essential oils

Aromatherapy Gains Credibility In US Medicine

As happened here in the United Kingdom some 20 years ago, aromatherapy is finally gaining recognition in certain areas of mainstream medicine in the United States, according to a recent article on USnews.com. Groups as diverse as the American Cancer Society and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are now offering aromatherapy alongisde traditional health […]

MRSA Variant Now Resistant To Last Antibiotic

A deadly strain of a hospital superbug has become resistant to a last-line antibiotic used to treat infections, scientists have warned. Although it has not spread so far, doctors said ‘the risk that Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) could eventually overwhelm even our last-line drugs is a very serious one’, branding it ‘a dangerous organism […]

Essential Oils And Plant Extracts Combat E. Coli

New research has discovered that olive extract and lemongrass essential oil reduced Escherichia coli  in hamburger to undetectable levels. The occurrence of Escherichia coli O157:H7, the prime E. coli pathogen in ground beef, is inactivated by high heat during cooking, which also leads to the formation of cancer-causing heterocyclic amines (HCAs). Building on previous research, […]

Lavender Field Day

Tasmania is poised to take advantage of lavender woes in France. A lavender trial crop in the Central Highlands points to a bold new . . .

Frankincense Tree Faces Uncertain Future

A species of frankincense tree faces an uncertain future, according to researchers. Ecologists have warned that the production of its fragrant resin could decline by half over the next 15 years . . .

Rosemary Essential Oil As A Natural Preservative

Although some people already use the popular herb rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) for seasoning their meat, this combination may become more common in the near future as food manufacturers respond to consumer demand for more natural products.

Lavandin Essential Oil Reduces Preoperative Anxiety

A study at United Hospital, St Paul, Minnesota, USA, has shown that the systematic use of lavandin essential oil (Lavandula x intermedia) can reduce preoperative anxiety in surgical patients.

Manuka Essential Oil As Effective Natural Herbicide

Weeds have a greater impact on crop yields than any other pests. Over the past several decades, farmers have continually turned to synthetic herbicides because they are the most effective deterrent against weeds. However, demand for organic food is rising, and public sentiment toward synthetic herbicides is increasingly negative. There is a need — and […]

Sandalwood Project Receives Grant

A collaborative team of West Australian and Sri Lankan scientists have been awarded a Sri Lanka National Research Council Grant to help continue their international study to protect and repopulate the highly threatened sandalwood tree Santalum album. Dhanushka says determining the quality of sandalwood is simple as standards have established for many years, but one […]

New Strain of MRSA Bacteria Identified

Researchers have identified a new strain of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a drug-resistant bacterial infection that until the last few years was seen primarily among patients in hospitals and nursing homes. The strain, dubbed New MRSA, has been found in the United Kingdom. While there are over 35 strains of MRSA, New Strain may have […]

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