Guest guest Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 But what type of literature should someone be reading to get this accurate information? I've read many sites that sell supplies and agree that they make no distinction in the effects of the herbs, oils or extracts and it is very frustrating. Susan > >i recently read that there is a difference between the benefits of > >the eo's & the herbs themselves. i do not know if i agree. what > >i read about the benefits of the oils seems to be the same as for > >the herbs. any thoughts from you guys. charlene > > T'ain't necessarily so, Charlene. > > Unfortunately, a lot of authors and teachers make the assumption > that the benefit of the herb will be the same benefit as the > essential oil... or perhaps vice versa is more accurate. > > The fact is, tho, that not all the components of an herb come > across in steam distillation... for example if the herb contains > tannins, that will be contained in a tea or tisane, they won't come > thru in the essential oil... so you won't have the 'full spectrum' > of phytochemicals from the herb. > > In some cases you will have the same result... ie, ginger essential > oil will ease nausea or morning sickness, and, diluted and applied > topically will provide heat and pain relief. but, for example, I'm > told that the anti-depressant qualities of st. john's wort herb do > not come across distillation, and don't exist in the essential > oil. (although some say that the hydrosol does help with depression.) > > so, the answer is " it depends " > > Since 1995 - supplying Aromatherapy and Healthcare Professionals > Website: http://www.naturesgift.com > Blog: http://naturesgiftaromatherapy.blogspot.com/ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 But what type of literature should someone be reading to get this accurate information? I've read many sites that sell supplies and agree that they make no distinction in the effects of the herbs, oils or extracts and it is very frustrating. Susan Hi Susan,I have shared your sense of frustration over the years and do not rely upon companies that sell products to provide accurate research. Largely because the Aromatherapy industry touts claims that overstep boundaries according to the FDA and have nothing to back it up. I think that the herbal industry is often more credible because there are some hard and fast rules applied to marketing claims. I have concentrated all of my research on medical journals, applied journals of microbiology, Pubmed which is the US National Library of Medicine. There are also several universities that offer a tremendous database, the University of Maryland and Purdue University come to mind. In a previous post, I reccommended Dr. James Duke, a recognized expert in herbal medicine, www.ars-grin.gov/duke/ Be well,Rachel Markelwww.eoilcolab.comwww.GreenTerpene.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.