Naturopathic
Fun Facts
Why Use Essential Oils?
In my most recent blog, I discuss the
importance of oxygenation and a safe environment for optimizing biology. Another
key to health is fulfilling relationships. This is why I always recommend
diffusing and using Therapeutic Grade A YLEO.
Some of the benefits Therapeutic Grade A
essential Oils include:
·They assist
with the assimilation of nutrients into the cells
·They oxygenate
and support the brain through their ability to cross the blood-brain-immune
barrier and clear the receptor sites of toxins.
·Their intact
constituents assist the overall body’s immune health, oxygenation, nutrient
uptake, and modulation of DNA expression
·They are
also important for decreasing stress and neutralizing effect of exposure from
the environment
Preventing Falls in Elderly with Lavender EO
One recent study provided evidence that
essential oils can modulate one’s proprioceptive-a nervous system function
modulated by brain pathways. This provides evidence that essential oils have
powerful psychological and biological effects.
Straight from the source:
Results: There were
fewer fallers in the lavender group (n = 26) than in the placebo group (n = 36)
(hazard ratio (HR)=0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.34-0.95) and a lower
incidence rate in the lavender group (1.04 per person-year) than in the placebo
group (1.40 per person-year) (incidence rate ratio = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.30-0.88).
The lavender group also had a significant decrease in CMAI score (P = .04) from
baseline to follow-up in a per protocol analysis.
Conclusion: Lavender
olfactory stimulation may reduce falls and agitation in elderly nursing home
residents; further research is necessary to confirm these findings.
The lavender group showed a significant
decrease in agitated status, whereas the placebo group did not, suggesting the
involvement of a soothing effect of lavender odor. Another possible explanation
for why lavender prevents falls might be attributed to its stabilizing effects
on balance.
Multiple sensory and motor mechanisms ranging
from peripheral to cortical sensory-motor integration regulate the control of
posture and motion.[28] In addition to vestibular afferents, visual
and proprioceptive inputs contribute to postural stability. Although several
multisensory vestibular cortical areas, which process signals provided from
multiple thalamic nuclei, were identified using imaging studies, the core
vestibular cortical region is thought to be located in the insular cortex.[29]
Odor is one of the strongest stimuli over a
wide area of the cerebral cortex including the insular cortex.[30]
Olfactory stimulation may stabilize balance by activation of the insular
cortex..
Source:
Yuko Sakamoto, MSc; Satoru Ebihara, MD, PhD;
Takae Ebihara, MD, PhD; Naoki Tomita, MD, PhD, MPH; Kenji Toba, MD, PhD;
Shannon Freeman, MSc; Hiroyuki Arai, MD, PhD; Masahiro Kohzuki, MD, PhD. Fall
Prevention Using Olfactory Stimulation With Lavender Odor in Elderly Nursing
Home Residents: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Posted: 06/29/2012; J Am Geriatr
Soc. 2012;60(6):1005-1011.
Fish oil and
Allergies in Children
A recent study displayed the powerful results
of ingesting fish oil on immune response AND how quality of supplements makes a
difference. Specifically the study showed:
1.Postnatal supplementation
with fish oil effects of immune and allergy responses in birth-6 month year
olds
2.The
bioavailability is affected by form and quality of supplementation
According to an article summary from Vital
Choice:
Blood samples from 120 infants were analyzed
after six months, and the results showed that EPA and DHA blood levels were
significantly higher in the fish oil group. And – thanks to displacement in
cell membranes by the omega-3s in the fish oil supplements – blood levels of
generally pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids were lower in the fish oil
group, compared to the placebo group. More importantly, the fish oil group had
significantly lower allergic responses to dust mites and milk protein, as
measured by blood levels of key pro-inflammatory messenger proteins (IL-13 and
interferon-gamma).
And, as the doctors wrote, “Children who
received fish oil had significantly lower allergen-specific (HDM) IL-13
responses, which were significantly associated with cutaneous [skin] symptoms
of eczema at six months of age and diagnosed eczema at 12 months of age.”
(D’Vaz N et al. 2012)
Straight from the abstract:
Postnatal fish oil supplementation increased
infant n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels and associated with lowered
allergen-specific Th2 responses and elevated polyclonal Th1 responses. Our
results add to existing evidence of n-3 PUFA having immunomodulatory properties
that are potentially allergy-protective. PMID: 22805468
Sources:
Weatherby,
C. Omega-3s May Curb Kids’ Allergy Risk: Clinical trial from leading Australian
pediatric researchers finds benefit from giving newborns fish oil. Vital Choice
Newsletter. July 26, 2012.
