

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CONTACT:
Anya McCoy
Artisan Natural Perfumers Guild
P.O. Box 245
Miami Shores, FL 33153
PHONE. 305-756-0065

SOURCE: Artisan Natural Perfumers Guild
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Aged females threaten rare shrubs

2007-02-06T18:36:00.000-08:00

Juniper is an important part of the UK's culture and landscape

The rapid disappearance of a once common plant from UK hillsides has been blamed on infertile females.

A study of the aromatic shrub juniper by charity Plantlife found that many are now too old to reproduce.

In the past, the tree was highly valued for firewood and for making gin, ensuring a constant turnover of plants.

But around the turn of the last century, interest in the plant started to wane and land was no longer managed in a way that encouraged its growth.

"A lot of our juniper is now between 100 and 200 years old," said Dr Deborah Long, conservation officer at Plantlife Scotland. "And like humans they become less reproductive, the older they get."
Rapid loss

Juniper, Juniperis communis, is widespread across the world. It is one of only three native conifers in the UK; the others are the yew and Scots pine.

Until recently, it was commonly found in upland areas across Cumbria, Wales, Northumberland and Scotland.

But estimates suggest that up to 46% of juniper plants may have disappeared across England since the 1970s. At the same time, Ireland has seen a 35% decline, whilst Scotland has lost 30% of its plants, and Wales a further 18%.

Its loss has made it the subject of a conservation plan by the government.

More than 40,000 plants were surveyed by Plantlife volunteers
The Plantlife study, conducted between October 2004 and October 2005, examined 44,000 Juniper bushes across Scotland and was carried out by 250 volunteers.

The results, which have taken until now to compile, show that the surviving population lacks a sufficient number of productive female plants.

This is important because the shrub is dioecious, meaning there are both male and female plants. Unlike normal trees where the different sexes occur on the same plant, male and female junipers may be widely dispersed.

"Male bushes produce a lot of pollen, so only a few of them are required for berry production," said Dr Long.

But if there are few viable females to be pollinated and produce berries, reproduction rates fall and eventually populations drop.

The picture is complicated, because any seedlings that are produced are at risk from grazing and fires.

Multi-use

This decline means that a valuable part of the UK's heritage is at risk.
"Juniper is an important part of our ancient landscape and culture," said Dr Long.
The evergreen plants provide a valuable habitat for wildlife including more than 40 types of invertebrate such as the Juniper Pug moth.

It is also home to specialised lichen and fungi, whilst the dense prickly foliage is used as a nesting site for birds.

Humans have also found uses for the versatile shrub. Although they are slightly poisonous, the black berries are used to make gin and to flavour game dishes.

The fragrant wood was also used to cleanse houses and ward off spirits. In Scotland, it was the fuel of choice for illegal whisky stills, as it is said to burn with less smoke than other woods.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6334423.stm

Bog Myrtle making a comback

2007-02-04T18:45:00.000-08:00

Herb beloved of beer-swilling Vikings (and sensitive ladies) makes comeback
CLAIRE SMITH
csmith@scotsman.com

THE Vikings used it as a stimulant before going into battle, the Celts used it to flavour their beer and Highland housewives used it as an insect repellent.
Now bog myrtle, or sweet gale as it is also known, is experiencing a new lease of life in a range of natural products.

The pharmaceutical giant Boots has spent £700,000 researching the use of bog myrtle, which could have an important role in the Highland economy.
So far, the essential oil of sweet gale in the firm's new sensitive skincare products has all been harvested from wild outcrops of Scottish bog myrtle.
Highland Natural Products, Boots' research partner in the project, has started work on developing cultivated areas of bog myrtle. The plant occurs naturally in the Highlands but it may be possible to establish plantations in the Highlands, Aberdeenshire and the Borders.
The potential demand for sweet gale oil could result in 500 new jobs and be worth £2 million a year to the rural economy by 2016.
However, the people behind the research into the uses of bog myrtle believe the Scottish Executive should be doing more to support research into commercial cultivation of the plant.
Unless more is done, they warn, the chance for a new Highland boom could be squandered - with companies looking to countries such as Poland to develop cultivation of the crop.
Richard Constanduros, research director of Highland Natural Products, said: "The main problem in Scotland is there is no policy for developing non-food crops - whereas there is a policy in England and Wales. There does not seem to be much idea of how important these things can be to the rural economy."
Both Boots and Highland Natural Products have spent thousands testing the anti-bacterial qualities of bog myrtle oil and making sure it is suitable for use on sensitive skins. They say there is a need for government support if the crop is to be cultivated with commercial success.
Jane Wood, head of media for Boots Scotland, said: "We need agronomy research to look into the practicalities of growing the crop. The benefits this could bring to farmers and crofters could be huge."
By 2016 Boots expects to need ten tonnes of bog myrtle oil a year. The harvested area covers 50 hectares, but this will need to rise to 2,900 hectares by 2016.
The shrub, which grows on rocky, boggy ground, can be grown on land which is also used for woodland and grazing. A hectare of ground can yield one kilogramme of oil.
Mr Constanduros said: "Funding for growers in the initial stages of cultivation is also important. It would help to kick-start cultivation and ensure that the plant could go commercial in years rather than decades."
William Milliken, research associate at the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, said: "Bog myrtle is a wonder herb. It's firmly planted in Scotland's history of medicinal plant use.
"People have used it to treat ulcers, intestinal worms, aching muscles. It's even used as an alternative to hops in beer.
"This project is a wonderful renaissance for bog myrtle, which I'm sure will be welcomed by Scotland's hill farmers."
An interim report, commissioned by the Scottish Executive last year to study the benefits of sweet gale cultivation, found that it could generate investment of £4.8 million at farm level and create up to 460 jobs.
The Scottish Executive said that farmers who applied for funding with a satisfactory business plan would stand a good chance of receiving support.
A spokesman said: "This is an interesting development. We're pleased that organisations like HNP are working with Boots to promote the use of Scotland's resources and providing wider business opportunities."
Healing powers
BASED on the principle of restoring balance to the body by use of plant material, the earliest written account of herbal remedies comes from China and dates back to 2800BC.
Interest in natural remedies has grown enormously over the past few years and now enjoys wide recognition in the medical world.
But it has also attracted controversy, with doctors disputing the remedies' benefits and fears over harmful side effects.
They are used to treat a range of ailments from respiratory problems to skin complaints, and come in a variety of forms, including loose herbs, roots and barks, tinctures, tablets and creams.
Among those used are:
• Yerba mate - used as a beverage since the time of the ancient natives of Brazil. Used for weight loss, physical and mental fatigue, nervous depression, rheumatic pains and headaches. Made from leaves of Argentine holly.
• Ginseng - native to eastern Asia and North America, has long been associated with helping ward off flu and colds.
• St John's wort - enhances mood and is also anti-inflammatory and anti-viral. Flowers and leaves of hypericin, which is thought to help counter depression and anxiety.
• Ammannia baccifera - an aquatic weed found in Thailand. A King's College study two years ago found "promising activity" against lung cancer cells.
• Dodder seeds - a parasitic plant that grows in deserts. Utilised for impotence, nerve weakness and prostatis. It is an aphrodisiac which can help build sperm count.
This article: http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=186612007

The Vikings found that bog myrtle was effective as a pre-battle stimulant.Picture: Jon Savage

Oregano a flu fighter?

2007-01-30T19:25:00.000-08:00

Believers swear by pungent oil as a natural foe of infection, but MDs are dubious

Jan 30, 2007 06:44 AM Megan Ogilvie Staff Reporter

It’s the peak of cold and flu season and more than a half a million Torontonians are sniffling, wheezing and succumbing to feverish chills.
And even though doctors say hand washing and getting the free flu shot is the best way to ward off viruses that cause upper respiratory infections, people are turning to local health-food stores to stock up on herbal remedies.

Oil of oregano is the latest in a long list of flu-fighting fads and it is disappearing from the shelves faster than garlic, vitamin C and even echinacea. Many herbalists say the essential oil, procured from wild oregano harvested in the Mediterranean, is the immune-booster of choice.
“It’s a hot seller,” says Amy Jeffries, a homeopathic doctor who also works in the holistic dispensary at the Big Carrot on the Danforth. “More than 10 people a day are asking for it.”
The oil’s active ingredient is touted as a natural infection fighter that can kill off viruses and bacteria; some claim it can even fend off bird flu and hepatitis.

At Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., physiology professor Harry Preuss conducted a 2001 study on behalf of an herbal remedy company that showed that oil of oregano protected against certain fungi and the potentially deadly staphylococcus bacteria in tests on a small sample of mice. He also said that oil of oregano can kill some strains of tuberculosis in the petri dish, as well as the bacteria that cause stomach ulcers.

Medical doctors and pharmacists aren’t as quick to believe, namely because there have been few scientific studies on human beings to prove that it works.
“There’s absolutely no literature that it (oil of oregano) is efficacious in any way and I don’t use the stuff,” says Robert Kingstone, a Toronto family physician.

Instead, he tells his patients to get the flu shot to prevent the influenza virus and to adopt basic hygiene practices, such as hand washing, to stop the person-to-person spread of both cold and flu viruses.

If people do get a cold or flu, Kingstone says there’s nothing they can take that will cure it — antibiotics are effective only against bacteria, not viruses — and over-the-counter drugs will only relieve symptoms.

Brent Ruddock, senior pharmacist with the Ontario Pharmacists’ Association’s Drug Information and Research Centre, says there is a dearth of good information from well-designed studies that show oil of oregano is effective against the cold or flu virus.

Still, several pharmacists have recently called the centre with questions about it.
Oregano oil products — from the amber-hued oil itself to oil-filled capsules to tinctures — line several shelves at the Big Carrot dispensary and sell for $15 to $30 for a bottle. Touted as a potent antiviral drug, believers say oil of oregano was used for thousands of years in Greece for all kinds of ailments.

Jeffries says she first heard about it six years ago and has since prescribed it.
“An elderly woman who I used to treat takes a drop a day on her tongue. She used to catch every cold that came along, but now goes through the whole season without getting sick.”
Oil of oregano hit the mainstream about six years ago and was sold as a potential treatment during the SARS outbreak, the Walkerton E. coli crisis and the anthrax scares after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

But many people use it for a gamut of more common complaints, including seasonal allergies, athlete’s foot, infected splinters and toothache.
Sandra Domby, a massage therapist who also works at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto, has been a fervent believer in oil of oregano since she first used it a year and a half ago to ward off a cold. “If at night I feel a cold coming on, I’ll take it, and when I wake up in the morning the cold is gone,” she says.

The pungent oil, which often is diluted with another oil such as olive oil to reduce its strength, can burn when applied to the skin. To make the oil go down easier, Domby places three drops of the oil under her tongue and waits three minutes to let it mix with her saliva. “It’s totally fine until you swallow it and then it burns, like wasabi. There’s a burning, a spicy sensation for about 30 seconds and then it’s over.”

Preuss of Georgetown University says he thought oil of oregano was “a lot of cockamamie” when he heard about it six years ago. He agrees that much more research is needed, but his work has made him a believer, and he used it to treat a sinus infection when conventional drugs didn’t work.

If people want to try it, they should first check with their family physician.
“My fear is that they would use this when they have a severe infection and should be seeing their doctor,” says Preuss.

http://www.thestar.com/Health/article/176197

Man re-creates fragrance possibly worn by Pope Pius IX

2006-12-23T19:02:00.000-08:00

Doctor's inspiration is heaven scent San Rafael man re-creates fragrance possibly worn by Pope Pius IX
Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, December 23, 2006
The Vatican meets Chanel No. 5.
In a San Rafael kitchen, a 69-year-old doctor says he has re-created the custom cologne worn in the 19th century by Pope Pius IX, the longest-reigning pope aside from possibly St. Peter.
So what did this famous pontiff -- the one who established the Immaculate Conception and papal infallibility as church dogma -- smell like?
"Surprisingly fresh, with notes of citrus and violet," said Dr. Fred Hass, a general practitioner who works in Terra Linda. "Very nice, actually."
Hass found the purported recipe about seven years ago in a limited-edition 1963 cookbook published in the United States. The cookbook says the recipe is believed to have been passed down by the family of a French general who was in Pius' papal guard.
One night, after a few glasses of wine with friends, he decided to make the concoction in his kitchen.
The result caught everyone by surprise.
"It was very pleasant," said Hass' cohort, Hank Sandbach of Sonoma, a retired vice president of Nabisco. "To think, if you close your eyes you're in the presence of the pope. And if you splash a little on you get something even headier."
Hass was so impressed by the light, fresh fragrance that he started making it in larger quantities to give to family and friends. He read everything he could about the science of perfume and papal history. He ordered essential oils in bulk and wholesale cologne bottles, and affixed to each a brief history and likeness of Pope Pius IX.
And now he's ready for retail. He has 2,000 bottles in his garage and has streamlined the manufacturing process so he can fill a bottle every 10 seconds.
He said he's sold a few of the 2-ounce bottles online for $24.99 each and has had encouraging feedback from Nordstrom, Barneys New York, the Guerlain cosmetics and perfume company, and Catholic gift shops.
Hass requested that the exact recipe of the cologne and cookbook's title not be disclosed because he doesn't want competition, but said the main ingredients are orange blossom, lemon verbena, lavender, violet, clove and sweet orange.
"I'm a little old to start a second career, but I've become kind of absorbed," said Hass, brother of former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Hass. "I've got so much more to learn."
Pius IX was one of the Catholic Church's more influential pontiffs. He served from 1846 to 1878, a time of revolution throughout Europe and dramatic changes in the church. When he began his reign, he was considered a liberal, kind-hearted leader of the papal states. Among his first acts was to grant amnesty to political prisoners, which backfired when radical groups started taking over the political stage in Rome. Riots and war ensued, and Pius was forced to flee in disguise to the town of Gaeta in central Italy.
"When he returned, he was a changed man," said Jim Bretzke, professor and chairman of the department of theology and religious studies at the University of San Francisco. "He was more conservative, more authoritarian."
Pius issued edicts proclaiming as dogmas the Immaculate Conception and papal infallibility, which means that "what he says must be held as true by all faithful," Bretzke said.
"I don't think he was well liked," Bretzke said. "He was authoritarian, censorial. It was a struggle to have him beatified. Many thought he wasn't sainthood material, including his biographer."
Pius served for 32 years and died at age 85. After that, "the cardinals wanted to elect older men as pope," Bretzke said.
With many Catholic traditions, certain elements are shrouded in mystery. Among those mysteries, apparently, is cologne. Bretzke said it's almost certain Pius wore special cologne because few people, even popes, bathed regularly in those days. But he knew nothing about specific fragrances worn by individual popes.
Hass said he spent more than a year scouring the Internet for information but came up empty-handed.
The recipe came from the family of Gen. Charles Charette, whom the Catholic Encyclopedia describes as "a superb type of the valiant knight, devoted heart and soul to the defense of (Pius') temporal sovereignty, and consecrated himself to that cause in the same spirit which actuated the Crusades of the Middle Ages."
Hass makes the cologne in his kitchen with a vat of ethanol, a graduated cylinder he bought at a garage sale, and several bottles of essential oils. At first, he bottled it with feeding tubes he got at a nursing home, but then he upgraded to a valve system he bought at a tire store.
His wife, Miriam, helps with measurements and bottling. After the cologne is mixed, Hass lets it sit for three weeks so the scents can blend. Then he stores it in his garage.
In all, Hass devotes about 20 hours a week to the endeavor, which is in addition to the 35 hours a week he practices medicine.
"I imagine being in the papal apartments 150 years ago," he said. "It's magical. There's a kind of mystical chemistry to it -- a lot of people liken it to alchemy. That's what it's about for me, the history and the magic."
Hass, who is Catholic, said he's interested in papal history, but his primary fascination is with making perfume, which he compared to composing music. Like music, fine perfume has base notes, middle notes, top notes and chords. And like good wine, he said, perfume evolves. Wearers smell the top notes first, then two to four hours later smell the middle notes, and 12 hours later the base notes.
"Then it mixes with the oil on your skin, so it's different on each person," he said. "The perfume is almost alive."
Perfume also has emotional properties. The sense of smell, the most primitive sense, connects directly with the frontal lobe of the brain and is a powerful and subliminal emotional trigger. A whiff of baking bread can immediately take us back to Grandma's kitchen, while other scents have erotic qualities.
Pius' scent is neither erotic nor homey, Hass said. The citrus and lavender combine to give a clean, bright impression.
"It's elating, it's cheerful," he said. "It makes you feel better."
E-mail Carolyn Jones at carolynjones@sfchronicle.com.
San Francisco Chronicle

Human Sense of Smell Nothing to Sniff At

2006-12-20T19:38:00.000-08:00

By Alan Mozes, HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Dec. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Lost in the dark, without sight, sound, or clue? Follow your nose.

New olfactory research suggests that when it comes to tracking scent at ground-level on open terrain, the average human's sense of smell is stronger than most people believe.

"There's this general assumption that people have a bad sense of smell," said study lead author Jess Porter, a Ph.D. candidate in biophysics at the University of California at Berkeley. "But we found that people can certainly sniff their way accurately around a spatial context -- although less successfully and slower if they have only one nostril to work with."

The new American-Israeli study, published online Dec. 17 in Nature Neuroscience, reports that people can, in fact, be trained to rely exclusively on ground-level smelling to successfully navigate unknown territory. In fact, they instinctively mimic certain animal behaviors, including enlisting each nostril to independently identify distinct smells and "triangulate" a path.

Porter joined Berkeley psychology professor Noam Sobel and a team of colleagues. Together, they conducted five experiments aimed at assessing people's ability to track scents.

Enlisting anywhere from four to 32 male and female participants for the various tests, the researchers worked in an open field.

The subjects were blindfolded and ear-plugged after being asked to follow a 10-meter trail scented with "chocolate essential oil." They followed the trial by moving close to the ground on their hands and knees and wearing thick gloves, with only their noses to guide them.

Two-thirds of the participants were able to do so. However, when their noses were plugged to cut off the ability to smell, none of them could follow the path.

To test if "practice makes perfect," two men and two women were subsequently trained to complete the same task three times a day for three days, stretched over a two-week period.

Porter and her team found that this type of training allowed subjects to track scent trails faster and with greater accuracy. In fact, their speed of execution doubled within a few days. The researchers believe more training might boost efficiency even higher.

Porter's group also found that as the speed of trained scent tracking increased, so did sniffing frequency. In this regard, they noted that dogs sniff much faster than humans, perhaps accounting for their superior tracking abilities.

A third experiment revealed that each of a person's two nostrils inhales distinct smells, pulled from non-overlapping regions in the air. The researchers pointed out that prior studies have shown that scent "plumes" in the open are often confined to such small areas that only one nostril will pick it up, while the other will not.

The fourth test followed up on this finding by asking 14 subjects to complete the field-tracking experiment, but with one nostril taped shut.

Single-nostril tracking was much less accurate (36 percent versus 66 percent) and 26 percent slower compared to using both nostrils.

Finally, the authors conducted a final test using a special mask that allowed both nostrils to inhale, but forced incoming air to join together into a single air stream inside the middle of the nose.

Porter and her associates found that this "unified nostril" method was 24 percent slower and much less accurate than tracking completed normally.

This shows that optimal human tracking requires the individual use of each nostril to better distinguish smells as people home in on an appropriate route.

The team concluded that, just as happens with animals, people's capacity to smell can be harnessed to great effect.

Still, for most people, eyes remain the key window on the world.

"I think it's fair to say that humans are very, very visual, whereas an animal that lives in the dark is primarily olfactory," noted Porter. "And people do have this idea that as our sense of vision and hearing has become so prominent, we've lost some of our olfactory capability."

That might not be the full story, however. "We think it's maybe that we don't place an emphasis on our sense of smell," Porter suggested. "Because the underlying mechanisms are still there -- to a greater extent than we maybe notice them. And if we place demands on them and train ourselves, our ability to follow a spatial path can improve a lot."

George Preti, a member of Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, a research institute devoted the science of taste and smell, agreed that humans' olfactory talents can be honed with practice.

"Our sense of smell may not be as good as dogs or rodents, but it's still pretty acute when we use it correctly," he said. "I'm an expert in the chemistry of human odors, and I can tell you that folks that use it for a living, like perfumers, do improve their use of it and make themselves more consciously sensitive to that kind of input."

"Smell is important in our everyday life," Preti added. "And we use it a lot. Not just for evaluating food, but also for how we're perceived by the rest of the world. So, I'd say that humans certainly do have very sensitive noses -- regardless of what people might think."

More information

For more on the sense of smell, head to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
SOURCES: Jess Porter, Ph.D. candidate, biophysics, University of California at Berkeley; George Preti, Ph.D., member, Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia; Dec. 17, 2006, online issue, Nature Neuroscience.
Copyright © 2006 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

Aroma Therapy in Ayurveda

2006-12-12T19:42:00.000-08:00

Health Watch
Aroma Therapy in Ayurveda

By Dr Shubhanker Banerjee

One of the oldest forms of therapies is aroma therapy which has been rediscovered as well as revived for its healing power. In fact, it was a forgotten science of health. Now, of late, its utility has been realised.

Aroma therapy treated as the most potent form of natural therapy and beauty care is based on refreshingly different scientific principle. It is a fact that while herbal medicine relies on the extracts of plants, aroma therapy uses only the most potent i.e. the vital essence of plant energy which are known as essential oils.

These essential oils are actually natural capacitors with the ability to store energy and release it when so required. In aroma therapy, a single drop of oil from a plant is used which may well be equivalent to an ounce of some plant when it is used in herbal cures. According to experts of Ayurvedic medicines, the Indian medicinal system also nourish the body which revitalise the nervous system as well as relieve fatigue and enhance immunity.

In nutshell, Ayurveda rejuvenates the whole system, tones up the body and relaxes the mind. There are some special types of therapies for particular problems such as ‘Abhyanga’ which is a traditional Ayurvedic massage with herbal oils and it induces relaxation, improves eyesight, reduces high blood pressure and also eliminates impurities.

These types of herbal range of products are usually based on the principle of Indian medicines and have been formulated with aqueous herbal oils and distillates, essential oils and plant extracts. This type of product gives unique formulations, each steeped in the ancient Ayurvedic philosophy of health, rejuvenation and longevity.

There are products like wheat germ body oil, wheat germ detox and also stimulating massage oil which are based on the principles of Aromaveda and contain natural oils of almond, wheat germ and avocado as a base. These products contain essential vitamins for maintaining and rejuvenating the natural balance of the skin.

The natural purity of these products makes them non-comedogenic and assists the skin to breathe and remain healthy. On the other hand forest essentials combines cold pressed oils from fruits, flowers, barks and roots to bring the complete body care. It also provides a wide range of facial and body oils. The useful examples of facial oils are apricot kernel oil and almond oil with Vitamin E which are to be massaged in upward strokes on to face and neck, leaving the eye area. We may leave it as long as possible and then wipe off with a cloth or cotton wool wrung in hot water.

From forest essentials, massage oil for body can be extracted. For instance—sandalwood, bitter orange and bergamot, lime and lemon, lime and ginger, eucalyptus and lemon grass, etc. can be utilised. Similarly, a pure cold pressed light sesame oil may also be good for massage.

There is also aroma therapy bath shower and massage oil, like bitter orange and cinnamon, rose absolute, lavender fields, grape fruit and mandarin. These fragrant blends are also high level hydrating oils which can be put in the bath tub.

There is also natures essence and may be used as the body massage oil. It contains some special blend of geranium, wheat germ and carrot oil. The natural essence offers rejuvenating and anti-ageing effect, which is also good for chest, neck and body massage. To massage tired feet and rough hands, there are some unique combinations of citrus oils, which also softens the skin.

There are also some aromas oils (like La-Benz) for dry skin which are special facial massage oil with geranium, wheat germ and benzoin and are best for relaxing aroma facials. For normal skin, “rose care aroma” oil is also useful which is an effective face massage oil with rose blend and good for facial muscle toning.

The skin care products are formulated and duly engineered and also tested by a team of chemists, dermatologists, aestheticians and environmentalists. These products of advanced technologies also release active ingredients from flowers and plants to provide skin’s own protective and rejuvenating function. The pure plant based products are best for body and skin care.

There are some aroma magic ranges, which are wonderful collections of bath and body oils. To help relieve stress and tension, there are also some preparations specially for women.

These aroma products enable one to feel well-being and elation. They also promote clarity of thoughts and help in arousing all senses, along with dreams to induce restful sleep.

Some aromatic products offer milk protein which revitalises the skin and thus helps to ease wrinkles and also smoothes the skin making it radiant. It has rich ingredients like almond oil, honey, wheat germ extracts and milk protein along with seaweed. Usually, the body massage oils are blend of vegetable and essential oils to nourish the skin and keep it firm and resilient.

Aroma therapy bar consists of anti-stress bath oil, muscle relaxant oil and also pain relieving oil. Overall, it is observed that aroma therapy has a profound effect on the mind and emotions.

In fact, inside each of us is a finely balanced bio-rhythm, affected by aroma. Therefore, subtle scents lift the spirit and bring us closer to nature.

(The author can be contacted at G-30, Dhaka Colony, Kingsway Camp, Delhi-110 009.)

Stressed Out?

2006-12-10T20:01:00.000-08:00

Well, it is that time of the year when we tend to forget about ourselves and lead an even busier life with all of the Holidays coming up. It is also the worst time for our skin; it gets dry, flaky, itchy, and our nerves; we worry too much, stress is abounding, short tempered, not enough sleep. We get so caught up that for most a meal is take-out or drive-thru, lucky if we even take it home to set and eat it. So, I am sharing my three all time favorite books, even though they are great year round, they come in handy now. And, if you are one of the lucky ones that don't go through any of the above, betcha know someone who is and these are perfect gifts!

