Essential oils are most popularly known in aromatherapy and are used efficiently and safely. Most daily applications include adding them to bath water and anointing perfume points. However, have you considered how they could be doing an even greater service beyond relaxation?
Essential oils are concentrated extracts of flowers, roots, leaves, stems, seeds, resin, bark, or fruit rinds. More than 400 essential oils are available, and they can be purchased at most health food stores.
The oils are thought to work by being absorbed into your body’s tissues via topical application, inhalation, or, in some cases, consumption.
Western and eastern cultures have had access to these concentrated extracts to heal and prevent illnesses for centuries. Today, researchers are rediscovering the benefits of essential oils by examining their applications in the fight against cancer.
Could essential oils play a role in cancer prevention?
When we are advised to take action to prevent cancer in the 21st century, we think of a Mediterranean diet, daily exercise, meditation, and a good night’s sleep. However, could essential oils represent another tool in the fight against cancer?
No scientific studies show that aromatherapy can cure or prevent cancer. Most of the research showing promising results has been done in vitro, meaning that the essential oil was found to affect cancer cells in a petri dish.
For example, results of a 2015 study suggested that breast cancer cells may stop growing and die off when exposed to frankincense oil.
In a 2018 paper, scientists looked at the role of essential oils in various laboratory studies. The authors in this review concluded that “although this is a relatively new and emerging area of cancer research, the ability of essential oils and their components to have such diverse anti-cancer effects through acting on various cellular mechanisms is compelling.”
While these limited studies may offer encouraging data, it’s important to note that findings in the lab don’t necessarily translate to benefits for humans.
“Some essential oils may have anti-cancer effects according as per laboratory studies on cancer cells, but we haven’t seen any studies looking at the anti-cancer effects of essential oils in humans,” says David Kiefer, MD, medical director for the Integrative Health Consult Clinic at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
Quality of life
Most human studies on essential oils for cancer focus on helping improve the quality of life and reduce anxiety, symptoms, and side effects of cancer treatment.
“There is some research for aromatherapy being beneficial for nausea, vomiting, and insomnia,” Dr. Kiefer says. “Other studies have looked at using essential oil mixtures on the skin to treat skin reactions that may occur from cancer treatments.”
In a 1999 randomized controlled trial, researchers compared the effects of standard and aromatherapy massage in 103 cancer patients. Those who received the aromatherapy massage with a Roman chamomile essential oil reported a statistically significant reduction in anxiety and an improvement in symptoms.
In contrast, the massage-only group showed some improvements, but they weren’t statistically significant, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Still, other studies have shown no benefits of aromatherapy. More research is needed to determine how effective this approach is for helping people with cancer cope with the symptoms they experience.
Some of the most popular essential oils used for supportive care in cancer include:
- Rosemary
- Lavender
- Chamomile
- Eucalyptus
- Peppermint
- Jasmine
- Lemon
- Marjoram
- Ylang ylang
- Geranium
- Ginger
- Frankincense
How to use essential oils daily
The great thing about essential oils is that they can immediately benefit your mind, body, and spirit. Using them as a daily routine helps you feel positive and reduces stress. Using lavender, frankincense, and sandalwood essential oils, in particular, help to calm and center your mind.
Simply drop one to two drops of your essential oil into the palm of your hand. Then pour a slight drizzle of carrier oil, such as jojoba oil, over the drops and gently mix them.
Rub the oil into your neck, chest, and arm-pits; these areas contain numerous superficial veins that quickly transport the oils around your body. Then, deeply inhale the oils on your hands — the oils rapidly travel through the olfactory portion of the nose.
In conclusion
Essential oils should be viewed as another tool, along with eating right, exercise, meditation, and sleep, that can improve emotional well-being, which cannot be overlooked when considering your overall health.
In conclusion, you should never view any treatment, including essential oils, as a cure-all. Instead, you can put your efforts into prevention and use the hundreds of health-giving tools around you.
