Essential Oils Kill Viruses plus Boost and Strengthen the Immune System
Plants are the oldest medicines. Many essential oils are powerful anti viral agents - even common ones such as eucalyptus, lemon, ravensara, niaouli, frankincense, peppermint, cinnamon, & oregano oils are well known & effective against cold and flu. My Emo Blend Courage is very effective against infections and congestion.
We look today to pharmaceutical drugs instead of the tried-and-true natural remedies that work more slowly, but usually more effectively, than drugs and antibiotics. As microbes adapt to one-hit-wonder drugs, we put ourselves increasingly at risk of pandemics of unseen proportions.
Why? Because Essential Oils Are Intelligent Chemistry
Essential oils are comprised of complex mixtures of molecules that work together ("in synergy") to kill viruses and bacteria and to support our bodies’ health. Plant essences are both the blood and immune systems of the plant, and are constantly adapted and "updated" to the changing environment and microbial challenges around the plant. Unlike drugs, viruses do not develop resistance to essential oils because each batch of oil is unique depending on a growing season’s temperature range, wind, rain, time of the harvest, and more. For this reason, oils can be more effective at beating cold and flu than drugs – and they continue to work long after a virus would have developed resistance to conventional treatments.
Use Essential Oils Whenever You or Your Loved Ones Are Sick
~ Use oils inhaled, on a pendant or diluted on the skin AS SOON AS a symptom appears. You may avoid the illness altogether!
~ Inhale or reapply the oil or blend often, every hour or more often. You may wake the next day symptom-free.
~ Use lemon, ravensara, or niaouli for children, as these are much milder than eucalyptus. DO NOT use eucalyptus with babies as it is too cooling.
Best Essential Oils for Colds and 'Flus and How to Apply Them
Lemon - Lemon is great for boosting the immune system from within. Have a slice of lemon or tablespoon of lemon juice in every glass of water throughout the day until evening. Traditionally, a drop of lemon essential oil in water can be taken as first aid to prevent infections. Cold pressed lemon is photosensitizing so it should not be applied to skin.
Peppermint and Eucalyptus - These oils are cool and soothing and are known to clear the respiratory system and ease breathing. They can be applied directly to the neck, throat, chest, and back to open the lungs or inhaled to soothe the sinuses. Peppermint and eucalyptus are safe to apply on the skin, but I recommend putting them in a lotion or carrier oil.
Frankincense - One of the most powerful immune-boosting oils, the highest quality frankincense does not come cheap but it’s worth its weight in gold. Frankincense is mild on the skin and can be applied anywhere.
Oregano - One of the most popular essential oils for treating everything from cold and flu to warts, oregano is considered a “hot” oil (it will heat up and tingle) and should be used well diluted with a carrier oil and with caution. Oregano is best applied on the back, shoulders, and the bottoms of the feet. DO NOT INGEST IT - this will only sterilize your gut and kill helpful as well as harmful bacteria. If you are colonized by microbes in a particular organ, see a Registered Aromatherapy Health Practitioner for supervised treatment.
Cinnamon Leaf (NOT bark!) - Another hot oil, cinnamon is great for boosting the immune system and has been shown to support the pancreas and digestive system (in Chinese medicine, the pancreas/spleen relates to the immune system). Apply on the feet well diluted or inhale.
Help Your Immune System with Essential Oils
Use the same essential oils that you use to treat a virus, cold or flu as prevention. If people around you or your family are coming down with "something", start using essential oils. You can apply them less often but just as you would for a cold. My favourite trick is to keep a pot on the stove in the kitchen filled with boiled water and 4:1 lemon and lavender or peppermint essential oils.
Aromatherapy Recipes adapted from Birch Hill Happenings
INHALATION for Chest Colds and coughs
Cinnamon - 2 drops
Rosemary - 2 drops
Pine - 2 drops
Thyme - 1 drops
Drop into a stainless steel or glass bowl of boiling hot water. Use a towel to make a tent over your head. Inhale.
FOR COUGHS AND CROUP
Use Eucalyptus (several drops) in a pan of water on low heat or put in a vaporiser or diffuser.