From starting a busy day with an energizing juice boost to squeezing in a yoga class after work, rejuvenating personal rituals have slowly become part of our daily lives. Luxurious beauty treatments such as aromatherapy, herbalism, and massage are no longer limited to special occasions and the day spa. Well Being takes an intimate, sensual approach to self-care, with simple recipes and ideas that will make you feel as if you're pampering yourself from the inside out. Slide your toes into an aromatic rosemary foot bath, sip a restorative pear elixer, ease dry skin with a soothing herbal balm. Just a small pantry of herbs and essential oils are needed to prepare the health and beauty recipes in Well Being. Arranged seasonally, it offers recipes for all that ails: steaming teas and cold soothers ease the winter chills, refreshing baths and mists counter the climatic fluctuations of spring, cool tonics and compresses quench summer's dry skin and sunburn. Lavishingly photographed throughout, Well Being is an irresistible volume of refreshing daily comforts that will nurture the body as well as the soul.
http://crimsonmoon.com/product.php?productid=17012&cat=0&page=1

Spa expert Barbara Close has created a holistic guide to beautiful skin, covering everything from organic products to detox to stress relief. In the tradition of her popular Spa Deck and Well Being, Pure Skin is a natural, no-nonsense approach to skin care. Demystifying beauty-industry hype, Close helps readers understand what makes their skin unique, how skin really functions, and how to make sense of the multisyllabic minefield that is a cosmetics label. With balance as a main ingredient, readers develop a skin-care regimen to suit their individual needs. Forty recipes for natural beauty treatments introduce luxurious alternatives to industrial products. Sensible—and accessible—sections on food and detox reveal simple and effective ways to nourish and restore skin from the inside out. Special attention is given to curatives such as homeopathy and Bach flower remedies, offering invaluable resources for those with hard-to-treat skin problems. Evocative photography and clear advice make this indispensable guide to naturally beautiful skin the next best thing to being born with it.
About the AuthorBarbara Close is the founder and president of Naturopathica, a full-service holistic spa and botanical skin-care line in East Hampton, New York. She has consulted on botanicals and ingredients for Procter & Gamble and Limited Brands. Gentl & Hyers are photographers based in New York City. Their work has appeared in Real Simple , among other publications.
http://crimsonmoon.com/product.php?productid=17027&cat=0&page=1

Drawing from her studies in anthropology and her travels among indigenous peoples around the world, fashion model Dawn Gallagher presents an organic and multicultural approach to beauty in this colorful, informative book. "Naturally Beautiful" is filled with recipes for skin, hair, and body care that use simple yet tropical ingredients like avocado and banana, and easy-to-perform relaxation rituals designed to nurture a healthier, happier lifestyle.Gallagher believes that lasting beauty comes from inner radiance and a regimen of all-natural body treatments for the body and spirit. For the body, she focuses on the skin, hair, hands, and feet. The book presents the treatments that women of different cultures have sworn by since ancient times, including recipes for sandalwood bath soaks from India, a Tahitian coca butter nail and hand treatment, and an ancient Aztec favorite, crushed avocado facial mask. With step-by-step instructions and photographs, the author demonstrates, the author demonstrates how easy the treatments are to prepare and apply at home.For the spirit, Gallagher shares her knowledge of Eastern relaxation exercises, meditation, and yoga. She embraces the beauty and sensuality of women of all sizes, shapes, colors, and ages.
http://www.crimsonmoon.com/

Doctors turning to aromatherapy for help

2006-12-08T21:53:00.000-08:00

Friday, Dec. 8, 2006

Doctors turning to aromatherapy for help

By EMIKO HAYASHI
Kyodo News
More doctors are beginning to look into the medical properties of aromatherapy in the treatment of diseases.

Kazunaga Kawabata, who heads a clinic in Suita, Osaka Prefecture, became interested in aromatherapy about 10 years ago. He was looking for an alternative medical treatment for people with poor blood circulation and several other conditions.

At the time, some aromatherapy salons were claiming the therapy could cure disease.

Aromatherapy is the massaging into the body of essential oils extracted from flowers, leaves and fruit. There are more than 200 oils, which are often used in combination to treat different problems, including headaches and insomnia.

"There was no scientific evidence apart from the oil's fragrance making people feel better," Kawabata said. "As I am a doctor, I wanted to clarify the effects."

He asked 10 people sensitive to the cold to inhale lemon oil. Ten minutes later, he found their skin temperatures had risen by 2 degrees on average. He also found traces of limonene, the oil's fragrant substance, in their blood.

"I have found through a series of experiments that the fragrant substance is absorbed through the lungs and skin into blood vessels, causing various pharmacological reactions," the doctor said. "Therefore, the oil should not be treated as general merchandise, but its use should be studied."

In July 2004, the Kawashima Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward opened an aromatherapy outpatient department. An aromatherapist, who is also a midwife, massages patients with a combination of several oils to improve their condition, and works with Mihoko Ikoma, the hospital's vice director, to provide treatment.

"We're asking patients to go to salons for healing and come here to improve symptoms" like numbness and dizziness, Ikoma said.

At first, the hospital expected most of its patients to be pregnant women, but they found many women in their 40s and 50s going through menopause and people with chronic fatigue also wanted to be treated.

Nobumasa Shiba, director of orthopedic surgery at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Hospital, became interested in aromatherapy as an alternative treatment for osteoarthritis in knee joints, which occurs when the cartilage in the joint wears away. About 1 million people in Japan have the degenerative condition.

To test the effectiveness and safety of aromatherapy for patients, Shiba carried out an experiment on those aged 40 or older who had had physical symptoms for more than three months.

The 36 patients massage lavender oil, effective for pain, and rosemary camphor oil, to improve circulation, into their knees in the morning and evening for two weeks.

Most of them said their symptoms, including pain, had lessened.

"It still needs to be clarified what was effective and how, but I had not expected such a good result," Shiba said.

The Japan Times
(C) All rights reserved

December is Natural Perfume Month

2006-12-01T10:13:00.000-08:00

December Is Named Natural Perfume Month By Artisan Natural Perfumers Guild

December is Natural Perfume Month When Fragrant Trees and Wreaths Bring the Outdoors In, and Natural Perfume is the Gift of Choice for Many
For Immediate Release

MIAMI SHORES, Fla./EWORLDWIRE/Nov 29, 2006 --- The Artisan Natural Perfumers Guild has named December Natural Perfume Month in recognition of the growing interest in natural fragrances. The first naturally-perfumed gifts associated with the month of December were those given in Bethlehem of frankincense and myrrh. Those fragrant tree resins are found in many natural perfumes today.

During this month, ancient traditions called for a fragrant conifer tree, wreaths and boughs decorating the home. Today, the wonderful aroma of cooking with sweet spices like cinnamon and clove adds to the ambiance, creating a true holiday atmosphere.

Giving the gift of perfume and fragrant toiletries at the holidays can be made more special by choosing gifts made only with natural aromatics that come from flowers, leaves, woods and other botanicals. Blended artfully by professional perfumers and body care specialists in the Artisan Natural Perfumers Guild, these handmade luxurious scented treats continue the ancient heritage of natural fragrances.

The perfumers in the Guild offer traditional perfumes in an alcohol, oil or solid base, such as beeswax. Some of them also create soaps, lotions and other body care products that contain only natural fragrances, no synthetic scents.

Associate members of the Guild make soaps, shampoos, hair conditioners, gift baskets, candles and many home and body care products with essential oils providing the scent.

To make this a special natural holiday season and to celebrate the beauty of natural perfumes during December, Natural Perfume Month, visit links to the Guild members Web sites at http://naturalperfumery.com.
-----------------------------
Contact: Anya McCoy is a Miami-based perfumer and president of the Artisan Natural Perfumers Guild. Her perfume line is Anya's Garden, based on botanical, fantasy and historic gardens. http://anyasgarden.com was recently redesigned and relaunched with perfume and Eau de Toilettes offered.

Anya McCoy
Anya's Garden of Natural Perfume http://anyasgarden.com
Artisan Natural Perfumers Guild http://artisannaturalperfumers.org
Yahoo Natural Perfumers Chat Group http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalPerfumery/

Aromatherapy: The Scent of Dispute

2006-11-02T21:13:00.000-08:00

Aromatherapy: The Scent of Dispute

By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Aromatherapy is an affordable, accessible natural path to relief for a variety of health problems, ranging from arthritis pain to nausea to drowsiness, supporters insist.

But skeptics dismiss any claims that the use of essential oils from flowers, herbs and trees can promote health in any way.

And both sides are unlikely to relinquish their positions anytime soon.

Aromatherapy "works for so many different things, it is amazing," said Kelly Holland Azzaro, a registered aromatherapist in Banner Elk, N.C., and vice president of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA), an industry trade group. "You can experience aromatherapy by inhalation by putting one drop of an essential oil on a tissue and inhaling," she said.

According to the NAHA, aromatherapy is the "art and science of utilizing naturally extracted aromatic essences from plants to balance, harmonize and promote the health of body, mind and spirit." These essences are then distilled into "essential oils" -- highly concentrated aromatic extracts -- that are derived from a "variety of aromatic plant material, including grasses, leaves, flowers, needles and twigs, peels of fruit, wood and roots."

Among the most popular essential oils, which are widely sold at health-food stores and over the Internet, are eucalyptus, geranium, lavender, lemon, peppermint, rosemary, and tea tree, and according to the NAHA.

"Uplifting scents such as citrus can keep you awake at work," Azarro said. "To help increase alertness, use rosemary and lemon." And to combat nausea, try essence of peppermint, ginger and orange, she added.

While research into aromatherapy's benefits is limited, there are some studies that suggest certain treatments can help ease some symptoms.

For instance, in a 2005 study published in the journal Chronobiology International, researchers reported that lavender aromatherapy helped all 31 men and women feel more "vigor" the next morning, compared to the night they breathed in distilled water, an exercise that served as the control setting.

A study in the March-April 2006 issue of the Journal of Midwifery and amp; Women's Health said that aromatherapy, combined with massage, helped new mothers feel less "blue" and anxious, compared to mothers of newborns who didn't get the treatment.

And a review published in Holistic Nurse Practitioner found that patients with postoperative nausea and vomiting can be helped by aromatherapy as well as acupressure and acupuncture.

But critics find little of value with scent therapy -- or even label it as therapy.

"It's not a therapy, it's a set of products with odors," said Dr. Stephen Barrett, board chairman of Quackwatch Inc., an Allentown, Pa.-based organization that says it fights health fraud and quackery.

"If people like the odors and want to pay for them, I would have no objection," Barrett said. However, he added, don't expect much. "There is no evidence that aromatherapy can alter the course of any disease. There is no logical reason to believe that any such evidence will ever be found," he said.

As for potential risks, Barrett said: "Some people find certain odors irritating. People who use aromatherapy with the hope that it will cure what ails them will waste money."

Azzaro said that, currently, aromatherapy is unregulated in the United States. "And that's part of the issue," she said. People don't understand exactly what it is, either. "People think it's potpourri or a smelly candle."

There's also no state licensing for aromatherapists in the United States. Most practitioners incorporate their training with another profession, such as licensed acupuncturist or registered nurse, according to the NAHA.

If you're interested in pursuing aromatherapy, Azzaro said it's best to ask a practitioner about his or her specific training. "And when you purchase oil, such as from a health-food store, hopefully some educational materials are with the product," she said.

Be aware, too, there can be the possibility of allergic reactions to some treatments.
More information

To learn more about aromatherapy, visit the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (www.naha.org ).

SOURCES: Kelly Holland Azzaro, registered aromatherapist, Banner Elk, N.C., and vice president of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy; Stephen Barrett, M.D., board chairman, Quackwatch Inc., Allentown, Pa.

Copyright © 2006 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved.
http://www.lex18.com/Global/story.asp?S=5627311&nav=EQls

Turmeric for Rheumatoid Arthritis

2006-10-30T20:03:00.000-08:00

Asian Spice Turmeric May Prevent Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoporosis
U. of Arizona researchers say it may fight other inflammatory disorders
October 30, 2006

- An ancient spice, long used in traditional Asian medicine, may hold promise for the prevention of both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis, according to a recently completed study at The University of Arizona College of Medicine. It is encouraging news for millions of senior citizens concerned about both conditions. Turmeric, the spice that flavors and gives its yellow color to many curries and other foods, has been used for centuries by practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine to treat inflammatory disorders.

Turmeric extract containing the ingredient curcumin is marketed widely in the Western world as a dietary supplement for the treatment and prevention of a variety of disorders, including arthritis.
At the UA College of Medicine, Janet L. Funk, MD, working with Barbara N. Timmermann, PhD, then-director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Arizona Center for Phytomedicine Research at the UA, set out to determine whether (and how) turmeric works as an anti-arthritic.
They began by preparing their own extracts from the rhizome, or root, of the plant, providing themselves with well-characterized materials to test and to compare with commercially available products. (Dr. Timmermann since has joined the faculty of the University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kan.)
Dr. Funk and her colleagues then tested in animal models a whole extract of turmeric root, only the essential oils, and an oil-depleted extract containing the three major curcuminoids found in the rhizome. Of the three extracts, the one containing the major curcuminoids was most similar in chemical composition to commercially available turmeric dietary supplements. It also was the most effective, completely inhibiting the onset of rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Funk, an endocrinologist in the UA Department of Medicine, says this study provides several noteworthy "firsts."
● Completed with the researchers' own prepared, well-defined extracts, the study represents the first documentation of the chemical composition of a curcumin-containing extract tested in a living organism, in vivo, for anti-arthritic efficacy.
● It also provides the first evidence of anti-arthritic efficacy of a complex turmeric extract that is analogous in composition to turmeric dietary supplements.
The significance, she explains, is that translating the results of trials such as these to clinical use depends on accurate information about the chemical content and biological activity of the botanical supplements available for use.
This work paves the way for the preclinical and clinical trials needed before turmeric supplements can be recommended for medicinal use in preventing or suppressing rheumatoid arthritis.
● This study also provides the first in vivo documentation of a mechanism of action – how curcumin-containing extracts protect against arthritis.
The researchers found that the curcuminoid extract inhibits a transcription factor called NF-KB from being activated in the joint. A transcription factor is a protein that controls when genes are switched on or off. Once the transcription factor NF-KB is activated, or turned on, it binds to genes and enhances production of inflammatory proteins, destructive to the joint. The finding that curcuminoid extract inhibits activation of NF-KB suggests that turmeric dietary supplements share the same mechanism of action as anti-arthritic pharmaceuticals under development that target NF-KB.
It also suggests that turmeric may have a use in other inflammatory disorders, such as asthma, multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease.
In addition to preventing joint inflammation, Dr. Funk's study shows that the curcuminoid extract blocked the pathway that affects bone resorption. Noting that bone loss associated with osteoporosis in women typically begins before the onset of menopause, she has begun work on another NIH-funded study to determine whether turmeric taken as a dietary supplement during perimenopause can prevent bone loss and osteoporosis.
Both of the studies are supported by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), both of the NIH.
An initial publication of the rheumatoid arthritis study results in the Journal of Natural Products, which was among the most-accessed articles from April-June 2006 in this prestigious American Chemical Society journal, is being followed by more detailed study results, which will appear in the November 2006 issue of the American College of Rheumatology flagship journal, Arthritis and Rheumatism.
The article, "Efficacy and Mechanism of Action of Turmeric Supplements in the Treatment of Experimental Arthritis," is scheduled to appear in the online issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism Monday, Oct. 30, 2006.
Editor's Notes:
Contributors to the study include Janet L. Funk, MD; Jennifer B. Frye; Janice N. Oyarzo, MS; Nesrin Kuscuoglu, PhD; Jonathan Wilson; Gwen McCaffrey, PhD; Gregory Stafford; Guanjie Chen, MD; R. Clark Lantz, PhD; Shivanand D. Jolad, PhD; Aniko M. Soìlyom, PhD; Pawel R. Kiela, DVM, PhD; and Barbara N. Timmermann, PhD.

http://www.seniorjournal.com/NEWS/Nutrition-Vitamins/6-10-30-AsianSpiceTurmeric.htm

Snake oil or Science?

