Turmeric Essential Oil Benefits
Turmeric has a long history in which it is used as a medicine, spice and coloring agent, and turmeric essential oil is a highly impressive natural health agent. This isn’t wondering when you come to know about the fact that turmeric has minimum 20 molecules that are antibiotic, 14 that are considered as cancer preventatives, 12 that are anti-tumor, 12 that are anti-inflammatory and that there are at least 10 different antioxidants in turmeric. Turmeric acts as health-promoting vitamins, phenols and other alkaloids.
like turmeric powder, turmeric oil is also anti-allergic, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-parasitic, antiviral and anti-worm properties. It’s also, a potent relaxant and balancer. Plus, according to Ayurvedic medicine, this strong herb is meant to support the imbalance of Kapha body type.
Turmeric essential oil has a large range of health benefits and uses, like its capability to decrease inflammation, detoxify the body, protect cancer, optimize digestion, protect hair loss, motivate circulation, improve the health of the skin, boost up the immune system, protect the heart, add flavor to food and increase cognition, among others.
Turmeric Essential Oil Plant Origin and Chemical Composition
What is turmeric actually? Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a perennial herbaceous plant which belongs to ginger family (Zingiberaceae). The turmeric plant grows to maximum a height of about three feet and has yellow flowers. Its root is bright-orange in colour with a thin brownish skin. local to southern India and Indonesia, turmeric is grown on the mainland and in the islands of the Indian Ocean.
Turmeric essential oil is extracted from the plant’s tuberous rhizomes or underground roots. The essential oil is usually taken out from the turmeric root through CO2 or steam distillation using the solvent hexane. Turmeric essential oil is yellow in color and has an amazing aroma that can be described as sweet and woody with notes of spice.
The most abundant present components of turmeric essential oil are aromatic turmerone (25.3 percent), a-tumerone (18.3 percent) and curlone (12.5 percent). Other comprises of caryophyllene (2.26 percent), eucalyptol (1.60 percent) and a-phellandrene (0.42 percent). These compounds of turmeric essential oil make it typically strong naturally fighter against an impressive variety of serious health issues.
Turmeric Essential Oil History and Interesting Facts
Turmeric has been used for nearly 4,000 years back to the Vedic culture in India, where it was used for cooking purposes as well as in religious ceremonies. Turmeric started to move around the world and most likely reached China by 700 A.D., East Africa by 800 A.D., West Africa by 1200 A.D. and Jamaica in the 18th century.
In 1280, Marco Polo found turmeric and was greatly impressed by its exhibited qualities which were very similar to that of saffron. In past, it was called Indian saffron during the Middle Ages because of its orange-yellow color similar to saffron color.
According to Sanskrit medical treatises and Ayurvedic and Unani systems, turmeric has a lengthy history of medicinal use in South Asia. turmeric essential oil is conventionally used as an antiseptic and in natural skin care to decrease acne and facial hair in women.
Now a day, turmeric is widespread grown in the hot climated areas and known by many different names in different cultures and countries. The name turmeric originates from the Latin word terra merita (meritorious earth), refers to the color of ground turmeric, which is similar to a mineral pigment
Turmeric Essential Oil Benefits
Surprisingly after knowing what is turmeric good for? Turmeric health benefits are actually wonderful, ranging from acting as a potent cancer-fighting food to an essential oil for depression. Here are some of the most effective mods that turmeric essential oil can get better your health or the health of someone you know. Here is the list of some useful benefit:
- Helps fight colon cancer
- Helps prevent neurologic disorders
- Helps in treatment of epilepsy
- Reduce arthritis and joints problems
- Stimulate liver health
- Aids in breast cancer
- Decrease some leukemia cells
- Decrease depression and anxiety
- Improve common cold
- Improve digestion
- Hair care
- Skin care
- Boost up immune system
- Improve allergic response
1. Helps fight colon cancer
In 2013, a study has been conducted by the Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture at Kyoto University in Japan found that the aromatic turmerone (ar-turmerone) in turmeric essential oil as well as curcumin is the main active component in turmeric, both showed the ability to help fight against colon cancer in animal models, The mixture of curcumin and turmerone given by mouth at both low and high doses stop tumor formation.