This will disperse into the room and help break up mucous and reduce coughing.
Allergy Season
To help open up sinuses and congestion
4 drops Eucalyptus
4 drops Chamomile
3 drops Anise
3 drops Lemon
1 drop Petitgrain
5 ml of carrier oil
Blend these oils together then -
While drawing a bath use 15-20 drops of blend in the running water and enjoy!
(This makes enough for about 3-4 baths)
You can also omit the carrier oil and add 5 drops to the bath water - Will make enough for 3 baths.
INHALATION FORMULA
2 cups boiling water
Eucalyptus - 12 drops
Cedarwood - 6 drops
Rosemary - 3 drops
Peppermint 6 drops
Pour blend into bottle, shake well and then add 5 drops to the boiling water (place in a stainless steel bowl), lean over bowl and place towel over head to inhale the oils. Caution - remember sometimes less in oils is better than more
For the FLU, SINUSITIS, BRONCHITIS
30 Drops Eucalyptus
15 drops Lavender
12 drops Pine
6 drops Marjoram
3 drops Thyme
Mix all oils in an amber glass bottle. Then place 6 drops in a bowl of hot water and breath in the steam for 5 to 10 minutes.
COLD COMBATING BLEND
Orange, - 20 drops
Eucalyptus - 10 drops
Juniper berry 10 drops
Pine Needle - 10 drops
Basil - 6 drops
Rosewood - 6 drops
Ginger - 4 drops
Blend all together and us in a diffuser or a few drops in a bath !!
(Aromatherapy for Vibrant Health and Beauty by Roberta Wilson)
COLD AND FLU PREVENTION
Lavender - 5 ml
Eucalyptus s - 5 ml
Ravensara - 3 ml
Bay laurel - 2 ml
Blend in an 30 ml amber bottle. This blend should be diffused throughout the cold and flu season.
Which Essential Oil Components Kill Which Viruses?
Enveloped viruses are most sensitive to essential oils with a high amount of monoterpene alcohols (e.g. Linalool, present in Lavender, Coriander, Petitgrain and Thyme c.t. Linalool. Citronellol present in Geranium and Rose Otto; Geraniol present in Palmarosa; alpha-terpinol found in Eucalyptus Radiata, Niaouli and Ravensara; Terpinol-4 present in Tea Tree, Hyssop and Marjoram; and Menthol, found in Peppermint and Spearmint) and monoterpine phenols (e.g. Carvacrol in Oregano, and Thymol in both Thyme and Oregano). Influenza (Flu) viruses are Enveloped viruses.
Non-enveloped, or 'naked' viruses are more sensitive to essential oils with a high content of terpenoid ketones (eg. Pinocamphone in Hyssop; Verbenone in Rosemary c.t. verbenone, Pinocarvone in Eucalyptus Globulus, and Thuja in Sage). (Note: Other oils and components have also demonstrated anti-viral effects; more constituents are described later in this article.)
Certainly, one of the reasons for oils' effectiveness en vivo is their lipophillic (afilliation for fat) character - essential oils are easily absorbed into mammalian tissues, where they may produce the greatest results. In fact, when studying the anti-viral effects of essential oils, researchers found that normal cells seemed to acquire a special resistance to viral penetration, though the mechanism for this effect is not yet known.
Essential Oils and Flu or Influenza Viruses
It has been suggested by respected medical aromatherapists that essential oils have a powerful effect on the immune system, and can drastically alter our immune defenses to protect against the Influenza virus. The pH and electrical resistance in the 'host' (infected) cells and tissues can be altered in such a way as to be unfavorable to virus replication. Further, research has shown that many of these oils raise chemical markers in the body which indicate positive stimulation of the immune system. Essential oils may provide a dual-protective effect: by increasing the strength and efficiency of our immune response AND by limiting the ability of viruses to replicate.
Topical application of essential oils is highly recommended for this application. The oils are rapidly absorbed in the bloodstream, and can be found throughout the body in less than 20 minutes. An example may be the use of undiluted Niaouli, 20 drops or so, massaged into the sternum, or a 5% concentration of Thyme or Hyssop massaged onto the feet.
