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             ~*~*~*~*~Essentials for Health~*~*~*~*~

                     ~*~*~April 30, 1999~*~*~
                         
            ~*~Ezine for Essential Oil Enthusiasts~*~

                                 ~*~

"Smell is a potent wizard that transports us across thousands 
of miles and all the years we have lived."
                                             Helen Keller 

                                 ~*~

If you're new to aromatherapy, currently using essential oils or
just curious about what they are then you will enjoy this ezine.

This is a non-commercial ezine so there are no ads just information.
Your email address will only be used for this subscription.

So relax, enjoy your visit here...consider it a breath of fresh
air on the information super highway.

                                ~*~
             
Issue 4
Oil of the month
"Ask Jackie..."
Aromatherapy In the News
Inspirational Moment
Subscribe/Unsubscribe Info

                                ~*~

Welcome to the new subscribers and a welcome back to those of
you who joined me last month.  Don't forget you can email me your 
questions and I will do my best to get you an answer.

                                ~*~


Oil of the month: 
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
Usual Cost: $20.00 to $50.00 per 5ml
The cost varies so much according to availability.
True Valerian oil is difficult to obtain.

Description:
The Valerian plant is a tall perennial herb with a hollow stem, 
pointed leaves, and white or pink flowers. It's roots are 
harvested in the fall of the second year. The oil is extracted
by steam distillation of the roots.

Valerian oil has an extremely pungent odor. Some people have 
said it smells like "dirty socks." It grows wild in North America 
and is regarded as an ornamental plant; however, it is still grown
commercially in parts of Europe for medicinal purposes.

History:
The roots of the Valerian plant have long been used for making 
infusions. Commonly known as "nature's tranquilizer," the herb 
calms the nerves without the side effects of synthetic drugs.  The
volatile oil from the root has been used as a sedative for over 
1,000 years. In ancient times, Valerian was used as a treatment for
epilepsy.

The Valerian plant was used as a blue print for the drug Valium. 
More than 100 drugs containing Valerian's properties are currently 
marketed in Germany where research suggests the herb is both safe and
effective.

Aromatherapy Use:
Skin care: insect bites, minor scrapes, dandruff.
Circulatory System: lowers blood pressure, can be useful for
nervous cardiopathy.
Digestive system: anti-spasmodic, good for nervous stomach.
Nervous system: helps with anxiety and insomnia, works as
a sedative on the central nervous system. 
Reproductive system: good for menstrual cramps and premenstrual
tension.

As with all natural substances, too much of a good thing can be 
harmful.  While there is no evidence that Valerian is addictive,
if you find yourself needing it on a daily basis, please
consider what factors may be causing your stress. Various sources 
recommend not using it on a daily basis as it can have a rebound
or opposite effect.  High doses may lead to headaches, vomiting, 
dizziness, and palpitations. 

Due to it's pungent aroma it is usually used in a blend with
other more fragrant oils.  I have been a big fan of Valerian 
tincture for many years.  It has been very helpful when I've 
had trouble sleeping or if I'm feeling "out of sorts" 
premenstrually. I have since switched over to using 1 drop 
of Valerian essential oil to 4 ounces of warm water.  I have 
found it to be as effective and much more economical.  

*** The information in this newsletter is not to be taken as
medical advice. This is for informational purposes only.
Please be sure of the source of your oils.  Valerian, 
because of it's cost, is one oil that is adulterated frequently. 
Also be sure of the botanical variety you are getting, Valeriana 
officinalis is the medicinal variety you want. ***


                             ~*~

"Ask Jackie..."

I get asked frequently for some of my favorite websites on
health and aromatherapy.  While there are many really good 
websites and lot's of information please be careful before 
you purchase oils.  Even though the website may look great 
it is not necessarily an accurate representation of the
quality of their oils.

So here are a few of my favorites, and if you have favorites
I would love to have links to them! (For you new computer
users, if you move your cursor over the color and click
on it you will be magically transported to the website.)

