Volatile Oils

Volatile oils lend their wonderful aroma and taste to the herbs we all know from their use in food - rosemary, majoram, parsley, dill, basil, thyme, mint and sage. While we are enjoying our pasta with fresh basil, fish with parsley, potato soup with fresh coriander leaves, and tomatoes with oregano, we are unwittingly taking in substances with a wide variety of medicinal actions. Volatile or essential oils are made up of numerous different chemical compounds, the many combinations of which account for the variation in their fragrance, taste and actions.

All volatile oils have antiseptic and antimicrobial properties, enhancing the body's ability to fight off a range of infections. Many oils, such as in chamomile and yarrow, have anti-inflammatory and anti-spasmodic effects, others are expectorant, such as those in thyme and hyssop; some are diuretic, as in chamomile and parsley. Some volatile oils, such as in rosemary, fennel, and majoram, are tonics, enhancing the appetite, and the digestion and absorption of food by their beneficial action throughout the digestive system. Some, as in ginger, rosemary, and thyme - stimulate the heart and circulation.

You can take volatile oils into the body through a variety of different pathways. They may enter the bloodstream through the gut when taken in food, drinks, or in herbal medicines, or directly into the bloodstream when placed under the tongue.

They can enter via the pores of the skin in a massage, or inhaled. They are rapidly dispersed, particularly in the digestive, respiratory, and urinary systems. During pregnancy and lactation, the oils are passed to the baby through the placenta and breastmilk.

When we inhale the wonderful scents of volatile oils, nerve endings in the upper part of the nose are stimulated to carry messages to the brain, particularly an area known as the limbic system which relates to our thoughts and emotions. When we take oils in via the skin in baths and massage, they stimulate nerve endings in the skin which send messages to underlying tissues - muscles, blood, lymphatic vessels and nerves. Their actions are relayed to the pituitary gland, which governs the function of all other endocrine glands in the body. It is not difficult to see the enormous value of the therapeutic use of oils in relieving stress and enhancing general health.

Treatment with aromatic oils is called aromatherapy, and is usually a massage with oils. Rose oil is particularly beneficial to women, relieving tension and anxiety, problems related to femininity and sexuality, and symptoms in the reproductive system including menstrual problems, anxiety around childbirth, postnatal depression and low libido. Scents are some of the most delightfully evocative sensations we can enjoy from nature.

The aromatic flowers that scent our gardens and country lanes and the tasty, often pungent, herbs and spices which enliven our food, are not hard to appreciate. By inhaling the wonderful aromas around us we can lift our spirits and enhance our wellbeing immeasurably.