2006-10-30T19:55:00.000-08:00

Snake oil or science?
Peel an orange and small quantities of the fruit’s oil is released from the peel. Whether you are aware of it or not, it gives you a lift. The gift of flowers to someone in the hospital yields a smell that gives the patient a psychological boost.

Why is this? The truth is we do not completely understand why. We know that essential oils contain up to 30,000 different compounds, which is why synthetic products do not come close to being as effective. At one time, the effect of plants was viewed as being magical or a gift from God. We currently know more about the science behind aromatherapy - but certainly not everything. Many oils have yet to be studied, and many compounds have yet to be identified.

Several major families of chemical compounds found in essential oils - along with their most widely-acknowledged therapeutic properties - are mentioned later in this article. Obviously, not every compound is in every oil, which is why different oils can have very different therapeutic effects.

During the Black Plague in the 14th and 16th centuries in Europe, people tried to protect themselves by carrying an aromatic pouch of herbs and essential oils to ward off the disease. This practice was a form of aromatherapy.

The science of aromachology is slightly different and is defined as the “psychology of scent.” It focuses on the effects of certain herbal essential oils on humans, which include relaxation, improvement of work and behavior, stimulation of memory, and the reduction of stress. Aromachology is a concept developed under the leadership of the Sense of Smell Institute in the 1980s. It refers to a collection of scientific data under controlled conditions to study the interrelationship of psychology and fragrance technology to transmit a variety of specific feelings and enhance behavior through the olfactory experience.

In dental offices we have opportunities to create positive or negative impressions. What do patients smell when they walk into your office? The infamous “dental smell.” When we go home to our families, how many of us have heard “You smell like a dental office!”?

What about when you walk by the dentist’s operatory and the smell of freshly cut decay knocks you off your feet. Some of us prefer the smell of stinky feet!

Aromachology seeks to establish the positive effects of aromas on human behavior that are verifiable through reproducible scientific experiments. Aromachology deals only with the psychological effects achieved through the use of ambient odors that stimulate the olfactory pathways to the brain.

Each essential oil belongs in a specific chemical category. When blending essential oils, it is good to stay in the same category by keeping the phenols together and the aldehydes together. This promotes safety, longevity of the blends, and more congruent scents. The blending and knowledge of which essential oils work best together should be done by a certified or registered aromatherapist.

Many products often incorrectly use the term aromatherapy in labeling. Some media reporters and vendors even refer to aromatherapy as a “new discovery,” thus giving a false sense of hype to aromatherapy and promoting inaccurate information.

The practice of aromatherapy is the use of volatile plant oils, including essential oils, for psychological and physical well-being. Holistic aromatherapy does not include the use of fragrance oils or unnatural products. Unfortunately, many sellers of so-called aromatherapy products just use the term to sell their pleasant-smelling products - sometimes even going so far as to make unfounded claims.

Common questions

Below are a few common questions and answers that will help clarify what aromatherapy can and can’t do.

❏ Can aromatherapy cure my major illness or psychological problem?

If you expect or hope that aromatherapy will in itself cure a major illness or actually cure “stress,” you will probably be in for disappointment. But if you expect that aromatherapy can help with a physical condition, can help with symptoms, can affect your mood, or help alleviate or temporarily eliminate stress, or other psychological factors, you may be delighted with the results that you experience.

For example, aroma therapy will not cure serious illnesses such as cancer or AIDS. Aromatherapy, however, can help enhance a cancer patient?s quality of life by enhancing the patient’s mood, calming fear, and can help ease nausea during chemotherapy treatments. Many of my cancer patients who request aromatherapy during their prophies ask if a similar technique can be implemented during chemo treatments. For AIDS patients, aromatherapy can also help enhance the patient’s quality of life psychologically, and essential oils can help improve one’s immune system, and thus potentially assist an AIDS patient that way.

Aromatherapy is a complementary alternative health modality. Its current use is not intended to replace standard medical care, but is meant to complement it. Aromatherapy can offer an alternative choice to taking prescription or over-the-counter chemical drugs. Aromatherapy can offer practical benefits for a variety of common ailments or symptoms such as assisting with cuts, wounds, bruises, inflammation, indigestion, acne, skin care, hair care, hygiene, PMS, menstruation, and for providing mental and emotional assistance with such issues as stress, fatigue, anxiety, fear, and the list goes on and on.

The very first aromatherapy blend that I ever attempted to create and apply was for fear and apprehension. Joe, a patient who had a fear of dental hygiene maintenance visits, habitually cancelled or did not show up for appointments. His fear stemmed from his problem with gagging and the related embarrassment. His wife, a regular patient who had tried aromatherapy, thought the therapy would be great for her husband. He reluctantly and skeptically came in for an appointment. By the time he left, he thought this was the greatest invention since the saliva ejector! We discovered with more fine tuning of the initial blend that I could reach farther into the posterior portion than his cuspids with the mouth mirror. After three to five minutes of inhaling the initial blend, he was ready for a full-mouth set of X-rays and oral cancer examination.

I wasn’t sure what to expect of this very first blend but it pleasantly surprised both of us. Now when Joe comes in for his appointments, the effect of the essential oil blend takes less time because of the psychological trigger of this memory.

Since then, Joe has yet to miss or cancel a maintenance visit. This story is merely one example of the realistic results that you may experience by introducing true aromatherapy into your dental office. I use the word “may” because everyone is different and everyone’s experiences can vary.

Aromatherapy does have valid and extraordinary uses, and it can improve one’s lifestyle tremendously. Again, let me remind you that this has a beneficial role in assisting with major illnesses but it cannot be considered a cure for serious medical issues.

In dentistry, we are not considered health-care providers who cure serious illnesses. True aromatherapy, when used correctly, is perfect for the dental office.

❏ Why is aromatherapy gaining so much press and exposure if it’s been in practice for thousands of years?

Aspects of aromatherapy have indeed been in existence for thousands of years. The term aromatherapy, however, was only introduced earlier in the 20th century. I believe the surge in awareness of aromatherapy is threefold:

• Society today is more health conscious and is now more receptive to natural alternative health modalities, including aromatherapy. The media has been actively covering the trends in increased health awareness and alternative medicine. The media has made a point to include the aromatherapy “buzzword.”

• The Internet has made it easier for individuals to access and share aromatherapy information. This ability to network has had a positive effect on the growth of aromatherapy and aromatherapy businesses.

• Lifestyles are now more hectic and stressful. Since aromatherapy can assist in reducing the symptoms of stress and help one energize or relax, society is taking notice. If you go to many stores that sell any kind of candles, bath or beauty products, you’ll most likely see products labeled with the word “aromatherapy.”

In my personal experience, when I see “aromatherapy” on products not sold by reputable aromatherapy retailers, the word is used incorrectly. So the surge in awareness of aromatherapy is both positive and negative. Unfortunately, incorrect information about aromatherapy is out there.

Science has shown that aromatherapy can strongly and quickly affect mood and behavior. Researchers recently discovered that the introduction of natural scents such as lavender and vanilla can significantly reduce anxiety and distress in at least some scenarios. These positive outcomes in aromatherapy science may spell great news for people who are looking for an affordable, easy way to relax, both in crisis situations and in everyday life.

Often, ignorance or lack of knowledge and awareness can lead to the view of aromatherapy being a “snake oil.” I have seen the changes it has made in other people’s lives. I hope I have enlightened you about aromatherapy, answering some of the questions about the effects it may have (both positive and negative) on many individuals.

Debra Grant, RDH,CA, manages her own company, Oraspa, Inc. Her continuing education in integrative dentistry and dental hygiene ensures state-of-the-art information for the contemporary dental office. She is the creator of Perioromatherapy, a therapeutic technique used in her dental office. Debra offers educational programs as a speaker and consultant. She can be reached at www.Oraspa.com or debra@Oraspa.com.

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Various scent categories and effects on the central nervous system

Aldehydes - Relaxing, calming, sedative, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic
Phenols - Stimulating, highly antiseptic
Sesquiterpenol - Balancing, anti-inflammatory, stimulating of the immune system
Ketones - Relaxing, supportive of respiratory system, dissolve and discharge mucous, stimulating cell regeneration
Esters - Relaxing, antispasmodic, antifungal
Monoterpenes - Stimulating, detoxifying, diuretic, antiseptic, antiinflammatory, antiviral, analgesic, antispasmodic
Alcohols - Antibacterial, antiviral
Azulene - Antihistamine, promoting healing, highly anti-inflammatory
Bisabolol - The strongest of sesquiterpene, anti-bacterial, antifungal, antiinflammatory
Flavonoids - This group of compounds is being very actively researched. Stimulating circulation, anti-cancer, preventing cardiovascular disorders
Farnesol - Highly antiinflammatory, antibacterial
Limonene - Highly antiviral
Terpene alcohols - Highly antibacterial, stimulating of the immune system
Terpene hydrocarbons - Highly antiviral
Thujone - Relieving respiratory distress, stimulating of the immune system

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Research update: Under laboratory conditions, mice have been proven to undergo behavioral changes after exposure to certain airborne scents. After having aromatic blasts of lavender and sandalwood oil introduced into their cages, excited mice appeared calmer. The implications of these kinds of animal studies for human users are yet to be determined, but preliminary aromatherapy science research suggests that certain holistic aromatherapy practices may have verifiable benefits in terms of mood regulation and stress reduction.

The strongest evidence aromatherapy science has produced in favor of the stress-reducing effects of smell was in a recent study on anxiety in hospital patients. In a study conducted at Manhattan’s Sloan-Kettering Hospital, the scent of vanilla was shown to help reduce stress related to claustrophobia 63 percent during MRI scans. This is a dramatic statistic, and has helped raise interest in aromatherapy science in the academic community.

Aromatherapy science has primarily studied the uses of scent in high-stress situations, but there may be benefits to including it in your daily life as well. For decades, doctors and scientists have agreed that relaxation is an important part of controlling high blood pressure and heart problems, and aromatherapy is a simple stress management technique.

RDH October, 2006
Author(s) : Debra Grant
http://rdh.pennnet.com/display_article/275675/56/ARTCL/none/none/Snake_oil_or_science?/

Essential Oils for Septic Arthritis

2006-10-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

Could a Topical Lotion
Provide A Cure for Septic Arthritis

Download this press release as an Adobe PDF document.

A topical lotion manufactured using Australian essential oils may provide the answer to post surgical septic arthritis.

(PRWEB) October 3, 2006 -- Elmore Oil, a topical lotion using the active ingredients of eucalyptus and tea tree oil may provide the key to improved recovery in post operative septic arthritis.

We now know the importance of Triple Maturation to our products success and the medical profession is starting to sit up and take notice of the unusually potent effects that we are gaing from such a natural product.
While Elmore Oil is used principally for pain relief from conditions including arthritis, the high levels of anti bacterial tea tree oil in the product have shown it to have outstanding benefits in healing wounds, cuts and abrasions.

The acute form of Septic Arthritis is caused by organisms which include strains of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus and can even include Candida Albicans.

Strong clinical data is available to support the effectiveness of Tea Tree Oil against all of these pathogens and there is enough anecdotal evidence on hand to support the concept that Elmore Oil may be of benefit to patients in any post operative recovery where infection is an issue.

"We certainly aren't using the word cure", says Elmore Oil's Managing Director, Mark Linford, " but we are encouraged by the levels of anecdotal evidence to date to support that our product shows promise for treatment of infection by topical route. At this stage we are looking at conducting clinical based trials to prove the concept."

Elmore Oil has experienced a meteoric rise in popularity amongst Australian arthritis sufferers, providing a rapid yet long lasting pain relief effect from a lotion which has no known adverse side effects.
This simple topical lotion was created in 1998 by Ralph Linford, an arthritis sufferer with a background in the use use of natural essential oils. Elmore Oil gained some notoriety when it's outstanding pain relief qualities were featured on Australia's leading new program, A Current Affair.

The unique feature of Elmore Oil seems to be the blending process, prior to manufacture. The process known as Triple Maturation, where each of the ingredients is matured at pre determined ratios over a 6 week period, has a potent synergystic effect on the natural active ingredients and the TM process also binds the actives to the Vanilla extracts allowing them to penetrate into the pain effected area at a rapid rate.

"Triple Maturation has ceratinly set Elmore Oil apart from the pack," says Linford. " We now know the importance of Triple Maturation to our products success and the medical profession is starting to sit up and take notice of the unusually potent effects that we are gaing from such a natural product."

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arthritis septic arthritis surgery infection pain relief pain post surgical infection tea tree oil elmore oil essential oils

Frankincense In Aromatherapy - Trees, Tears And Essential Oils

2006-09-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

Frankincense In Aromatherapy - Trees, Tears And Essential Oils
Posted on September 19, 2006

by Misty Rae Cech, ND

The Mysterious Frankincense
Used for many thousands of years, the Frankincense tree has perhaps the greatest association with spiritual practice of any plant on earth. In most of the great ancient cultures, including the Egyptian, Babylonian, Persian, Hebrew, Greek and Roman civilizations, it has played a role in religious and domestic life. Frankincense has been sought after by kings and valued as highly as gold. More recently, the essential oil is gaining popularity with spiritual seekers and natural healers alike. What is so special about this tree that its 'pearls' were given as a gift at the birth of one of history's most revered prophets?