2. Aids to Prevent Neurologic issues
Many studies have found that turmerone, a major bioactive component of turmeric oil, stops microglia activation. Microglia are a kind of cell which are located throughout the brain and spinal cord. Activation of microglia is a symptom of brain disorder so the fact that turmeric essential oil carries a component that inhibits this harmful cell activation is strongly helpful for the prevention and treatment of brain disorders
Turmeric essential oil’s aromatic turmerone is known to be a used as a natural method to support the regeneration to get better neurologic diseases like Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, spinal cord injury and stroke.
3. Helps in Treatment of Epilepsy
The anticonvulsant qualities of turmeric oil and its components (ar-turmerone, α-, β-turmerone and α-atlantone) have been found in both zebrafish and mouse models of chemically induced seizures. The least recent research in 2013 has found that scented turmerone has anticonvulsant qualities in acute seizure models in mice. The turmerone was able to modulate the appearance patterns of two seizure-linked genes in zebrafish.
4. Reduce Arthritis and Joint Problems
conventionally, turmeric has been used in Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic medicine for the medication of arthritis as turmeric’s active components are also known to stop inflammatory cytokines and enzymes. That’s why it’s also famous for the best essential oils for arthritis around.
5. Stimulate Liver Health
Turmeric has its ability to help get better liver health. The liver is our most important detoxifying organ, and its situation affects the complete body. Many studies have found that turmeric is hepatoprotective (liver-protective), which is mainly because of turmeric’s anti-inflammatory activity. Some research has been published in BMC Complementary & Alternative Medicine especially observed methotrexate (MTX), which is an antimetabolite mainly used in the medication of cancer and autoimmune disorders, and the liver toxicity caused by MTX. The study also found that turmeric assisted to protect the liver from MTX-induced liver toxicity, acting as a preventative liver cleanse.
6. Aids in treating Breast Cancer
A research has been published in the Journal of Cellular Biochemistry found that the aromatic turmerone present in turmeric essential oil blocked unwanted enzymatic activity and expression of MMP-9 and COX-2 in human breast cancer cells. Turmerone also extremely stopped TPA-induced invasion, migration and colony formation in human breast cancer cells. It’s a highly important finding that compounds of turmeric essential oil can block TPA’s abilities as TPA is a potent tumor promoter.
7. Decrease Some Leukemia Cells
One study has published in the International Journal of Molecular Medicine observed at the the effects of aromatic turmerone which were separated from turmeric on the DNA of human leukemia cell lines. The research has found that the turmerone caused selective induction of programmed cell death in human leukemia Molt 4B and HL-60 cells. However, the turmerone unluckily did not have the similar positive effect on human stomach cancer cells. This research has discovered ways to naturally fight leukemia.
8. Decrease Depression and Anxiety
Turmeric essential oil is well-known to be a potent relaxant and balancer, and studies have found that it can aid to fight against two typically common mood disorders, depression and anxiety. As a impressive essential oil for anxiety and depression, it can stimulate mood and positive feelings.
9. Improves the Common Cold
Turmeric essential oil’s anti-inflammatory quality can actually reduce nasal congestion that extremely accompanies the common cold. Simply just add a few drops of turmeric oil to a diffuser or bowl of hot water and inhale the vapors to rapidly alleviate that stuffy nose. Inhaling turmeric essential oil also aids fight against the germs that caused your cold in the first place.
10. Improves Allergic Response
The immune-increasing properties of turmeric essential oil can get better the body’s ability to respond accurately to allergens. More specifically, this essential oil can decrease the severity of allergic reactions by regulating the immune response.
11. Improves Digestion
Zingiberene contains more than 30% of turmeric essential oil’s components and is known to have a potent effect on the gastrointestinal system. It can not only stimulate flatulence and decrease bloating/cramping, but also optimize nutrient uptake and the digestive process.
