Did you ever notice that something you smell brought back a memory or a moment in your life? Our brains are interconnected with many different smells and aromas. Our sense of smell is actually the only one directly connected to the limbic region of our brain. The limbic system is responsible for emotions and memory ( 1).
Brain injuries can also be treated with odor, as I will soon explain. There are more than 10 essential oils for brain injuries that can be used in this way. First, let’s take a look at the actual effects of essential oils on our bodies when we inhale their aroma molecules.
Aromatherapy for the brain
Aromatherapy (or essential oil therapy) is an alternative medicine practice that makes use of essential oils from many healing plants. Aromatherapy can be used for both topical and inhalation, but we will only discuss inhalation.
The olfactory system gets stimulated when you inhale essential oil aroma molecules. This can be done either directly from the bottle, inhaled through steam baths, or diffused into the air. The brain’s part that is connected to smell, including the nose, is called the olfactory systems.
The nose and mouth allow molecules to enter the lungs. They exchange with the blood immediately and then reach other parts of our bodies. These tiny molecules reach the brain and affect our limbic System (as mentioned above), which is linked to our emotions, heart beat, blood pressure, stress, memory, and hormonal balance ( 2).
The brain can also be reached by essential oil molecules via an alternative route that doesn’t involve the lungs. Certain molecules that are unable to cross the blood-brain boundary (BBB), can gain direct access to CNS (Central Nervous System) in minutes. The molecules are transported to the central nervous system by the trigeminal and olfactory neural pathways. These pathways innervate the nasal cavity and provide a direct connection with the CNS ( 3 ).
Essential oils are an excellent choice for natural healing brain injuries. What components of essential oils can help the brain heal? Sesquiterpenes are tiny molecules that help heal the brain.
Terpenes, and the Blood-Brain Barrier
The blood-brain barrier is a filter or sieve that restricts the movement of molecules.
Most doctors resort to invasive procedures when it comes to brain tumors and brain injuries. But, are invasive procedures to the head so dangerous? If there were other methods to reach the brain holistically, what would you choose? Which is more risky?
Consider chemotherapy as an example. Most of the molecules and substances used in chemotherapy are too large for the blood-brain filter to handle. Doctors say that chemotherapy is not effective against brain cancer.
Doctors believe that only molecules with a molecular mass less than 800-1000 atomic masses units (amu), can pass through the BBB. These molecules must also have lipid soluble properties (water-soluble molecules are usually not able to pass through the BBB). Essential oils have a molecular weight requirement of less than 500 amu and are also lipid-soluble ( 4).
Essential oils contain hundreds of constituents. One unit of isoprene can have a molecular mass of only 68 amu. Terpenes are the compounds that make essential oils unique and distinctive. Molecules made up of isoprene unit are called “terpenes.”
Three terpenes are found in essential oils.– Phenylpropanoids (also known as hemiterpenes), is formed by an Isoprene Unit (molecular weight: 68 amu).
Monoterpenes are composed of two isoprene unit (molecular weight: 136 amu).
– Sesquiterpenes are composed of three isoprene unit (molecular weight: 204 amu).
The BBB can be passed by these three terpenes, but it’s the sesquiterpenes which are responsible for the brain’s oxygenating molecules. As explained by Dr. David Stewart ( 5).
“Sesquiterpene molecules provide oxygen molecules to cells in the same way that hemoglobin does in blood. Sesquiterpenes are also capable of deprogramming DNA misspelled codes. Sesquiterpenes have been shown to be particularly effective in fighting cancer. This is because cancer cells contain wrong information. The oxygen carried by sesquiterpene molecules also creates an environment that prevents cancer cells from reproducing. Sesquiterpenes give cancer cells a double win: one disables their coded misbehavior, and the second that stops their growth.
According to the American Medical Association (AMA), if they can find an agent that crosses blood-brain barriers, they will be able to find treatments for Lou Gehrig’s, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s diseases. These agents are already available and have existed since Biblical times. Essential oils are the agents, especially those that have the sesquiterpene compounds that oxygenate the brain.
The universities of Vienna, Berlin and Berlin discovered that the brain may be oxygenated by sesquiterpenes in essential oils of patchouli and sandalwood.
10 essential oils to treat brain injuries
Essential oils must contain high amounts of sesquiterpenes in order to increase oxygenation. To promote healing, every injury must be oxygenated. Cancer cells thrive in oxygen-starved environments. Cancer can’t survive without oxygen.
These essential oils contain high levels of sesquiterpenes which increase oxygenation in the brain. They also have other chemicals that can help nourish and repair brain tissue.
These oils contain sesquiterpenes (7, 8).
– Cedar wood (98%)
– vetiver (97%)
– Sandalwood (90%)
– Patchouli (71%).
– Myrrh (62%)
– Ginger (59%)
– ylang ylang (55%)
– helichrysum (40%)
– Melissa (40%)
– Incense (8%)
Sesquiterpenes found in these oils are especially effective in treating brain injuries that are difficult to treat.
How essential oils can be used to treat brain injuries
Essential oils can be used for brain injuries in many ways. Inhaling the oil is the easiest way to use it. This can be done by simply opening an essential oil bottle, and holding it close to your nose.
You can also use essential oils to treat brain injuries by diffusing them around your home. This can be done by purchasing a diffuser. Follow the instructions to determine how much essential oil can you use. My diffuser usually has 10 drops and I let it run for about an hour.
You can also make a steambath by adding 5-10 drops of essential oil to a large pot. Then, cover your head with a towel, then place your head over the pot. Inhale deeply to inhale the essential oils.
Essential oils should only be purchased from a reputable company. I recommend Eden’s Garden and Mountain Rose Herbs essential oils.
Warnings
Certain essential oils can be toxic for dogs and cats. These essential oils are not safe for cats or dogs.
For dogs:
Pin
Garlic
Juniper
Rosemary
– Tea tree
Thyme
Wintergreen
For cats
Cassia
Cinnamon
Citrus
Pin
Eucalyptus
– Lemon
– Lavender
Mint
– Fir tree
Tea tree
Thyme