The Hardy Tree and its Tears

The Frankincense tree, or Olibanum, upon first glance, may seem rather unremarkable. It appears as a giant shrub, with many knurled branches topped with abundant slender leaves and occasionally, small white flowers. A native to northern Africa, it looks like it belongs in the desert, growing in some of the world's harshest conditions. But it is not the tree itself, but rather its sap that has such profound lore surrounding it. When the tree's bark is pierced with a knife (known traditionally as a 'Mingaf'), a milky-white oleoresin is exuded - thought the tree is not harmed. The resin forms droplets known as 'tears' or 'pearls', which harden into the orange-brown gum known itself as Frankincense. The English name of this natural incense is derived from the medieval French 'franc', meaning 'pure' or 'free', and from the Latin 'incensium', meaning 'to smoke'.

History's Most Popular Incense

For more than 5000 years, the hardened resin has been burned in temples throughout Egypt, China and India; the Catholic church continues to use it today during Mass. It is one of the four main ingredients in Jewish ceremonial incense, forming an important part of the Sabbath day offerings. The smoke of Frankincense (as with other ritual incense) is thought to carry prayers to heaven upon it's smoke. It is also said to deepen the breath and still the mind, making it useful for meditation and yogic practice. The incense may have health benefits as well, producing a highly antiseptic smoke, keeping churches and churchgoers free from disease.

According to ancient documents, the great Baal temple of Babylon consumed 2 and a half tons of Frankincense a year. The Frankincense trade was of immense importance in ancient times, peaking about 2000 years ago. Caravans grew to as many as 2 to 3 thousand camels in size. Cities grew up along the trade routes, and heavy taxes and fees for protection, lodging and camel fodder raised the cost of the resin considerably, so much so that it was valued as much as gold. The wealth involved inspired Alexander the Great to plot to control the region, though his death happened to preceed the invasion.

Health Benefits

Frankincense resin is thought to have a bounty of health properties - it was an ingredient in a rejuvenate face mask in ancient Egypt (it was also charred and used as the classic heavy eyeliner seen in much ancient Egyptian art), and at one time was "used to treat every conceivable ill to man". In ayurvedic medicine it is known as salai guggul, used for centuries to treat many conditions, including arthritis. Modern science has isolated the active compounds found to have anti-arthritic properties. Called boswellic acids, these components inhibit the inflammatory process, improve blood supply and prevent further cartilage reduction.

Frankincense Essential Oil

Modern natural medicine has taken to the use of the essential oil of Frankincense. The oil, having a warm, woody, sweet aroma with a hint of citrus, is steam or CO2 distilled from the resin. It is used for respiratory conditions such as bronchitis, catarrh and asthma; for wrinkles, wounds and dry skin, and in cases of rheumatism, cystitis and leukorrea.

The most important effect of the essential oil may be on the nervous system. Regarded as an antidepressant, the aroma can both relax and revitalize, and can help in cases of nervous tension and exhaustion. Frankincense oil contains sesquiterpenes, which stimulate the limbic system, the hypothalamus, the pineal and the pituitary glands. The oil is now being researched for it's ability to increase human growth hormone production. Further, it is considered to strengthen the immune system, which may in-fact occur as a result of it's uplifting properties.

Frankincense essential oil can be used in a manner similar to burning of the incense in spiritual practice. Warming in a candle lamp or direct application to the temples and third eye will quiet the mind, deepen the breath, and promote meditative stillness. It is often blended with Sandalwood, Myrrh and Cedarwood for such uses, and the single-pointed concentration it invokes is thought to allow the spirit to soar.

Experimenting with Frankincense

Frankincense resin is widely available at reasonable costs. Most is wildcrafted, being extracted from trees growing in the deserts of northeast Africa - thankfully, the resource is abundant, as the trees easily survive harvesting of the pearls. The small chunks of resin can simply be lit by themselves in a dish or similar container, and allowed to smolder and release their smoke. Frankincense is also available in prepared incense sticks and other incense preparations. In the form of your choosing, simply light and allow some quiet time to experience the deep aroma.

With the essential oil, a diffuser or warming lamp can be used to disperse the aroma throughout a space. The oil is also found in aromatherapy candles, where it is released from the heated oil beneath the burning wick. Frankincense oil can be applied directly to the forehead (it is non-irritating or sensitizing) where you can both capture the aroma and absorb the oil directly. Again, take a moment to sit quietly to perceive any effects.

The wonderful gift of the Frankincense tree is available in many ways, and has come highly recommended for many thousands of years. Try adding a little Frankincense to your life, and see what the mystery is all about!

Cancer Center Teaches usning Aromatherapy to Heal and Soothe

2006-09-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

Cancer Center Teaches Using Aromatherapy to Heal and Soothe

Oils have properties that affect the brain, enter the bloodstream

August 25, 2006 - A bubble bath that improves memory – that gets the attention of most senior citizens. A kitchen cleaner that wards off nausea and energizes. A scented handkerchief that calms a patient entering the MRI. The benefits of aromatherapy are real, according to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. A cancer specialist shares her advice on using oils for healing.

Aromatherapy is the use of oils extracted from plants to alleviate physical and psychological disorders, usually through massage or inhalation.

Scan the shelves of the local bath and body stores and one is sure to find products labeled for aromatherapy. Many might be surprised to learn the science behind it. So what is aromatherapy, how is it used and will those products actually work?

Cherie Perez, a supervising research nurse in the Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, teaches a monthly aromatherapy class to answer those questions for cancer patients and caregivers undergoing treatment at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Perez's classes are offered free of charge through M. D. Anderson's Place of wellness, a center within the institution that focuses on helping patients and caregivers deal with the non-medical issues of living with cancer, and is the first complementary therapy facility to be built on the campus of a comprehensive cancer center.

Perez, who first became involved with aromatherapy to help relieve the physical pain and discomfort caused by fibromyalgia, shares her professional knowledge of the basics of aromatherapy, safety precautions and interactive demonstrations in each hour-long class.

Oils and healing

While essential oils may not directly stimulate the immune system, they can complement cancer treatment by boosting the system's ability to fight off infections, says Perez.

Certain oils can also stimulate lymphatic drainage or have antibacterial properties. Since it has many potential uses ranging from managing anxiety and nausea to helping with sleep, general relaxation, memory and attention, many individuals, including cancer patients, can benefit from aromatherapy [See on this page: Five Oils to Reduce Stress and Relieve Ailments.]

There are a variety of different products and methods of diffusion to obtain the healing benefits of oils. Some oils - like lavender, ylang ylang and sandalwood can be applied directly to the skin - while others are too concentrated and need to be diluted into carriers such as massage oils, bath soaps and lotions [See on this page: Everyday Uses for Aromatherapy.]

Most typically, Perez advises patients to put a few drops of an oil, or a combination of oils onto a handkerchief and "fan themselves like Scarlett O'Hara." Burning oils or incense is not recommended because most are poorly constructed and give off unhealthy fumes and soot.

Who should, or shouldn't, use oils?

Widely sold in health food stores and beauty chain stores, essential oils do have chemical properties that can affect the brain and enter the bloodstream, and for some patients may be toxic when combined with common cancer therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Perez says essential oils, like many medicines, can increase a person's sensitivity to the sun and should be used with caution. Patients should always inform and discuss with their physicians before using aromatherapy oils to complement a medical condition.

People with high blood pressure should avoid hyssop, rosemary, sage and thyme, while diabetics should avoid angelica oil. Women who are pregnant or nursing should avoid a number of oils that stimulate the uterus including star anise, basil and juniper to name a few and should use with caution peppermint, rose and rosemary in the first trimester. According to Perez, pediatric patients can use aromatherapy essential oils in very low concentrations. [See on this age: Tips for Buying Oils.]

Aromatherapy's role in cancer treatment

"The nature of aromatherapy makes it challenging to study due to the fact that it is difficult to create a placebo and every person is different in their nasal sensitivities and skin absorption rates," says Perez.

In the future, however, she would be interested in designing research to examine how aromatherapy can be used to treat/heal burns caused from radiation treatment safely and effectively, soothe pre-treatment anxiety and manage loss-of-memory issues in cancer survivors.

Five Oils to Reduce Stress and Relieve Ailments

● Lavender - First used as perfume by ancient Egyptians 2,500 years ago, lavender is now used to treat insomnia, migraines and provide stress relief.

● Rosemary - This fragrant plant relieves muscle pain, low blood pressure and cold feet and hands.

● Spearmint - The oil from spearmint aids digestion and eases nausea and vomiting.

● Masculine scents - Scents such as bay laurel and ylang-ylang appeal to men for their deep scent. They also treat skin rashes, rheumatism and stomach ailments.

Everyday Aromatherapy Uses

● Muscle Relaxation Bath Salts - 2 cups of Epsom salts, 5 drops of each oil - lavender, lemon grass, tea tree & orange. Use 1/2 cup mixture per bath.

● Room Spray Diffusion - Use any oil 5-20 drops along with 2 to 4 ounces of distilled or spring water. Common sense precaution - don't spray in your eyes.

● Energizing Carpet Cleaner - Combine pink grapefruit oil with baking soda and sprinkle before vacuuming.

● Natural House Cleaner - Blend lemon and ravensara leaf oils with distilled water and non-sudsing soap.

Tips for Buying Oils

When purchasing oils for themselves, Perez gives the following guidelines:

● Essential oils from a bath or general store may be of questionable quality; shop for oils in a specialty store, staffed by salespeople with aromatherapy training.

● Quality oils, which are light and heat sensitive, will be in a blue or brown light protective glass.

● Labeling on the bottle should provide should provide both the common and botanical name for the oil.

● Steer clear of concentrated oils with rubber eyedroppers since the oils react with the rubber causing it to break down and contaminate the oil.

Source: M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

M. D. Anderson is located in Houston and was designated by the National Cancer Institute as one of the first three Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the United States. For 4 of the last 7 years, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center has ranked number one in cancer care in "America's Best Hospitals," a survey published annually in U.S. News & World Report. M. D. Anderson has provided care for more than 600,000 cancer patients since 1944.

Oils and scents contain curative properties

2006-09-06T16:47:00.000-07:00

Oils and scants contain curative properties : Review
MIL/Review, Aug 25, 2006. Dr. Raj Baldev

New Delhi, August 25, 2006 - Even though allopathic systems or English systems are universally accepted with pace of time, there are still certain parts and regions where alternative medicines enjoy an equal status and enjoy successful reputation.

Even in India, all hospitals are using other systems of medicines like ayurveda, homeopathy, unanis among others. There is also a therapy of oils and scents, which have curative properties and the knowledgeable people use them accordingly.

In this connection, Nitin Raj asks questions from Leesburg, U.S. and Dr. Raj Baldev answers from New Delhi, India for the general benefit of the people in the form of a review.

Nitin Raj : Physicians have recently discovered and confirm that the essential oils and scents have great many curative properties?

Dr. Raj Baldev: You are right. The ancient Indian therapeutic always-used essential oils and scents while practicing natural medicines. Even today most of them use them freely.

Nitin Raj: How do you justify that oils and scants are natural medicines or uses?
Dr. Raj Baldev : You can take the example of your temple, kitchen or bathroom or any other place of dumping garbage or dirty place. You will feel some sort of either fragrance or foul smell over there.

Wherever scent penetrates its surrounding, it makes the environment pleasing and enjoyable during the visit.

If you visit your kitchen or bathroom or any other place, you can feel the fragrance or foul smell. Where there is fragrance, the atmosphere shall give a fresh and positive feeling.

Whether it is kitchen or bathroom, they have aroma that affects you in many ways, it enters your body mainly through nose and eyes. If you sit in the smoking atmosphere and if you are a non-smoker, it shall affect you health wise even as a non-smoker.

On opening the fridge you can find a strong sense of something inviting you to eat it because the items placed therein have stink of fragrance and taste of their freshness.

Similarly when something is being cooked in the kitchen, it shall enter your body through nose and eyes when enter there. Likewise, certain salts affect you while in the bathroom; they also enter your body through nose and eyes.

Aromas are always added to Incense or Aggarbatti, candles, lotions, soaps, and massaging oils. We are so much used to that most of the time that we don't realize its effect.

Nitin Raj: What extra usefulness the aromas carry?

Dr. Raj Baldev : Indians & Yogies mostly use the fragrance or perfume because they believe that it attracts Gods & Goddess. They have also found that they help in awakening Kundalini Shakti or the Divine Energy leading to bliss & health.
The scents, in fact, attract even spirits and ghosts. Religious devotees of certain sects use the fragrance on the graveyards of their saints and even the monks use it in the temple to please their idols.

Scents of Sandalwood are mostly used by Indians in Pooja as Tilak or in massage and lighting small dias. Essential oils are aromatic essences extracted from trees, plants, fruits, flowers, grass, bark, seeds etc.

Nitin Raj : What is the background of aromatherapy or aroma?

Dr. Raj Baldev: The first form of aromatherapy was used in different kinds of burning woods, and the use of its smoke in the form of incense to sooth one's feeling, please or provoke one to boil one's blood. In short, such scents incite the person.
This has been in practice in many cultures in the past and it is still continuing in most of the present culture. It shall be right to say that the use of scent has always stayed, irrespective of any change in any culture.

Nitin Raj: It is said that different cultures always used aromatics freely without any restrictions?

Dr. Raj Baldev: The Indians & Egyptians have been using aromatics for the last over 5,000 years for various purposes like making medicines, cosmetics for males and females and also used them for preserving the Mummies.

