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As we close this month’s articles focused on a broader and more integrative view of American Heart Month, I hope that you are able to take some of the tools I provided and apply them in your life.
I had every intention to sit and write strictly in more detail of how essential oils can specifically support cardiovascular health. Alas, that darn writer’s inspiration took hold. What was supposed to be a one paragraph introduction turned into a whole article. Thankfully, it ended with a serendipitous occurrence…how our themes of this month could be a means to create a more coherent, unified society.
Click here to read “The Macrocosm of the Olympics Meets the Microcosm of the Universal Coherence in Our Hearts,” or listen to the full article in 10 minutes below.
Now, let’s look at some evidence on how essential oils can particularly support our heart and influence our lives. In the next blog, I’ll provide some more studies that highlight individual oils.
Essential Oils for Supporting the Cardiovascular System
We’ve learned that essential oils are a versatile wellness tool that can support the physical, emotional, and biochemical balance of the body.
For those with considerable cardiovascular concerns, it is best to take a personalized viewpoint and seek the guidance of an integrative practitioner to fully optimize the heart and vessels. This trusted individual can examine the infinite triggers involved and provide solutions for the finite responses (modulation of irritation to tissue, ridding the body of infections, and balancing oxidative stress).
For these individuals, and others who place importance on heart disease prevention, below are some abstracts that explain that essential oils can provide constituents that address all these areas relating to heart health, one drop at a time! Essential oils can be implemented in any wellness regime with aromatic ease. I have taken the liberty to provide you with skimming pleasure and bolded the highlights.
Essential oils and their volatile constituents are used widely to prevent and treat human disease. The possible role and mode of action of these natural products is discussed with regard to the prevention and treatment of cancer, cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis and thrombosis, as well as their bioactivity as antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidants and antidiabetic agents. Their application as natural skin penetration enhancers for transdermal drug delivery and the therapeutic properties of essential oils in aroma and massage therapy will also be outlined.
Source: Pharmaceutical and therapeutic potentials of essential oils and their individual volatile constituents: a review. Phytother Res. 2007 Apr;21(4):308-23.
Essential oils (EO) are complex secondary metabolites, which are produced by aromatic plants and identified by their powerful odors. Present studies on EO and their isolated ingredients have drawn the attention of researchers to screen these natural products and evaluate their effect on the cardiovascular system. Some EO, and their active ingredients, have been reported to improve the cardiovascular system significantly by affecting vaso-relaxation, and decreasing the heart rate and exert a hypotension activity. Several mechanisms have been proposed for the role of EO and their main active components in promoting the health of the cardiovascular system. The objective of this review is to highlight the current state of knowledge on the functional role of EO extracted from plants for reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and their mechanisms of action. Research on EO has the potential to identify new bioactive compounds and formulate new functional products for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as arterial hypertension, angina pectoris, heart failure, and myocardial infarction.
Source: The effects of food essential oils on cardiovascular diseases: A review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2017 Feb 10:1-18. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2017.1279121. [Epub ahead of print]
Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death in developed and developing countries and decrease the quality of life, which has enormous social and economic consequences for the population. Recent studies on essential oils have attracted attention and encouraged continued research of this group of natural products because of their effects on the cardiovascular system. The pharmacological data indicate a therapeutic potential for essential oils for use in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, this review reports the current studies of essential oils chemical constituents with cardiovascular activity, including a description of their mechanisms of action.
Source: Cardiovascular Activity of the Chemical Constituents of Essential Oils. Molecules. 2017 Sep 17;22(9). pii: E1539. doi: 10.3390/molecules22091539.
The Heart-Mouth Connection
Essential oils have also been demonstrated to balance our oral microbiome. Recently, it has been found that poor dental health is linked to detrimental cardiovascular outcomes. (source, source, source, source, source)
You can read about how essential oils can be used to support our mouth bugs and for oral care here and here.
Make sure you click the links to find some easy ways to head into better heart-mouth health.
This weekend, I’ll review studies that used essential oils for heart support.
Stay tuned for one last blog on how to create a happier, healthier heart which can spread to a more unified world.
Many blessings from my heart to yours!
This material is for information purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prescribe for any illness. You should check with your doctor regarding implementing any new strategies into your wellness regime. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. (Affiliation link.)
Disclaimer: This information is applicable ONLY for therapeutic quality essential oils. This information DOES NOT apply to essential oils that have not been tested for purity and standardized constituents. There is no quality control in the United States, and oils labeled as “100% pure” need only to contain 5% of the actual oil. The rest of the bottle can be filled with fillers and sometimes toxic ingredients that can irritate the skin. The studies are not based solely on a specific brand of an essential oil, unless stated. Please read the full study for more information.
Thanks Pixabay.
