Aromatherapy 1

[Guest guest]

Of all the alternative health fields, aromatherapy probably is filled with

more charlatans, hucksters, non-professional practitioners, false claims,

poor education and unsubstantiated hype than any other. This industry

unfortunately has become a type of adjunct to the cosmetic trade, with all

and sundry attending expensive training courses, buying astronomically

expensive oils and claiming to treat many diseases and distresses under the

sun (yes, AIDS is included!). The snake oil of the past century has been

replaced by the essential oil of this century, attended by much the same

claims and attracting many of the same types of salespersons.

The overwhelming dominance of the aromatherapy industry by the minimally

formally educated and marketeers out to exploit the gullible public

regrettably overshadows the small amount of genuine research and clinical

work that has been carried out.

It is time that the world of aromatherapywere subjected to far greater

scrutiny which enlightened far more of the public about its value, its scope

and its limitations. If you carry out a web search, you will find that there

are almost no AT of any substance or value, even though there are hundreds of

AT sites out there in cyberspace. Almost every one of them is trying to

sell, sell, sell services and products with a plethora of claims that are

very rarely validated by mention of any research. I am sure that the snake

oil salesmen of the old Wild West did not have it so good!

I have assembled a collection of resources which should offer a far more

balanced and scientific view of this booming latter day essential oil trade.

PART 1

Let us start with excerpts from an article published in a journal to which I

subscribe (The Skeptical Inquirer).

http://www.csicop.org/si/9605/aroma.html

Skeptical Inquirer May/June 1966

What's That I Smell? The Claims of Aromatherapy

Lynn McCutcheon

A small dose of aromatic oil may make for a pleasant experience, but the

claims of aromatherapy go way beyond that.

.... Virtually all aromatherapists claim that if you relax for several

minutes in warm bath water to which has been added a few drops of essential

oil, you will get out of the tub feeling pleasant. I agree, but what causes

the pleasantness? Is it the warmth, the water, the minutes spent resting,

the few drops of oil, or some combination thereof? It would be easy to

conduct an experiment in order to find out, but for some strange reason

aromatherapists haven't seen fit to do this. Instead, they imply that the

essential oil is the main cause. Says Meisenheimer: " The amount of essential

oil from a few drops placed in your bath that might actually penetrate the

stratum corneum [skin] is probably too small to have any meaningful,

systemic, physiologic effect. "

Other examples of confused causation permeate aromatherapists' writings.

Hoffmann (1987, p. 94) claims that chamomile is good for insomnia if taken

in a late bath. Is it the lateness or the chamomile that makes you sleepy?

For stress, Lavabre (1990, p. 108) recommends relaxation, a better diet,

nutritional supplements, more exercise, and a few drops of an oil blend.

Heinerman informs us (1988, p. 197) that jasmine oil massaged into the

abdomen and groin promotes sexual stimulation. I'll bet it does, with or

without the jasmine. On page 301 he suggests that to make unsafe water safe,

boil it and add rosemary, sage, or thyme before drinking. The heat probably

kills most of the germs. (1994, p. 135) mentions that many patients

in hospitals in England receive massages with essential oils. According to

her, " the relaxing and uplifting effect of the oils helps boost the morale

of the patients. " Isn't it possible that the massage did as much to boost

morale as the oils did?

One of the favorite tactics employed by aromatherapists is the use of

ambiguous claims. Any good psychic can tell you that you never make a

specific prediction. You always leave yourself enough room so that whatever

the outcome, you can claim success. Judging from what I read, the aromatherap

ists have mastered this strategy. Here are some of my favorites, followed by

my brief commentary.

According to Frawley (1992, p. 155), incense " cleanses the air of negative

energies. " What are negative energies? The reader is encouraged to get

massaged with oil regularly (p. 155) because this " keeps the nerves in

balance. " How would we know an unbalanced nerve if we saw one? Hoffmann tells

us (p. 95) that ylang ylang is " supposedly an aphrodisiac. " Is it or or

isn't it? Lavabre declares (p. 114) that benzoin resinoid will " drive out

evil spirits. " I'd love to see that. Presumably spruce oil is an even better

essence because it is recommended (p. 64) " for any type of psychic work. "

Why limit yourself to evil spirits? (p. 134) quotes Visant Lad as

saying that " life energy enters the body through breath taken through the

nose. " Is life energy the same thing as oxygen, and if so, why can't it

enter through the mouth? About tea tree oil, opines (p. 135), " There

is hope [it] may play a role in the successful treatment of AIDS. " Is it hope

or is it evidence? On the same page she tells readers that aromatherapy is

good for " restoring harmony and balance between the mind and body. " Such a

phrase can mean almost anything you wish.