The Greeks used olive oil to absorb the stink from flower petals and herbs.
Physicians from the Arab land improved the method of distilling essential oils and succeeded in bringing them to European countries.
The women of the household made all kinds of remedies for home use since time immemorial, and the home treatment is considered successful in many minor ailments even today.

Nitin Raj: It is said that new sciences of chemistry and pharmacology discouraged the use of aromatherapy and termed as superstition. What would you like to say?

Dr. Raj Baldev: It happened till the beginning of the 20th century to some extent, the people were, of course, discouraged and they reduced their interest in using oils and scents for a certain period.

Meantime, the French chemists made a research that all essential oils and scents have healing properties. Thereafter the period rolled back. Most of the cultures restored their confidence in oils and scents as usual.

Nitin Raj: What was the role of Rene Maurice Gattefosse in dermatology?

Dr. Raj Baldev: Rene Maurice Gattefosse, drew the attention of the world to the use of oils in dermatology after he discovered how lavender oil healed his burned hand. He gave the word "aromatherapy" in 1928 and published a book by the same title in 1937.

Nitin Raj: What would you say about India and China and their systems like Vaidyas, ayurvedic ?

Dr. Raj Baldev: India and China did not break their cultures in any of their old systems of medicines like ayurvedic and chinese medicines. Unan also did not chane their Unani system of medicine and that is still in use as usual.

The Indians, Chinese and Unanies used dried and fresh herbs, floral waters and aromatherapy for oil massaging of bodies and also cured the sick with such massages. These methods are very effective and the people generally prefer to use them rather than to go for any allopathic system (English system) in some of their health problems.

Indians, Chinese have been sure to believe that all essential oils have unique healing & valuable antiseptic properties despite discouragement from European countries. They were discouraged simply because the Europeans' own commercial interests were involved.

Even in most of the European countries and United States, ayurvedic medicines are used and they at times give tough competition to the allopathic medicines.

Aromatherapy use growing in hospitals

2006-08-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, August 1, 2006

By BOB GROVES
STAFF WRITER
NorthJersey.com

The fragrance of lavender and sweet almond was as soothing as the dreamy voice of Enya coming from the CD player. By the patient's bedside a dialysis machine beeped quietly.

The scents arose subtly from oils that Mary Mazzer, a registered nurse and aromatherapist, was rubbing gently on her patient's knuckles, palms and fingers. Next, she poured more oil from a small cup into her latex-gloved hand and applied it to her patient's shins, calves and toes, and to the balls of her feet.

"She has a lot of anxiety related to her illness," said Mazzer, in the patient's room at Valley Hospital in Ridgewood. "We've been working together a couple months. She falls asleep with the touch therapy."

"Lavender allows me to relax," said the patient, Shelly Lomberg of Fair Lawn. She was hooked to the dialysis machine with wires, tubes and monitors.

"A lot of it is the touch," Lomberg said. "The aroma definitely takes me somewhere else." Her head lolled, and she drifted off.

At-home practice

If you try aromatherapy at home, make sure you purchase 100 percent essential oils – not oils mixed with synthetics.

How to use:
Oil scents can be inhaled, or oils can be applied directly to the skin.

Scents are dispersed in the air by oil drops on a gauze pad or handkerchief, or from an electric fan diffuser, an inhaler tube, steam vaporizer or heated water pan.

Oils are applied to the surface of the skin by gentle touch therapy or in bath water dispersed by one ounce of milk or vodka. A skin allergy test may be required before application.

Essential oils from fruit, flowers, plants and trees relieve nausea, anxiety, pain and other symptoms by acting on the limbic system of the brain, associated with feelings and emotions.

Oils should be stored away from heat and light, preferably refrigerated.
On the Web:

National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, naha.org

Aromatherapy is the use of so-called essential oils -- extracted from flowers, fruits, plants and trees -- to relieve anxiety, nausea, insomnia, pain and other symptoms. Scents from the oils are inhaled and stimulate the olfactory nerves in the nose. Or oils are applied to the skin, where they are absorbed and enter the bloodstream. Either way, they act on the limbic system of the brain, including the hippocampus and the amygdala, associated with feelings and emotions.

The treatment is used in many hospices and nursing homes and is beginning to catch on in hospitals. It can also be practiced at home.

Aromatherapy, which goes back to ancient Egypt, should not be confused with synthetically scented soaps and candles sold in New Age boutiques, practitioners maintain.

"We see aromatherapy everywhere," Mazzer said. "It's in dish detergents. But we're not talking about commercial fragrance use.

"We're not just going to make it smell nice, which is fine. We're talking about essential oil used in a specific way to obtain a specific, measurable clinical outcome," she said.

Valley added aromatherapy two years ago to its holistic services program and now has seven nurses certified to administer it, Mazzer said. But it took a while for some of the doctors at the hospital to get used to the idea, she said.

"Oh, you're that voodoo nurse," one physician said to her early in the program.

"Yes, you'll have to be careful," Mazzer replied with a laugh. "I'll put a spell on you."

Acceptance grows

But as the idea caught on, doctors, nurses, social workers and others began asking Mazzer to use aromatherapy on their patients, she said. Although she does not need a physician's order, Mazzer will consult with a patient's doctor, who can overrule using aromatherapy.

Mazzer limits her oils to a select few, such as lavender for anxiety and healing insect bites, and ginger for nausea. Black pepper is a blood-vessel dilator, which can be helpful in starting an intravenous line, she said. Peppermint is good for headache, rosemary for bursitis, neroli oil from orange blossoms is a fragrant relaxant, and eucalyptus is good for colds.

She puts a couple of drops on a gauze pad and wafts the scent toward the patient. She can also use an inhaler. Oils applied topically to the skin are often diluted with sweet almond extract to avoid irritation. Touch therapy is a light caress, not a deep muscle massage.

Mazzer is versed in 33 essential oils and hopes to expand the menu at Valley. "I'm not here to replace anyone" in traditional medical care, she said.

Holistic therapies should not be considered alternative or even complementary medicine. "We look at it as integrative" with standard care, she said. Treatment involves a patient's mind, body and spirit.

Aromatherapy is used in hospices and nursing homes throughout New Jersey, said Susan Coppola of Care Alternatives, a Cranford-based home-care provider in several states. The treatment helps terminally ill patients and families, said Coppola, a registered nurse and aromatherapist who lives in Wyckoff.

"We're looking at comfort in whatever form it comes," she said. "The wonderful thing about aromatherapy is its effectiveness with multiple issues. It's used in different areas of the body for different purposes."

The power of touch

Coppola puts a blend of grape seed, lemon, frankincense and juniper oil on different parts of the body. "The scent relaxes, and it's good for the skin," she said. "Usually these patients have very dehydrated, old skin."

The agency she works for requires a doctor's order and a skin test for allergic reaction, Coppola said.

"It's a wonderful thing to teach families to do, especially if there's been an estrangement," she said. "Touching each other brings closure. Oil has very positive multiple effects."

The scent of essential oils can reduce the stress of patients headed for surgery, said Charisse Gigli, an operating-room nurse at Barnert Hospital in Paterson. She recommends a blend of rose, bergamot (Turkish orange rind), sandalwood and frankincense.

"I carry an inhaler for myself," said Gigli, who is New Jersey director of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy. "As a patient myself, it really relaxed me before surgery."

Everyday consumers can purchase essential oils commercially, but they should be cautious about quality, she said.

"The thing to worry about is, a lot of so-called fragrance oils are fake or might be a mixture of extract and a synthetic," Gigli said. "You have to be sure it's 100 percent essential oil."

E-mail: groves@northjersey.com

In Provence, Commerce’s Scent Is Tinged With Lavender

2006-07-23T08:52:00.000-07:00

Benoît Cassan harvesting lavender in Simiane-la-Rotonde, France. His father, Alain Cassan, is a farmer and also the town’s mayor. France, fighting cheap exports from Eastern Europe and China, now accounts for only 50 percent of the world’s production of fine lavender.

By ELAINE SCIOLINO
Published: July 21, 2006

SIMIANE-LA-ROTONDE, France, July 16 — July is harvest time in Lavenderland, so it is also the season of self-promotion.

A lavender purchase in Simiane-la-Rotonde. The town’s mayor said, “My goal is to build our economy around lavender’s essential oils.”
The tractors are rolling, the distillers steaming, the credit card machines registering.

Towns and villages throughout Provence have ginned up lavender festivals to attract and entertain the hordes of summer vacationers whose invasion is under way. Along an official “Lavender Route,” organized tours lead visitors through perfumed purple-blue fields, distilleries, museums, restaurants, art galleries and, of course, gift shops.

In Simiane-la-Rotonde (pop. 550), a sleepy hill town on the Lavender Route, the hard sell is more laid back.

For farmers here, the top priority is getting out the crop. A particularly cold winter and a dry spring have produced drier and smaller flowers throughout lavender country. That means, the farmers say, that the essential oil production derived from the crop could drop as much as 30 to 40 percent lower than last year.

“Lavender has been with us forever — sprigs of it were even found in the tombs of the pharaohs,” said Alain Cassan, a farmer who is also Simiane-la-Rotonde’s mayor. “It is the emblem of Provence, so we always have to fight back — and adapt.”

Mr. Cassan and his family cultivate more than 600 acres of both traditional or “true” lavender and lavendin, a sterile, hardier and much more prolific hybrid with a cruder, industrial, camphor scent.

His great-grandfather was among the first lavender middlemen in France, roaming the back roads on horseback and paying farmers for the lavender that grew wild in their dry, chalky fields; his grandfather was among the first generation in France to cultivate the plants as a commercial cash crop.

Until 3 most mornings these days, Mr. Cassan’s son Benoît runs two huge stills that transform the cut plants from their own and neighboring farms into essences that will infuse products as varied as body moisturizer and window spray.

The elder Mr. Cassan also has begun to promote lavender aromatherapy to help the town’s economy.

“My goal is to build our economy around lavender’s essential oils,” Mr. Cassan said, “to give conferences and seminars, to hand out prizes. This is how we are forging our way into the future.”

This month, the town is playing host to distillation workshops to educate and lure visitors to its medieval stone rotunda and the remains of its tiny chateau.

“Aromatherapy is not a science yet,” Jean-Noël Landel said as he demonstrated lavender distillation in the chateau’s makeshift laboratory. “Some people will tell you that the only worthwhile therapeutic lavender in the world is grown wild on the top of a certain hill where you pray for an hour before you cut it by hand. The science can’t support it.”

Still, Mr. Landel, a distiller and founder of the chateau’s laboratory, is eager to promote the benefits of the hardy, scented shrub.

He explained that lavender diffused in the air kills bacteria and molds. French psychiatrists, he added, have found that lavender-laden air can reduce agitation among certain psychiatric patients.

Lavender oil is said to disinfect small wounds and burns, relieve insomnia and rheumatic pain and repel flies and mosquitoes. The harsher-smelling oil from lavendin is used to boost the power of laundry soap and other cleaning products.

Despite the identification of Provence with lavender in the public imagination, France now accounts for only 50 percent of the world’s production of fine lavender, although 90 percent of its lavendin.

Starting in the 1960’s, lower-priced lavender products from Eastern Europe began penetrating the market. In recent years, cheap exports from China have further eroded the French market share.

The result has been lower prices for French farmers, particularly hard in a year when the crop is expected to be smaller.

In March, Daniel Spagnou, a deputy from the Alpes de Haute-Provence region, told the National Assembly that lavender farmers were enduring “an intense crisis” and demanded more aid. Last week, Agriculture Minister Dominique Bussereau met with farmers in the town of Bevons to express solidarity, but offered no new money.

Still, of all the agricultural sectors of France, lavender is one of the best organized and most resilient.

In 1979, Mr. Cassan created the country’s first cooperative of lavender growers to cut out the middlemen in distribution. It now has 325 members.

Two years later, “essential oil of lavender” was given the coveted designation A.O.C. (Appelation of Controlled Origin). To qualify, the lavender must be grown in one of four designated regions from seeds — not from cloned plants as is the case with most foreign and much French lavender. The altitude must be above 2,600 feet, and the distilling must not involve shredding. The oil also must pass an olfactory test.

Most important, in 1994, the French government fought back against the invasion of foreign lavender products with a major revival project. It financed the introduction of hardier strains, introduced new farm equipment for the rocky terrain, streamlined distillation methods and gave subsidies to individual farmers. Production rebounded.

Certainly French lavender is helped by its mystique. The Ministry of Agriculture’s perfume and medicinal plants agency says tourism in France with some sort of lavender connection brings in direct revenues of more than $50 million a year.

In Sault, for example, which plays host to the region’s biggest lavender festival each August, shops sell not only lavender bouquets and sachets, but also lavender-filled ceramic cicadas, lavender-scented candles, potholders with lavender designs and honey from the nectar of lavender-fed bees.

Restaurants throughout Provence offer lavender-inspired menus, with dishes like salads with lavender-laced vinaigrettes and lavender-sugared crème brûlée. Spas offer thermal baths and massages with lavender oil. A lavender farm in Cobonne offers classes in watercolor painting.

Perhaps the most intriguing salesmanship comes from an order of Catholic nuns. According to the “Lavender Route” guide, the lavender-growing Cooperative Nuns of Valensole invite tourists to visit “to revive your soul in silence and peace, reflection and prayer,” “to find yourself and give true meaning to your life.”

There is also a gift shop.

Maia de la Baume contributed reporting for this article.

Europe New York Times

Scentual healing: Perfume is medicine in aromatherapy

2006-07-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

Scentual healing: Perfume is medicine in aromatherapy
By Susanna Gaertner
Sentinel correspondent

Aromatherapy is shrouded in mists of misconception as powerful as the fragrances that accompany it.