Because of the great variety of viruses and types of infection, the lay-practitioner is challenged by discerning the type of virus being addressed. One can either create a blend of anti-viral oils to 'cover all the bases', or instead use oils known for their immunostimulant action. Oils that are considered immunostimulants: Frankincense, Bergamot, Rosemary Cineol, Eucalyptus Radiata ~ in addition, it is known that immune system cells have receptors for neurotransmitters. The implication is that a positive mental state will result in a stronger immune system, so any aromatherapy that is uplifting to the individual is recommended.
Additional Antiviral Components of Oils
The list of essential oils exhibiting antiviral effects is extensive: Melissa (as above), tea tree, juniper, eucalyptus, thyme, palmarosa, lavender, rosemary, clove, laurel, cinnamon bark, anise, rose, lemongrass, geranium, neroli, bergamot, clary sage, and dill. The antiviral effect of an essential oil is due to particular components of the oil - some oils will work just as effectively on a particular infection as another, because they contain similar amounts of a certain component. The components of essential oils showing antiviral activity, and the oils in which they can be found, are as follows (from K. Schnaubelt, Ph.D. - Advanced Aromatherapy, p. 36):
Anethol - found in Anise
Alpha-Sabines - found in Tea Tree, Laurel, and other oils
Beta-Caryophyllene - found in Lavender, Rosemary, Thyme Linalool, and other oils
Carvone - found in Dill
Cinnamic aldehyde - found in Cinnamon Bark
Citral - found in Melissa, Lemongrass and other oils
Eugenol - found in Clove
Gamma-Terpinene - Found in Juniper, Eucalyptus, Niaouli, Tea Tree and other oils
Linalyl acetate - found in Clary Sage, Lavender, Bergamot and other oils
Limited In-Vivo Data
Good studies of application of these essential oils in cases of illness are difficult to come by, as infecting people with viruses in the laboratory to subsequently be treated with aromatics would be a difficult process at best. The oils and components above have mostly shown effectiveness in-vitro, though tests also indicate that the anti-viral effect should occur in-vivo as well. As with Melissa, it has been HSV that has been most thoroughly examined, because of the relative simplicity of doing so. But there is nothing particularly special about the herpes virus, and proper oil/pathogen paring should prove as effective.
There are some noted case studies by professional aromatherapists. Of importance in these studies is the oil/symptom relationship. Essential oils from plants of the Myrtaceae family - notably Eucalyptus Radiata and Tea Tree - and Ravensara (also high in Eucalyptol) seem to have helped in cases with respiratory symptoms. For the lower respiratory tract, Hyssop decumbens (from the same plant family as Melissa) has been of interest. Essential oils for such cases may be used either in a diffuser, being taken at regular intervals, or through massage, diluted in a carrier oil.
Summary
Because of the difficulty in many cases of illness in determining the exact virus type involved, more specific application cannot be given. Certainly, in cases of HSV, Melissa has been shown effective in a number of studies. For respiratory infections, Flu (Influenza), Eucalyptus and Ravensara have been used with success, and can be safely used as an adjunct to regular medical care. Hyssop is considered the single most broad-spectrum antiviral. All oils may support one's recovery on a physiologic level - essential oils also play a part in uplifting emotions, which may also speed healing, or at least improve mental outlook during the healing process. For such instances, one may simply find the essential oil or combination that one finds pleasant, calming, and/or uplifting.
PLEASE NOTE: In no cases, however, should self-treatment with essential oils be used in place of professional medical care where signs/symptoms of infectious illness are present.
* No claims are made as to any medicinal value of any oil. The information presented here is for educational purposes of traditional uses and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.
The information contained in this article is not intended to diagnose any ailment or prescribe treatment. It is illegal in Canada for any health practitioner to advise anyone to take an essential oil internally, although 95% of essential oils are bought by the food and drug industries. Please seek the advice of a Registered Aromatherapy Health Practitioner for traditional uses and dosages of essential oils.
Technical info thanks to the Ananda Apothecary.
General info thanks to Natural Medicine Suite 101.