Not all of the claims are hopelessly ambiguous or unlikely to be true. I did

a computer search of the psychological literature back to 1967, using the

terms essential oils, aromatherapy, and the names of 23 common essences. I

found that chamomile ( and 1992) can put people in a better

mood, and lavender sometimes causes mistakes in arithmetic (Ludvigson and

Rottman 1989). Furthermore, several of the odors used by aromatherapists are

capable of producing physiological arousal as measured by

electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings (Klemm et al. 1992); and emotional

changes, as measured by self-report (Kikuchi et al. 1992; Nakano et al.

1992). Peppermint odor appears to be capable of causing very small EEG,

electromyogram (EMG), and heart rate changes during sleep (Badia et al.

1990); and some odors can modify artificially induced sleep time in mice

(Tsuchiya et al. 1991). There is evidence that specific odors can better

enable one to recall information that was learned in the presence of that

odor ( et al. 1992)...........

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AROMATHERAPY HYPE & TRICKSTERS

http://www.aromamedical.demon.co.uk/articles/unethica.html

............. In the following, you will read some of the harshest

condemnations of aromatherapy training and quality standards that has ever

been publicly voiced. At the end of it you may get the impression that I

think aromatherapy is a load of hyped up rubbish and has no use. Please,

please let me correct that before I start. I think aromatherapy is a

wonderful healing therapy and for certain conditions there is no other

therapy that is as effective. However, it is crammed to bursting with

unjustifiable hype, as well as a good number of liars and cheats.

Some historical facts which lead us onto examining how this trade has

developed.

1. Aromatherapy as practised now, is a NEW therapy (around 30 years old), I

emphasis now before someone says what about the ancient Egyptians? As far as

we know they did not have distilled essential oils, or the highly

concentrated aromatic extracts that are now used. Therefore, most of the

material published in aromatherapy books is not based on a therapy that has

any significant roots unlike herbal medicine.

2. The vast majority of the early writers on aromatherapy had absolutely no

sound knowledge of the sciences or technical issues surrounding the

manufacture and use of plant based medicines.

3. Few of those early authors had received any training in the medical

sciences.

4. Very few had received any sound training in herbal medicine.

5. Several early authors were closely associated with the beauty therapy

trade.

6. When ones studies the works of the early authors, the trained eye can

quickly spot the numerous errors they make. This is particularly noticeable

in relation to phytochemistry and the claimed therapeutic properties. The

only early author in our trade I have any respect for is Gateffosse. Even his

book requires quite a good knowledge of essential oils chemistry, to realise

that most of the time he was using terpeneless oils, not the whole oil as

most people think.

In reality, it is the beauty therapy trade that underlies much of

aromatherapy teachings to this day. This means that the beauty trade, which

is and has always been, packed to bursting with hype and lies, has placed a

huge burden on aromatherapy.........

You people have been told a pack of lies by many authors and particularly the

suppliers of your raw materials. Nowadays lies are called " good marketing " .

Sorry, but in my philosophy of life, lies are lies.

Now we must again look at the beauty trade. If you are told a particular

product or treatment will make your skin look younger and it does not, OK

it's a lie, but it will not cause you much harm other than to your pocket.

Now we should never ever forget that aromatherapy is targeted at treating

HEALTH PROBLEMS. In my opinion, it is dishonest to suggest that certain

essential oils can cure medical conditions, when there is not a hope in hell

of them doing what is claimed.

This kind of dishonesty is also endemic in the aromatherapy trade. Sometimes

it is just slightly misleading, but in other cases, it is criminally

dishonest.

I can back everything I say, because for years, I have been collecting the

course notes of some of the biggest names in the trade and some of the claims

made are simply horrifying...........

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The following website points out that genuine research into aromatherapy (AT)

is a rarity and that the elaborate claims made for AT generally are little

more than hype and hyperbole.

AROMATHERAPY RESEARCH

http://member.newsguy.com/~herblady/atresearch.htm

Why Research is Needed

This is a tough and sensitive issue to tackle. Most of the out-of-date and

obscure 'studies' done in the name of aromatherapy and poorly-referenced in

the books are the main reason I have created this website. As a scientist

(horticulturist) and journalist I am appalled at the lack of proper

referencing of cited studies (or just plain unreferenced statements) in the

books.

In addition, often contradictory information about the use and properties of

an essential oil can be found on the same page (numerous instances in Sylla

Shepard-Hangar's The Aromatherapy Practitioner Reference Manual). For $125

you get lists of chemical components (accurate, for the most part), lists of

traditional and esoteric uses (mostly taken from herbalism, a big mistake)

and a dumpster-style listing of uses for the skin, respiratory, cardio, etc.

systems that is so fraught with contradictions and lack of application

information to be useless. If that isn't bad enough, nowhere in the charts

will the reader find the linked reference information to the

mostly-out-of-date citations in the bibliography.

