This entry was posted 11 years, 0 months ago.
June 3, 2012
Lavender and lavender oil are among the oldest known natural remedies for a variety of health conditions and ailments. Lavender oil benefits embrace a great number of therapeutic properties, starting from anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory, and ending up with antispasmodic and anti-oxidant. At that, preventing and treating various fungal infections have been one of the most common lavender oil uses for many centuries. Earlier this year, a group of scientists from the University of Coimbra in Portugal decided to check out anti-fungal actions of lavender oil and conducted a series of tests for which they used high quality lavender oil extracted from the Lavandula viridis L’Her shrub. This type of lavender is commonly found in southern areas of Portugal and is used to produce lavender oil.
The experiments included testing the product for its effects on several types of pathogenic fungi, including a number of common Candida species, some most common dermatophytes, and so on. In our times, there is still not many really effective drugs or medicines available in our drugstores for those who suffer from nail, hair or skin fungi. There are a few natural remedies which are considered effective (including tea tree oil and other herbal remedies), but there is a growing number of fungi infections which can not be killed that easily by using natural solutions as well.
However, this can not be said about lavender oil which proved to work great against many known skin-pathogenic trains and other fungi which can be found very commonly even in the healthiest people.
During the study, it became apparent that the most of common types of fungi use the element known as keratin for feeding themselves. Lavender oil has shown great abilities to kill cell membranes of most fungi and destroy fungal cells, after not too very long term of usage. Professor Eugenia Pinto, one of the study leaders, said the following to mass media: “Unfortunately there is also increasing resistance to anti-fungal drugs. Research by our group and others has shown that essential oils may be cheap, efficient alternatives that have minimal side effects.” Anti-fungal lavender oil benefits can be used by everyone who suffers from Athlete’s food, hair and nail fungi, as well as various related infections and health problems.
The scientists from the University of Coimbra underline that further studies and scientific work will be carried out in order to find out the best ways of using lavender oil and possibly other essential oils against common fungal infections. Lavender oil is one of the basic oils in aromatherapy recommended as an excellent natural solutions for anxiety, nervous tension, insomnia, restlessness, and other effects of stresses. Other lavender oil uses include skin care, as well as using this natural product as an effective insecticide. The findings of the study give hope to millions of people who suffer from fungal infections which are considered among the hardest to cure, due to a lack of effective treatments. Here you can find more information and read more about the research of Portuguese scientists published in one of the latest issues of the Journal of Medical Microbiology.
Author Info: Hi! My name is Carla and I am a 5th year medical student at HYMS. I am interested in alternative medicine and I have done months researching the topic of herbal medicine. Besides, I like interviewing people and learning more about their experiences with one or another type of herbal treatments. I am willing to contribute to this site with my knowledge, and I would be happy to help you out to the best of my ability with any specific questions or problems related to alternative medicine.
0 read user's comments
