How and Why Essential Oils Affect the Body

Essential oils consist of volatile, aromatic chemical compounds extracted from plants. The diverse compounds that make up these plant extracts—alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, phenols, terpenes, sesquiterpenes, ethers, and esters—exert multiple physiological effects, ranging from antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activity to immune system regulation and central nervous system stimulation and sedation. The power of essential oils to balance so many biological processes may’ve inspired the belief of some aromatherapists that the extracts embody the life force of plants. 

The routes through which essential oils react with the body and its metabolic processes are called pathways. The most important pathway, in terms of its impact on the body, is our sense of smell. When we smell essential oils, their vapors stimulate small hair-like extensions of our olfactory nerve. The olfactory nerve is the only nerve in the body that directly connects stimuli from our external environment with the surface of the brain. All of our other senses (touch, hearing, sight, and taste) interact with several nerves and synaptic junctions before the information they carry reaches the brain. The olfactory nerve stimulates the most primitive part of the brain known as the limbic system, also called the reptilian brain. This part of the brain plays a central role in our emotional responses and in the emotional content attached to our memories. 

Essential oils also interact with the body through the epithelial tissues; these include the skin and the mucous membranes lining the nasal passages, bronchioles, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. The oils will have a strong effect on these primary contact tissues and pathways. Once absorbed into the surface layer of these tissues, essential oils quickly enter the circulatory and lymphatic systems.  The lymphatic  system can either carry the oils directly to the liver or feed them into the bloodstream. As the blood circulates the oil throughout the body, our tissues and organs absorb the constituents they require to optimize their metabolic processes and balance their functioning.

Our elimination processes serve as the third pathway for essential oils. Some of the oil’s components are picked up by the surface of the lungs and released as a vapor when we exhale. For example, when eucalyptol (an alcohol in eucalyptus oil) travels to the lungs surfaces via the bloodstream, it exits the respiratory system as a vapor that calms the mucous membranes. Other components, such as the terpenes in juniper berry oil, are filtered out by the kidneys and serve to stimulate  the renal tissue, ureters, bladder, and urethra as they exit. Some constituents of essential oils are extracted by the liver, held briefly in the gall bladder, and dumped into the GI tract, significantly affecting the functioning of these organ systems as they pass through. For example rose oil can stimulate bile production as it is processed by the liver. Compounds that migrate toward the skin exit via the sebaceous glands and become part of the skin’s protective acid mantle. Components of yarrow can increase perspiration as they are excreted. 

These direct connections between essential oils and the organ systems that mediate our health and well-being explain why they can have such a profound and immediate effects on some of the deepest aspects of the self. Research indicates that only tiny, almost homeopathic quantities of these oils are needed to achieve meaningful results. Larger doses do not increase the response appreciably.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. 

4 Ways to Maintain Healthy Joints

Few of us ever stop to appreciate just how vital our joints are for moving our bodies and navigating life as we know it. Healthy joints play a huge role in determining how comfortable we feel in our bodies. That’s why you need to listen to your joints when they talk to you. Do they complain at certain times of year or after specific types of activities? Or are they persistently disgruntled? Whatever the case, the following strategies will  help keep your joints happy and healthy.
 

1.     Practice Joint Rotations: Performing a series of gentle joint rotations every day helps nourish and protect the joints by improving blood circulation and increasing the flow of a lubricant called synovial fluid that cushions the joints. The following rotations should be repeated about 10 times in each direction for each joint. Begin by rotating your wrists slowly in each direction. Next, lay your right hand on your right shoulder and your left hand on your left shoulder and circle the shoulder joints with your elbows—first rotating backward and then forward. Then, with your arms hanging loosely at your sides, circle your shoulders backward and then forward. If you can gently circle your neck without discomfort, do a few repetitions in each direction. Now focus on your leg joints. Begin by folding one ankle over the opposite knee, and use one hand to gently turn your foot in circles around the ankle joint—first in one direction and then the other. Next stand up, bend your knees, and place your hands on your thighs (just above the knees). Circle your knees to the right and then to the left. Now, standing with your feet apart and your hands on your hips, trace wide circles with your hips—going clockwise first, then counterclockwise. To shorten this routine, concentrate your efforts on the joints that need the most help or reduce the number of repetitions you perform. And don’t forget to show a little love to your finger and toe joints by massaging them individually with gentle circular motions.

2.     Get Regular and Appropriate Exercise: To stay healthy and functional, your joints need to move. But keep in mind that moving them in the proper way is essential. Some activities involve movements that can damage your joints. The type of movement that is right for you depends on your constitution, your overall health, and any injuries, imbalances, or vulnerabilities you may have. In general, though, low-impact activities are best for your joints. 

3.     Practice Yoga Regularly: Yoga nourishes healthy joint cartilage by increasing blood flow and improves range of motion by circulating synovial fluid around the moveable joints. Yoga also infuses our bodies with prana, the life force. Practicing cat-cow pose is particularly beneficial for the vertebral joints along the spine. 

4.     Eat a Balanced Diet with Sufficient High-Quality Fats: Healthy joint tissue also requires proper nutritional support. Eat a diet that consists of a variety of foods, including high-quality fats, that are compatible with your constitution and that help keep your doshas in balance. Cultivating efficient agni (digestive fire) is also crucial. 

Source: Banyan Botanicals, An Ayurvedic Guide to Joint Health at https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/health-guides/an-ayurvedic-guide-to-joint-health/.

To Supplement or Not to Supplement?

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Ayurveda teaches that you should get your daily nutrients from food as much as possible and that you can do this by eating plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, grains, beans and legumes, nuts and seeds, healthy meats, and seaweed. That said, there are cases in which it makes sense to take vitamin supplements. Vegetarians should take vitamin B12 and possibly vitamin D, since they are missing out on these nutrients by not eating meat. Pregnant women should take extra folic acid. Those with osteoporosis will need to take calcium, magnesium, trace minerals like boron, and other supplements that support bone health. People recovering from a long illness may need to take certain immune-boosting supplements.

It’s important to keep in mind that decades of industrial farming practices have significantly depleted the nutrient content of the soil in which most of our food is grown. Consequently, our food is not as nutritious as it once was. With that in mind, you might be inclined to question the common wisdom that a varied diet fulfills all of our nutritional requirements. If so, you may want to consider taking a broad-spectrum mineral supplement or daily multivitamin. Whenever possible, ingest supplements that are extracted from whole food sources like fruits, vegetables, and grains. These nutrients are more bioavailable than synthetic versions, meaning they are more easily absorbed by your digestive system. The best ways to take vitamins and minerals in are in powdered form, as a liquid concentrate, or as an oil. Avoid taking megadoses or doses larger than recommended dietary reference intakes, no matter how good you think a particular nutrient is for your health. 

Supplementing your diet with vitamins should be the exception, not the rule; they are, after all, called supplements. Nutrients are much more accessible and easily processed by your body when they are consumed via food rather than supplements. Also, a person taking vitamins may mistakenly believe that eating a balanced diet is unnecessary. Remember, no supplement is a magic bullet that does as good a job of meeting your nutritional needs as a diet of healthy whole foods. 

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease.