Antiviral Essential Oils

The Healing Powers of Antiseptic and Antiviral Essential Oils.

Most people think of essential oils as being used in aromatherapy, but plants are so different and unique that it makes sense that some essential oils could be used for things other than aromatherapy. Some essential oils can help prevent infections or treat them when they occur. Antiseptic Essential Oils Agents that destroy bacteria are known as antiseptics.

Antiseptics are substances that eradicate bacteria. While certain bacteria are beneficial to health, some germs can be unhealthy. Antibiotics are similar to other types of antiseptics, but they are also different in some ways. In recent years, antibiotics have been used a lot to kill dangerous bacteria, but they can also hurt good bacteria, and bad bacteria have been able to adapt to antibiotics.

The majority of the rigorous clinical research on essential oils for antiseptic purposes, according to a 2015 article in The Atlantic, has focused on finding ingredients for hand sanitizers that will be effective in medical settings where bacteria have developed resistance to other conventional lines of defense.

The article contains several plant extracts that have shown promise in study, including

• thyme
• clove
• lemongrass
• lavender
• basil
• chili peppers
• and cinnamon.

Among the essential oils discovered to have antimicrobial effects in a 2010 meta-analysis published in The Journal of Applied Bioscience were clove, rosemary, chili peppers, and lavender.

• juniper
• olives
• peppermint
• fennel
• lemon leaves
• and lime leaves.

Some have suggested that the compounds in essential oils can harm the bacterial cell walls, although scientists are still unsure exactly how or why essential oils can kill germs. This would also explain why traditional antiseptics that contain essential oils typically function better than those that do not.

Anti-Viral Essential Oils

Both bacteria and viruses can make you ill, but they do so in different ways and call for various preventative measures and therapies. Since viruses do not have cell walls, essential oils could not combat viruses the same manner as bacteria if the notion that essential oils kill bacteria by destroying their cell walls is true.

Luckily, several anti-viral essential oils have been found.
The 2010 meta-analysis listed sandalwood, tea tree, thyme, and ginger as anti-viral essential oils. Eucalyptus demonstrated promising anti-viral properties in mouthwash for herpes simplex in a 2015 Acute Medicine trial.

A 2014 paper in The American Journal of Essential Oils and Natural Products demonstrated promising anti-viral capabilities in liquid and vapor form for cinnamon, bergamot, thyme, and eucalyptus. This essay focused on fighting the flu virus, which can be deadly.

Other Areas of Research

Essential oils have also been investigated in recent studies as advantageous antifungal and even anticancer drugs.

The potential use of essential oils in treating depression and anxiety disorders has generated by far the most interest.

Other Ways to Get the Benefits

Other essential oils that are not frequently sold commercially were included in many of these studies; hence, we have not included them in this article.

In addition to being easily accessible commercially, several of the essential oils covered in this article come from food plants. While essential oils are frequently not swallowed, consuming the plants from which they are obtained can nevertheless have a big impact.

Eating the foods that produce essential oils may not have the same benefit as utilizing them. However, eating meals rather than oils provides nutrients that essential oils may not. Many of the essential oils mentioned come from plants with antioxidants and other nutrients.