It is more than merely a sniffing session where beautiful scents waft past your nostrils from oils emanating from an incense burner — sometimes placed on the floor beneath your head for inhalation during the session — and more than a Swedish or remedial massage during healing modality that uses essential oils to stimulate the immune system and relieve stress.

Even the ancient Chinese recognized that "every perfume is a medicine," that essential oils work on a dynamic and profound level, affecting our circulatory, respiratory, digestive, and nervous systems, thereby influencing our very attitudes and outlook.

"When administered correctly," says Elizabeth Jones, director of the College of Botanical Healing Arts here in Santa Cruz, "essential oils are known to relieve symptoms such as stress, anxiety and mood disorders, bringing you into a state of relaxed alertness."

So, while aromatherapy may be focused on the application of aromatic oils into the skin, these must also please the nose, for it is through the olfactory system that the plant essences have their effect on the limbic brain, seat of our most primal drives and appetites.

Clinical trials at Sloan-Kettering have shown that aromatherapy helps support the immune surveillance function of the lymphatic system. According to Dr. Bruce Eisendorf, the human body has two circulatory systems blood and lymph, but only one pump our heart. Alternating contraction and relaxation of the muscles as they move — that squeezing action on the lymphatic vessels and on the veins — is what moves the lymph along. A really good aromatherapist can actually feel lymphatic blockages or "crystals" similar to the "crystals" a reflexologist finds in your feet.

Essential oils make their way into the blood stream via the tiny blood vessels at the base of the hair follicles that cover 90 percent of our body. Actually, essential "oils" is a misnomer, according to local practitioner Ahna-Kristen Backstrom.

"They're not oils but chemical constituents produced by plants and isolated through distillation into a liquid that is added to a carrier oil," she said.

Since they diffuse directly into the blood supply, the oils work very quickly, unlike a substance that is ingested and has to go through your digestive tract before it is absorbed. Backstrom agrees with well-known Australian aromatherapist Hilary Marks, who says "its nature is actually changed by the different secretions of the digestive tract. By the time it lands in the blood, it's not the same substance anymore. Whereas if you put it in through the skin, it is. So this is an effective way of getting those complex plant chemicals to their destination quickly."

Because aromatherapy addresses the lymphatic system, the mechanics of its application are different from what you have been used to in a "regular" massage: using long, slow, gentle strokes, the aromatherapist massages the specially prepared oils into the skin, just hard enough for them to penetrate, but not hard enough to work on the muscles and ligaments. This takes some getting used to, as many of us are more accustomed to the deep kneading and vigorous circular movements aimed at loosening tight muscles. It helps to know this before you get on the table.

Properly trained aromatherapists will hold a certification in this speciality. About 40 percent also hold massage certificates, though you can call yourself an aromatherapist without one.

Aromatherapists generally have more thorough training in biochemistry, anatomy and physiology than regular massage therapists, since they must study the effects of essential oils on both the physical and subtle electrical energy body, Backstrom said. As with any discipline, expertise comes with experience.

"Ultimately, I choose the oils intuitively," says Syndey, Australia-based-based verteran aromatherapist Morva Belot. And it's because of this latitude that you want to find a veteran: someone with practical experience as well as education.

Since more than one oil can be used for any given complaint, the aromatherapist must also be guided by the client's olfactory responses. To give a personal example: frankincense, precious as gold in days gone by, is now often used for for what is seen as a calming, regulating effect on the mind and emotions, helping to dispel fear and anxiety. For many, it fortifies the spirit; to others, it smells like turpentine.

Fortunately, there are several other oils with similar properties. The experienced aromatherapist will know not only which oils are best suited to soothe and heal her client, but also that client's preferences, and then decide which oils will work synergistically and where to apply them.

Old medicine

Aromatherapy is one of the most ancient medicinal modalities: the use of essential oils is documented on Babylonian clay tablets and Egyptian tomb paintings, and in ancient Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic practice.

Aromatic oils preserved the pharaohs, their body tissue intact after centuries, thanks to the anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties of plant essences.

In fact, hieroglyphics depict individual pharaohs with their own essential oils in alabaster jars that were entombed with them when they died.

The ancient Romans practiced aromatherapy, using herbs and resins imported from conquered nations, research reveals. In Europe, lavender was distilled in southern France in the 16th century the city of Grasse, in Provence, still holds an annual festival around the lavender harvest, and it is this oil that was responsible for the reawakening of interest in essential oils at the beginning of the 20th century: Upon badly burning his hand in laboratory accident, a French professor named Gattefossé plunged the affected appendage into a receptacle of pure lavender oil: in a remarkably short time, the redness was gone and the hand had healed completely. Naturally, this caused him to investigate the properties of other oils and, voila! aromathérapie was born.

Australian Aborigines have a long tradition of using eucalyptus leaves, camel bush, the oily kernels of the desert walnut and the leaves of the parrot pea plant. Tea-tree oil, a relatively recent oil produced only in Australia, is now used around the world for antiseptic properties and to boost the immune system.

Says Santa Cruz aromatherapist Elizabeth Jones, "It should be in everyone's medicine chest."

Another oil unique to Australia, boronia, is reputed to help with obsessive behavior caused by emotional injury or sadness. It was also used by the early colonists in their horses' food to control worms.

Again, it's important to remember that ingesting plant substances, whether fresh or in dried form as herbs, has no bearing on their effectiveness or potency as oils: Essential oils reportedly are 70 times stronger than fresh herbs.

So, if you're feeling sluggish or blue, anxious or depressed, treat yourself to one of history's oldest forms of hands-on therapy. Mind, body, and soul will thank you.

Contact Susanna Gaertnerat svreeken@santacruzsentinel.com.

What to look for in a good aromatherapist

A good aromatherapist begins by taking a thorough history of a client: any physical complaints, as well as desires and disappointments, past illnesses, state of mind and mood, not to mention an actual state of health (for example, blood pressure), habits and medications. The aromatherapist then concocts preparations specifically for that client, mixing drops of essential oil into a carrier oil such as almond, jojoba, grapeseed or apricot.

There is no state licensing for aromatherapists, so anyone can legally call themselves an aromatherapist; often, acupuncturists, naturopaths and other holistic medical practitioners will incorporate essential oils into their therapeutic arsenal but look for someone who has completed the program certified by the California Board of Post-Secondary Vocational Education, and is now a Certified Essential Oil Therapist.

In Santa Cruz, the College of Botanical Healing Arts offers a 390-hour certification course that imparts the knowledge of botany, chemistry, physiology and clinical ethics that you want your aromatherapist to have. Some, but not all aromatherapists are also certified massage therapists, who will at least have the malpractice insurance to ensure a certain level of seriousness.

All pure, natural, essential oils are labeled in Latin, so a quick scan of the aromatherapist's arsenal will quickly confirm whether you are getting the real thing.

Device records smells to play back later

2006-07-13T21:35:00.000-07:00

July 2006
NewScientist.com news service
Paul Marks

IMAGINE being able to record a smell and play it back later, just as you can with sounds or images.

Engineers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan are building an odour recorder capable of doing just that. Simply point the gadget at a freshly baked cookie, for example, and it will analyse its odour and reproduce it for you using a host of non-toxic chemicals.

"Point the gadget at a freshly baked cookie and it will reproduce the odour"The device could be used to improve online shopping by allowing you to sniff foods or fragrances before you buy, to add an extra dimension to virtual reality environments and even to assist military doctors treating soldiers remotely by recreating bile, blood or urine odours that might help a diagnosis.

While a number of companies have produced aroma generators designed to enhance computer games or TV shows, they have failed commercially because they have been very limited in the range of smells they can produce, says Pambuk Somboon of the Tokyo team.

So he has done away with pre-prepared smells and developed a system that records and later reproduces the odours. It's no easy task: "In video, you just need to record shades of red, green and blue," he says. "But humans have 347 olfactory sensors, so we need a lot of source chemicals."

Somboon's system will use 15 chemical-sensing microchips, or electronic noses, to pick up a broad range of aromas. These are then used to create a digital recipe from a set of 96 chemicals that can be chosen according to the purpose of each individual gadget. When you want to replay a smell, drops from the relevant vials are mixed, heated and vaporised. In tests so far, the system has successfully recorded and reproduced the smell of orange, lemon, apple, banana and melon. "We can even tell a green apple from a red apple," Somboon says.

Smell researchers are interested in the institute's work. "It would be interesting to know just what range of smells this new system can detect and recreate," says Stephen Brewster, a computer scientist at the University of Glasgow, UK, who is studying whether smell can be used to help people quickly identify digital photos without opening them. "This could be an interesting delivery system for our work."

From issue 2558 of New Scientist magazine, 29 July 2006, page 32

Is a Scent Like a Song? Oui and Non

2006-07-13T19:53:00.000-07:00

A lab the perfume institute in Versailles; Sarah Delville, standing.

The New York Times

Is a Scent Like a Song? Oui and Non

By ELAINE SCIOLINO
Published: July 13, 2006
VERSAILLES, France

Richard L. Harbus for The New York Times
Nejla Bsiri-Barbir, a perfume maker, unsuccessfully sued for royalties for her part in creating Dune for Dior.
DAY after day in a white-tiled laboratory at France’s elite perfume training school here, students sniff their way to magic. Their materials are exotic essences: Indian tuberose, Calabrian bergamot, Egyptian jasmine, Indonesian patchouli. Their assignment is to compose a lighter summer variation of a classic evening floral scent.

“For me this is pure artistry,” said Sarah Delville, 28, as she worked on her project at the International Superior Institute of Perfume, Cosmetics and Food Aromas, as the school is known. “I have no background in chemistry. I studied painting and drawing, so I think in terms of colors. We’re not just mixing chemicals. We’re creating images.”

Marina Jung-Allégret, their professor, used another metaphor. “We work with notes to make music, to create a perfect harmony,” she said.

But in mid-June, the highest court in France ruled that making perfume is not an artistic creation, but the work of a mere artisan.

The distinction is not an abstraction. Legally, it is more about money than about art. At stake are potential royalties for perfume makers (a k a noses) and profits and protection for manufacturers during the life of a fragrance.

In its ruling, the court, the Cour de Cassation, denied the petition of a perfume maker, who claimed she deserved to continue receiving royalties from a former employer, even after she had been fired. The court stated, “The fragrance of a perfume, which results from the simple implementation of expertise,” does not constitute “the creation of a form of expression able to profit from protection of works of the mind.”

To confuse matters, a French court of appeals ruled the opposite last January, determining that a perfume could be a “work of the mind” protected by intellectual property law. It ordered a Belgian company to pay damages to the perfume and cosmetics giant L’Oréal, which sued it for producing counterfeits of best-selling L’Oréal perfumes.

The rulings have the noses and the perfume houses of France twitching nervously. Many “noses” consider the scents they create as important and valuable as paintings or poems.

Even the Bible seems to agree. As God told Moses (Exodus 30:35), “And you shall make incense of it, a perfume after the art of the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.”

If perfume is not an authentic intellectual creation, protecting a scent from being copied by competitors becomes harder.

“It’s an extremely open and controversial question,” said Catherine Verneret, the lawyer for Bellure, the company that lost in the L’Oréal case. “Perfume is not only a simple aesthetic creation. It is also an assemblage of molecules, a technical solution to a technical problem.”

Applicants to the Versailles-based school are not required to have any innate olfactory talent but must prove extraordinary academic accomplishments.

What counts most in the initial training is the ability to memorize and identify the smell of several hundred raw materials and to master the history of perfumery. Only afterward do students learn how to blend the raw materials to create a perfume.

In recent years, however, there has been a campaign to pull perfumers out of the shadows and transform them into high-profile creators.

In 2000, Frédéric Malle, one of the industry’s more innovative perfumers, began his own line by showcasing the people who make perfumes. The labels of his Éditions de Parfums Frédéric Malle bear the names of the perfume creators. Their photos are displayed prominently in his Paris shops and in Barneys in the United States.

“The idea of my company is to call upon the ‘noses’ I consider artists and ask them to create perfumes they consider works of art,” said Mr. Malle, who trained in art history and economics at New York University and whose grandfather founded Parfums Christian Dior. (The film director Louis Malle was his uncle.) “I’m trying to give them more and more artistic freedom. The real star becomes the perfumer.”

He compares creating perfume artistry to the teaching techniques of Henri Matisse. “Matisse used to tell his students: ‘Don’t try to be original. Be simple. Be good technically, and if there is something in you, it will come out.’ ”

When France’s perfumers talk about their sources of inspiration, they evoke images of imagination, artistry and memory.

For example, Jean-Claude Ellena, who has been called “the poet of perfumers,” draws his inspiration from literary figures like Baudelaire, composers like Debussy, painters like Cézanne and jazz singers like Stacey Kent. A dabbler in watercolors and a collector of Chinese art, Mr. Ellena is now the official “nose” of Hermès.

“When I write a perfume, the scents are the words,” he said. “And with these words I construct a story. There is breathing, and there are transitions, just as in sentences. Perfume, first of all, is a mental construction.”

He said that his Poivre Samarcande for Hermès came together after an enormous sick oak tree had to be cut down in his garden near Grasse, the capital of the French perfume industry.

The perfume Angéliques Sous la Pluie was inspired when he crumpled the leaf of a huge angelica bush in his garden during a drizzling rain.

But some perfumers will tell you that their talent was learned, not innate. “I would be deceiving you if I said that I knew I had a good nose when I was young,” said Sylvie Jourdet, a perfumer and the president of the French Society of Perfumers. “I was driven by passion.”

She said her epiphany came one day as she was working in a laboratory and sniffed an essence of the white privet flower. “We had rows of privet at our family house by the sea in Normandy,” she recalled. “That smell brought me back to the great moments of happiness of my childhood. We all have our Proustian moments, and that was mine.”

The legal cases have complicated, rather than clarified the issue.

