Antibiotics Vs. Therapeutic
Grade Essential Oils by MD
MRSA NATURAL
REMEDY
Speaking as a medical doctor, all physicians are aware of the
increasing problem of resistance of bacteria to antibiotics.
This is especially a problem with bacteria which cause life
threatening infections. It is a result of overusing antibiotics,
and of using them when they are not appropriate.
Overusing antibacterial soaps may also contribute to the
problem.
Prevention is best, of course. Allowing
natural immunity to work when infections are self-limiting or
not likely to cause serious consequences is also important, as
is not treating viruses with antibiotics which won't work
anyway.
Essential oils can be very effective in treating many bacterial,
viral and other infections, without causing resistance. The
natural variation in the chemical constituents in whole plants
depending on climate, altitude, and other factors protects
against this resistance, as do the many chemical constituents in
whole oils as opposed to using one isolated "active" ingredient.
The problem is, most doctors are not trained in using oils, but
are well trained in using potent antibiotics. If you are trying
to enlighten a doctor, who generally has had no training on
essential oils, I would suggest providing scientific references
that give the available evidence of the effectiveness of
essential oils in treating infections.
We are impressed by scientific research and usually will not
listen to "anecdotal" evidence" that it worked for some people.
Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt's book Medical Aromatherapy, healing with
essential oils, has been suggested and is a great reference. I
have used it to give talks to medical doctors about essential
oils.
Published articles on essential oil research, especially those
in medical journals would be very good. Here are just a couple
examples:
Our own EODR cites some research: 1998: Chao studied a blend of
oils patterned after that used by 15th century
thieves containing
cinnamon,
rosemary,
clove,
eucalyptus and
lemon was
diffused in a closed
room in which bacteria cultures were sprayed. There was an 82%
reduction in M. Luteus, a 96% reduction in P. Aeruginosa, and a
44% reduction in S Aureus bioaerosols following 10 minutes of
exposure.
Another study compared the effectiveness of essential oils to
antibiotics - preliminary results showed
cinnamon and
oregano are comparable with penicillin and ampicillin in
inhibitory activity against e coli and staph aureus.
From a medical journal:
TEA TREE OIL: THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE ANTIMICROBIAL HYPE
Because of increasing resistance to antibiotics, interest in
finding alternatives is strong. Tea tree oil (TTO)
(Melaleuca)
has been widely used in Australia for 80
years and is active against many micro-organisms.
A pilot study of 30 MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus) carriers comparing routine mupirocin nasal ointment and
triclosan skin wash with TTO ointment and wash, showed one third
were completely cleared by TTO but only 13% by conventional
treatment.
In another trial of TTO in the treatment of herpes cold sores,
the oil was found to assist healing to a similar degree as
topical 5% acyclovir. The oil has about 100 components but
7 terpenes and their related alcohols constitute 80 to 90% of
the whole oil. Several of these components have been shown to
reduce levels of Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans.
Terpenes are lipophilic and partition into the phospholipid
layer of cell membranes, disrupting normal structure and
function. Allen, P., LANCET 2001, 358 (9289) 1245 or: Janssen AM
et al, 1987. Antimicrobial activity of essential oils: 1976-1986
literature review. Planta Med 53 (5) 395-398.
This article is not in a medical journal, but still would be
good to use as evidence: Antiviral and Antimicrobial Properties
of Essential Oils, by Dominique Baudoux, available on the
internet at
http://www.positivehealth.com/permit/Articles/Aromatherapy/baud55.htm
Schnaubelt's book has a list of some basic research, including
the following:
1960: Maruzella demonstrated antibacterial and antifungal
effects of hundreds of aromatic compounds 1987: Deininger and
Lembke demonstrated antiviral activity of
essential oils and
their isolated components 1973: Wagner and Sprinkmeyer in 1973
did research on a 170 year old blend of distilled oils still
available in Germany. The effects of
melissa and the other oils
in Kosterfrau Melissengeist had been empirically known since
Paracelsus (about 1500). They concluded that, with varying
degrees of intensity, there was an inhibiting influence on all
the bacteria tested, (Pneumococcus, Klebsiella pneumoniae,
Staphlococcus aureus haemolyticus, Neisseria catarrhalis,
Streptococcus haemolyticus, Proteus vulgaris, Hemophilus
influenza, Haemophilus pertussis, Candida albicans, Escherichia
coli-Aerobacter group, various Corynnebacteria, and Listeria)
and stated the large spectrum of this inhibitory action is as
broad as or even greater than that of wide-spectrum antibiotics.
They also showed KMG has sedative and spasmolytic properties.
1995 Deininger et al. Demonstrated the broad spectrum of
antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal activity of essential oils
and their components as well as effectiveness for upper
respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urogenital systems and for
nervousness and arterial conditions.
Included many different bacterial species, aflatoxin forming
fungi, quantitative proof of the antiviral effectiveness of
different
essential oil constituents with special attention to their cell
toxic effects on human cells. Showed antiviral effects against
herpes and adenoviruses with a broad spectrum of activity.
Showed oils including Klosterfrau mellisengeist terpenes could
be shown curatively and preventively in animal experiments after
otherwise lethal herpes injections were administered, and induce
a significant increase of immunoglobulins.
Schnaubelt lists even earlier basic science research showing it
has been known a long time that
essential oils have
antimicrobial effects:
1800-2002: Numerous animal and in vitro studies - evidence that
all essential oils are antiseptic, some more than others and
that many are effective against certain fungi, bacteria and
viruses.
1881: Koch demonstrated the bactericidal action of essence of
turpentine against anthrax spores
1887: Chamberland demonstrated bactericidal activity of essences
of oregano, cinnamon and clove on bacillus anthracis
1910: Martindale showed essential oil of oregano is the
strongest plant-derived antiseptic known to date, 25 to 76 times
more active than phenol on colobacillus
Because of our training, because we are not trained about
essential oils, and do not want to harm our patients by using
something we do not know anything about, many doctors will
insist on having still more research, and conclusive
"evidence-based" research data before they will consider
recommending oils for patients with an infection, and they will
use antibiotics when they know them to be effective treatment
for a particular infection.
I know from my own experience that essential oils can be very
effective, and will not hesitate to use them when they are the
most appropriate treatment. If, on the other hand, I had a
life threatening infection, and I do not have time to try
something that will take longer, and there is a medical
treatment that is known to be highly effective and safe, I would
use it.
Hope this helps.
Joan Barice, MD
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