12. Hair Care
Turmeric essential oil has greatly been used as a natural medication against hair loss and male pattern baldness. It is thought to be the result of the many antioxidants found in this oil, which can improve the regrowth of healthy cells and ensure the functioning of hair follicles, while also removing infections and inflammation on the scalp.
13. Skin Care
Directly applying turmeric essential oil to the skin, in mild amounts, along with a carrier oil, can assist to make skin look and feel younger, thanks to the concentrated antioxidants in this oil, such as curcumene, zingiberene, and other sesquiterpenes. This can get better skin elasticity, decrease the appearance of wrinkles, and prevent the skin from infection and irritation.
How to Use Turmeric Essential Oil
Turmeric essential oil is also available in health stores and online and is very easily affordable. You can buy a high-quality five-milliliter bottle of turmeric essential oil for around $4 so it is very reasonable price. Don’t get deceived by the size of the bottle as turmeric essential oil is very powerful, and a little goes a long way.
If you’re going to make homemade aromatherapy products, turmeric essential oil mixes gently with ginger, cinnamon, blood orange, grapefruit, ylang ylang, vanilla and cardamom essential oils.
- For stress reliving and aromatherapy, diffuse or inhale 2–3 drops of turmeric essential oil.
- For external use do a massage oil by diluting 5 drops of turmeric essential oil with 5 drops of a carrier oil (like jojoba or coconut oil) and apply it to areas of consideration.
- For internal use, very high-quality oil brands should be used. Mix 1 drop of turmeric essential oil to water or add 1 drop of turmeric oil with a teaspoon of honey or a smoothie.
Always store turmeric essential oil in a cool, dark place.
Turmeric Essential Oil Recipes
For dark complexation using 1 drop of turmeric essential oil in place of turmeric powder in this Turmeric Face Mask for glowing skin. Similarly, for this Homemade Muscle massage you can add 4 drops of turmeric essential oil for 2 teaspoons of turmeric powder. This is a superb topical medication for sore joints and muscles.
If you want to try a turmeric tea that’s not only greatly satisfactory, but also, highly medicinal. Then you can try by using 1 drop of turmeric essential oil in place of turmeric powder in this Turmeric Tea Recipe.
Turmeric Essential Oil Side Effects
As there are some side effects to turmeric oil, because of its potency and concentration of organic compounds. These side effects may include skin irritation, stomach upset, nausea, hypotension, and inflammation, particularly on membranes, such as the eyes or mouth. When you are going to ingest of turmeric essential oil is safe, it should only be consumed in very small quantities, no more than 5-10 drops at a time, and is great when mixed with a carrier oil.
- Stomach Upset – a few people have reported gastrointestinal distress after ingesting turmeric essential oil, but this is normally happening when too much of this oil is consumed. If a proper amount is taken, turmeric essential oil can get better digestion and remove stomach distress.
- Skin Irritation – When directly applied to the skin, turmeric essential oil can usually remove infections, stimulate clean and healthy skin, and work as an astringent to close small pores and cut down your risk of acne. nevertheless, to find either you have any allergic susceptibility, you should first apply a small amount of the oil to a small patch of skin and wait a few hours to observe if there is any reaction. In addition, carrier oils are usually suggested for those with more sensitive skin, as these will assist deliver the turmeric essential oil below the skin more effectively.
- Eyes, Nose, Mouth – No matter how much healthy an essential oil may be, it may cause severe inflammation and irritation in mucus membranes, like as the eyes, nose, and mouth. So avoid touching the oil and rubbing your eyes, or accidentally ingesting the oil, as it may cause negative reactions.
- Blood Pressure – Turmeric essential oil is also known to lower blood pressure and prevent the heart, but if you are already on a blood pressure-lowering medication, this could cause a serious dangerous fall in the blood pressure, which can cause fainting, weakness, cognitive confusion and irregular heartbeat.
- Pregnancy – As with any essential oil, significant caution should be taken when pregnant, and turmeric essential oil should never be ingested without discussing to your doctor about your specific condition.
So before using turmeric essential oil for remedy purposes, you should talk to you doctor and then use it on regular basis.