What good is it for the potential AT practitioner/researcher to read that

sweet fennel EO is 'powerful on neuromuscular spasms-paralysis' (CHART 225)

when that interesting, outlandish tidbit is not cited? In addition, a number

of the oils she lists are not available, and have not been for years. There

simply is no market for them, but in throwing together the Manual, she did

not check that fact.

I chose that " Manual " as an example (you can find others on the 'bad books'

page, still under construction) because folks are shelling out $125 for a

book that seems to thumb its nose at scientific responsibility, writing

ethics, and any sense of shame. Not to single Shepard-Hanger out as the only

guilty party, as most books are not publishing relevant or accurate research

information, although they may appear to do so. They are merely regurgitating

plagiarized information, extrapolated fantasies, and author's flights of

fancy based on herbal uses of plants.

The various aromatherapy organizations and schools that sell memberships,

certifications, diplomas and other forms of justification for someone to call

themselves an aromatherapist do not fund nor encourage research. They sell

the fairy-tale books and high-priced workshops and on-line courses.

In their favor, many do, for the most part, teach essential oil safety, basic

anatomy and physiology and other useful information. If anyone is interested

in studying aromatherapy, they have the basic information, but be aware they

do no research themselves, either to break new ground, or to verify the

information they are teaching. As with anything you put out money for, buyer

beware, especially since the information you are paying for is unverified

research on potentially dangerous solvents (essential oils) that you will be

breathing in, putting on your body, or in rare instances, ingesting. It's

your life, be careful.

Who's doing research

No aromatherapy 'schools' are. No aromatherapy organizations are. No

practicing aromatherapists are. (at least they aren't publishing, except in

aromatherapy journals, that are not peer-reviewed by complimentary scientific

disciplines, so I am not counting them.) I would love to be contradicted on

this, and I would gladly add the information regarding any doing

research.........

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BAD AROMATHERAPY BOOKS

http://member.newsguy.com/~herblady/atbadbooks.htm

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NEW SCIENTIST ARTICLE

Damning Study Shows it only Works if you believe It Will Reviewed by Dr

s Apr 19, 2001

The popular complementary treatment aromatherapy may just be all in the mind

and is only likely to work if you believe it will, according to a new study.

Austrian and German researchers found the essential oils used in aromatherapy

did not have a direct effect on the brain but only affected people if they

thought the smell was stimulating.

Although most people's impression of aromatherapy is a scented candle or

bath, it is actually a form of alternative treatment where concentrated

essential oils are added to a base oil and massaged into the skin.

As well as relieving tension, the oils are claimed to have other medicinal

properties, such as improving wound healing, blood circulation and digestion.

However, scientists remain uncertain as to whether the oils enhance the

effects of massage or whether the effects of the treatment are just due to

the massage process itself.

'Scientific research on the effects of essential oils on human behaviour lags

behind the promises made by popular aromatherapy,' say the authors.

To scientifically test whether the oils had any effect, the researchers

studied whether essential oils that are supposed to make you more alert

actually improved people's reaction times. Volunteers were all asked to wear

surgical masks. Water was sprinkled on the masks and their reaction times

were tested.

Then some of the volunteers had oils such as peppermint, jasmine and

ylang-ylang sprinkled on their masks while others were given water again and

their reaction times were re-tested.

The researchers found no difference in reaction times between those people

given water and those given the essential oils. This suggests that the oils

don't have a direct effect on the brain when inhaled, says lead author Dr

f Ilmberger, at the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation,

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich.

But they also found that the people's response to the oils was inconsistent.

The volunteers were asked to rate how pleasant, strong or stimulating they

found each scent. Those who rated the scents highly did show improvements in

reaction times.

This, says Dr Ilmberger, indicates the effects of essential oils are mainly

psychological. 'If people thought an oil was stimulating, they got faster,'

he says.

While previous animal studies of aromatherapy have shown definite effects,

experiments on people have produced contradictory results. This could mean we

are more complex in our reactions to smells, says Dr Ilmberger.

The researchers now plan to test the effect of massaging the oils into the

skin to see whether there is any effect when they are absorbed that way

rather than inhaled. The findings are reported in the journal, New Scientist.

'Many studies, including this one, have not supported the case that essential

oils used in aromatherapy may be benefiting people,' says Professor Edzard

Ernst, head of the department of complementary medicine at the University of

Exeter.

But Professor Ernst tells WebMD aromatherapy can be useful if people

understand its benefits and limitations. 'If people enjoy aromatherapy and

see it as providing some form of healthy relief without actually being a

medicine then I see nothing wrong with it.'

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ARTICLES ON AROMATHERAPY

The following web page provides a series of articles most of which criticise

the false claims, massive profits made on “essential oilsâ€, impoverished

state of AT education, purity and content of oils and many other dubious

issues relating to this field.

http://www.aromamedical.demon.co.uk/articlesarchive.html

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END OF PART 1

Dr Mel C Siff

Denver, USA

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Supertraining/