"The Spiritual Use of Plants", A Sermon by Rev. Patrick A. Rose
http://www.dsport.com/wnc/sermons/rose_patrick/sm040697.html

"The only American magazine devoted to the art and science of 
aromatherapy."
http://aromaticthymes.com/

Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases
http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/index.html

"Seeing, hearing and smelling the world."
http://www.hhmi.org/senses/

The role of the sense of smell in language learning 
by Sara Ackerman Aoyama 
http://leahi.kcc.hawaii.edu/org/tcc_conf96/aoyama.html

Anadolu University Medicinal and Aromatic Plant and
Drug Research Centre
http://www.tbam.anadolu.edu.tr/

                               ~*~

"Forgiveness is the fragrance of the violet
that still clings to the heel that crushed it."

                               ~*~

In the News:

Below is an excerpt from the Monell Chemical Senses Center website.
The Monell Chemical Senses Center was established in 1968 as the 
world's first scientific institute for multi disciplinary research 
on taste, smell, and chemosensory irritation. You can visit their 
website and read the entire article at:

http://www.monell.org/sensation.htm

"The sense of smell is present at birth and, as demonstrated
by studies at Monell, young infants respond to odors,
preferring scented toys to unscented ones. The ability to
detect certain odors depends on an individual's genetic
makeup, and analysis of the genetic bases for odor
perception has a long history at Monell. People who, for
genetic reasons, cannot detect a particular odor are said to
have a "specific anosmia." Work at the Center has shown
that many people with a specific anosmia for an odor can be
induced to perceive it if they are repeatedly exposed to that
odor. This indicates that heredity and experience can interact
to shape olfactory perception. Investigators at the Center
have shown that such sensitivity can also be induced in
strains of mice with a specific anosmia. They are now using
these animals to explore the neurological bases of this
phenomenon and to identify and isolate the gene(s) that are
involved. 

Odors are often thought to provide the best memory cues because 
some of our oldest and most emotionally-laden memories are 
associated with odors. Research at Monell is addressing how the 
accuracy and emotional content of memory are affected by
odor-associated cues. Results indicate that the accuracy of a 
memory is not affected by the type of sensory cue for example, 
whether it is olfactory or auditory. Instead, a memory that is
triggered by an odor is experienced as being more emotionally 
intense and evocative than a memory triggered by any other type 
of sensory cue. Research has also shown that the distinctiveness 
of an odor and the emotional context in which it is experienced 
are key variables in the formation of memories associated with 
odors. Memory is enhanced when learning takes place in the 
presence of a novel odor, and is further facilitated if 
learning occurs during a heightened emotional state. 

Studies at Monell also examine the effects of odor on motor and 
clerical performance, as well as on mood and behavior. For example, 
research has looked at the effect of odors on time spent in public
settings, such as museums and shopping areas, on a variety of social
interactions, and on consumer attitudes. Here, too, cognitive factors 
play an important role. In particular, beliefs about both the odor 
and the context in which odors are experienced are important
determinants of how odors affect performance, mood, and behavior."


                               ~*~

Food for thought...

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller 
buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower
viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, 
but enjoy it less. 

We have bigger houses and smaller families; more 
conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, 
but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; 
more experts, but more problems; more medicine, 
but less wellness.


We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, 
laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry to quickly, 
stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too 
much, and pray too seldom.
 
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. 
We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've 
learned how to make living, but not a life; We've added years 
to life, not life to years.
 
We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble 
crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We've conquered 
outer space, but not inner space; We've done larger things, but 
not better things; We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; 
We've split the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less; We plan more, but accomplish 
less.  We've learned to rush, but not to wait; We have higher 
incomes, but lower morals; We have more food, but less 
appeasement; We build more computers to hold more information 
to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication; 
We've become long on quantity, but short on quality.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men, 
and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. 
These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more 
leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition. 
These are days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier 
houses, but broken homes.
 
These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away 
morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do 
everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.
 
It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing 
in the stockroom; a time when technology can bring this letter 
to you, and a time when you can choose either to make a 
difference, or to just hit delete.     Author Unknown

                                ~*~

That's it for this issue.  I hope you were able to learn
something new and interesting about essential oils.
I welcome any comments you may have...now go enjoy your 
gardens!
Jackie :-)
                                ~*~


"No matter how old a mother is, she watches her middle-aged 
children for signs of improvement."
                                     Florida Scott-Maxwell

                                ~*~


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                               ~*~

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© 1999 Jackie Dae Daugherty
P.O. Box 671146
Chugiak, Alaska 99567
mailto:oils@alaskalife.net
http://www.yleo.com/i/d/57248
http://www.AToil.com