In the case decided last month by France’s high court, Nejla Bsiri-Barbir, a perfumer with Haarman & Reimer, was dismissed from her job in a downsizing move in 1999.

Maintaining that she was the creator of Dune, Dior’s 1992 blockbuster perfume, she asked for a continuation of the royalties she had received during her employment. Earlier she had won a lawsuit against the company in a labor court for wrongful dismissal.

“I had a feeling of profound injustice,” said Ms. Bsiri-Barbir, 42, who has since created her own perfume laboratory. “I wanted to be recognized for something I created. Now they have closed the door.”

As it happens, the scent of Dune, a mixture of lily, wallflower and peony with ocean smells of lichen, amber and broom, was supposed to evoke “a feeling of serenity” and “an escape from the complexities of today’s competitive society,” the advertising copy stated.

Under French law the high court does not function like the Supreme Court in the United States, so its ruling does not set aside previous verdicts and leaves the issue open to interpretation.

That means that the contradictory ruling in the L’Oréal case still stands.

In contending that Bellure produced counterfeits of its best-selling perfumes, L’Oréal had to disclose its perfume formulas and to submit the originals and the Bellure versions to the sensory and physical-chemical laboratory at the Versailles institute. The court ruled that Bellure counterfeited 12 L’Oréal scents, including Acqua di Gio and Romance.

More important, the court held that a “fragrance can be treated like the result of intellectual research by a composer” and thus can constitute “a work of the mind.”

Bellure was ordered to pay about $2 million to L’Oréal and to destroy the perfumes that were ruled to be counterfeit. Despite the new ruling, Bellure will not appeal, Ms. Verneret said. It’s simply too costly, she added.

Some master perfumers find the debate about their identity a bit too precious.

Jean-Louis Sieuzac, the lead “nose” in creating Dune with Maurice Roger, Dior’s former master perfumer and chairman, acknowledged that Ms. Bsiri-Barbir was part of his team and had a role in creating it.

But he interprets his own role much differently. “Creating a perfume is the result of the synergy of a team, the result of an intimate, intense collaboration based on the desire of the client and the work of the perfumer to carry it out,” said Mr. Sieuzac, who is now retired. “I don’t care whether a ‘nose’ is or isn’t an artist. What I care about is having someone come to me tomorrow to say: ‘Jean-Louis, come. Come and make a great perfume with me.’ ”

Ariane Bernard contributed reporting for this article.

Sweet Scent of ...Dentistry?

2006-07-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

The sweet scent of...Dentistry?
THE MISSISSAUGA NEWS

Radhika Panjwani
Jul 8, 2006

A Streetsville business is all about scent and sensibility.
There are many reasons for people to avoid a visit to a dentist's office, but Dr. Kerhoulas' offices located on Thomas St., provides a rather ingenious way of relieving patient's stress.

The office utilizes the power of aromatherapy provided by a local business, Mohani Bay, to ease patient anxiety before dental procedures.

A blend of customized oils is released into the air through dispensers and transforms the space into a sensory paradise, calming the mind and relaxing the body.

Irene Spedaliere, owner of Mohani Bay, said aromatherapy has the innate ability to cure and combat many conditions - both mental and physical. Her custom blending bar offers people an opportunity to discover the scents that appeal to them and have them turned into special body care products such as soaps, body washes, shampoos, scrubs and others.

"Smell is an immediate response," Spedaliere said. "If you smell something beautiful and feel beautiful, it calms you down. Smell affects our stress level. And stress is a number one killer."

Spedaliere's range of BodyFood products that she sells have the ability to cure skin ailments such as eczema, acne, allergies and other conditions. She said the essential oils can be used in a variety of ways, either through smell or through skin because the oils are naturally anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral.

"I have helped a lot of kids get off Cortisone creams," she said. "Cortisone creams can eventually lead to asthma, whereas the woody oils are good for eczema, chapped skin, the flowers are anti-depressants, citrus helps your lyphatic system..."

Spedaliere, an aromatherapist with a pharmaceutical background found her calling when a couple of years ago, she decided to make home-made natural soaps and enrich them with natural oils. That venture gave her the impetus to register in an aromatherapy program and learn about the innate properties of various essential oils and their abilities.

"I had been looking to start my own business, but I never knew what I wanted to do," she said. " On a visit to England, I saw some hand-made soaps, so I thought if I can make bar of soap... I just started researching and mixing... and became certified."

Her office, located in the basement of Dr. Kerhoulas' office, has hundreds of vials of essential oils. Spedaliere said she wants to educate people about aromatherapy through seminars. She organizes special events for small groups of women and introduces them to the aromatherapy.

"When you have a strength of mind, you're better equipped to handle the stress that comes your way," she said.

For more information on BodyFood log on to www.bodyfood.ca or call 905-813-1022.

Attar Shop, If only it was closer....

2006-05-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

Deccan Herald » Fine Art / Culture » Detailed Story

Flowers & dewdrops

Firoz Bakht Ahmed walks down the lanes of Old Delhi and finds that while retaining its old world charm, attar, like other things, is obtaining a modern avatar for itself.

Can there be anything that evokes a memory like the wafting fragrance of a real, desi perfume? In this regard, attar; the centuries old Indian art of blended perfumes, is redolent of times when the elegant, sophisticated, grand and unhurried lifestyle made people praise the aesthetic subtleties of grace and personal charm. Truly, attars were the perfumes that could melt the most cold hearted of maidens and the sternest of saints.

According to brothers Ram Singh and Krishan Mohan Singh, the proprietors of Delhi’s oldest attar shop, Gulab Singh Johri Mal of Chandni Chowk established in 1816, “It is not an easy job, collecting pure and fresh flowers for the purpose of extracting attar from them.”

The Singh brothers relate their tales of running from pillar to post in search of fresh and sweet-smelling flowers. For Rooh Gulab, the attar of roses, they visit flower gardens of Kannauj, Sikatra; near Aligarh, Ghazipur and Jaunpur.

The condition is that the flowers must be plucked at dawn and used before sunrise for after that, the fragrance begins to leave the blooms.

For chameli and motia blooms, they go to Sikandarpur and some villages in Varanasi. In the Ganjam district of Orissa’s Kellua Palli, Krishan and Ram Singh get keora, molsri and champa blossoms.

While Krishan Mohan Singh talks to me, his son Naveen, doles out little bottles of two, five, and 10 ml of Bela, Chameli, Shamama and Chandan attar. A steady stream of customers keeps pouring in, naturopaths looking for “essential massage oils”; young girls replenishing their stock of scents; old ladies in search of “chandan powder” and those few who seem led uncontrollably, their olfactory nerves overpowered by the varied smells.

Attar is obtained by distilling fragrances from around the world and is presented for sale in cut-glass decanters. Stolen from fresh flowers, the fragrances are whisked into glass bottles after quite a tedious process. The queen of all attars happens to be Rooh Gulab, said to have been discovered by Noorjehan, the wife of Mughal emperor, Jehangir. Legend has it that once while she went for her morning bath, she found an oily layer over the water kept to cool overnight. When distilled, at her orders, it turned out to be the costliest attar. Chameli and Majmua too are considered immaculate as far as aroma is concerned.

A speciality of Indian perfumes is that people remain faithful to the same perfume for years together, sometimes for their entire lives. The potency of the attars is widely regarded. Passages in Indian literature are replete with examples of attar being quite an aid to romance.

Young men dreaming of maidens walking in clouds of jasmine, roses and marigold scents and maidens confiding in their friends about trysts with lovers whose “handsome body smeared with sandalwood powder” send them into raptures, litter the pages.

Even Cleopatra is said to have used the heady potion helpful in seduction and a symbol of prosperity and culture.

Attars are not only classified according to their contents but also according to the time of the year in which they are to be used. The warm notes of the spicy Hina, prepared from musk and saffron, have the unusual quality of smelling different on every skin. Its aroma emanates only after direct contact with the skin. It is especially to be used in winter.

Apparently whenever, the famous poet, Mirza Ghalib used to meet his beloved during winter, he smeared his hands and face with attar Hina.

According to Naveen Gundhi, son of Krishan Mohan, “aromatherapy,” a new way of curing diseases by attars, was developed in India long ago. Oils that are used in making attars, are also known for their medicinal effects.

Lemon oil, for instance, is considered good for diabetes, asthma, boils and varicose veins. Migraine and hangovers can be cured by taking three drops of marjorem with jaggery. The simplest example of aromatherapy is attar Gill (sondhi mitti) that has the fresh aroma that emanates from the earth after the first summer showers. On being inhaled, it cures blood pressure and nose bleeds. Sherbet of attar khus is relished in summer as it provides a cooling effect to the digestive system. But this quaint way of keeping attar fragrant is gradually slipping into the realm of “antique things in our grandfather’s time,” laments Ram Singh but the younger brother Krishan is hopeful as he says, “Attars are very truly like flowers, as old as them but as fresh as tomorrow’s dew drops.”

Lavender: First Scientific Study on Sleep

2006-05-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

An olfactory stimulus modifies nighttime sleep in young men and women.

Goel N, Kim H, Lao RP.

Department of Psychology, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut 06459, USA. ngoel@wesleyan.edu

Aromatherapy is an anecdotal method for modifying sleep and mood. However, whether olfactory exposure to essential oils affects night-time objective sleep remains untested. Previous studies also demonstrate superior olfactory abilities in women. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of an olfactory stimulus on subsequent sleep and assessed gender differences in such effects. Thirty-one young healthy sleepers (16 men and 15 women, aged 18 to 30 yr, mean+/-SD, 20.5+/-2.4 yr) completed 3 consecutive overnight sessions in a sleep laboratory: one adaptation, one stimulus, and one control night (the latter 2 nights in counterbalanced order). Subjects received an intermittent presentation (first 2 min of each 10 min interval) of an olfactory (lavender oil) or a control (distilled water) stimulus between 23:10 and 23:40 h. Standard polysomnographic sleep and self-rated sleepiness and mood data were collected. Lavender increased the percentage of deep or slow-wave sleep (SWS) in men and women. All subjects reported higher vigor the morning after lavender exposure, corroborating the restorative SWS increase. Lavender also increased stage 2 (light) sleep, and decreased rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep and the amount of time to reach wake after first falling asleep (wake after sleep onset latency) in women, with opposite effects in men. Thus, lavender serves as a mild sedative and has practical applications as a novel, nonphotic method for promoting deep sleep in young men and women and for producing gender-dependent sleep effects.

Publication Types:
Controlled Clinical Trial

PMID: 16298774 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Male Perspective 18 May 2006

2006-05-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

Most men seem to consider the word ‘perfume’ too feminine a term and would be loathed to speak it, let alone admit that’s what’s really in their 8 year old bottle of Old Spice in the medicine cabinet. Call it cologne if it makes you feel better, but frankly the scent range for masculine perfume is drastically limited. The few who manage to give up on Axe tend to come to a dead stop on Patchouli, wearing nothing but. I’m a huge fan of Patchouli, I even have 17 year old antique Patchouli I covet, but understand smelling entirely of fresh dirt only goes so far. For fear of emasculation most males want to stay as far away from floral scents as is possible, but certain florals, such as Blue Tansy ( a pungent almost candied scent, quite potent) can alter the overall effect of the perfume drastically, and often, positively. I’m somewhat married to a biblical oldie-but-goodie of Frankincense and Myrrh in a respective ~3:2 part blend. Sometimes I’ll break out of my shell and use the aforementioned Blue Tansy with Clove Bud and my coveted antique Patchouli in a ~1:2:3 blend. Another few blends I’ve arranged somewhat randomly include: Blood Orange, Frankincense, Patchouli and Sandalwood (yes I use mine, no I’m not PC); Pink Pepper, Lemon, and Buddhawood; and Sandalwood, Lavender and Bergamot. Typically my perfuming intent is to mismatch differing scents for that exciting unknown, to find the unexplored paths of scent and crash through the underbrush speeding. Most of my blends tend to be a bit too much for most, though hey do attract one or two individuals, usually peculiar ones, but they find an appreciative soul nonetheless. Perhaps my scent preference is most influenced by my previous dabbling in creating resin and herb incense. I would crush up a bit of hard amber into a gritty dust and mix in oils with semi-solid resins like Myrrh, Frankincense and Copal. The variety of Copal: White, Golden, Black and from all reaches of the globe entranced me on most nights upon entering my apartment one is greeted by the heady aroma and pluming, thick smoke of sizzling Copal. With essential oils only the strong survive: the most aromatic of the trees, spics that grab at the senses and take hold, pungent citrus from bitter nose-scrunching Lemon to sweet and uplifting Mandarin Red and Blood Orange; the more each individual oils vies for attention, the better in my regard. I’ll often find adding a few drops of White Camphor to a blend will affect certain notes, making them almost pop out and linger a moment. Of course, having such a haphazard methodology in blending, sometimes my mixtures turn out to be not nearly as pleasing as originally intended. These blends typically get shelved for a time to give the oils a chance to mix and change, often with better results weeks later in blending newer scents with old. The only oil I’ve acquired and have yet to find an acceptable blend for is Lantana from Madagascar, which smells so awfully close to bread and butter pickles there seems little hope in blending it amiable with anything. Currently my perfumer’s kit contains some twenty-odd oils, rudimentary, but far from limited in variety of blendable aromas. Perfumery is an extremely personal art; even those who produce scents for sale must make something they themselves enjoy. Just as I reflect my creative individuality in my poetry, that same essential intent comes out in both the incense and oil blends I create. Enigmatic, unique, and indefinable would best describe the results of my artistic endeavours, with a stylish flair that is strictly personal. The male ego is one of the universe’s necessary evils, and containing one of the largest myself, I seek to bring understanding to the hubris intrinsic with my gender. We’re bold breast; our words, style, scent and effect should reflect that, and within perfumery I hope to bottle that boldness and help to define and make accessible my tragically simple gender.

David