Exploring the Mystery of Aromatherapy Through Biotechnology

Home
>
Alternative Medicine
>
Exploring the Mystery of Aromatherapy Through Biotechnology

Exploring the Mystery of Aromatherapy Through Biotechnology

Aromatherapy originated in Ancient Egypt. About a hundred years ago, a pharmacist from France used an innovative method which led to a breakthrough in aromatherapy techniques. In recent years, under the strong promotion by Sathelyne Group, Bel'Air aromatherapy came into being to benefit many consumers.

For centuries, people have experienced and have come to recognise that essential oils have many benefits. Essential oils can help to combat bacteria and other diseases, repel mosquitoes, prevent tooth decay, fight oxidisation, inflammation and even enhance the immune system, calm nerves, etc.

But with so many types of essential oils around, which essential oils will benefit you? Which are the safest? These are questions that researchers are still unable to answer exactly.

Since 2002 when Bel'Air set up our factory in France, there has been interest in testing the safety and effectiveness of our essential oils. With these concerns in mind, Bel'Air worked closely with professor Tsai from Taiwan National Yang Ming University in setting up our very own Bel'Air Bio-tech Research Centre. Professor Tsai Ying Chieh is head of Taiwan National Yang Ming Biotechnology Department and head of Taiwan National Yang Ming University Medical Science Department. He expressed that his interest in aromatherapy research is enhanced by the fact that research and academic publications in this field are scarce. The Bel'Air Bio-tech Research Centre hopes to strengthen the foundation of botanic essential oil research and further the investigation of essential oils and their various properties, effects and benefits. Professor Tsai also hopes to share knowledge with international institutions and publish academic papers. At the same time, he aims to educate the public on aromatherapy.

The Effects of Essential Oils on Micro-organisms Present in the Air

Between August 2000 and September 2002, Bel'Air Bio-tech Research Centre carried out a research program to determine whether Green tea essential oil, Ginseng essential oil, Eucalyptus essential oil and Lavender essential oil have an influence on the amount of micro-organism (mold, yeast, fungus, bacteria) in the air. The researchers conducted tests on Green Tea essential oil, Ginseng essential oil, Eucalyptus essential oil and Lavender essential oil. They burned these 4 types of essential oils in a sealed room, and recorded readings at different time intervals. Readings were taken at the beginning of experiment (0 min), during the experiment (30, 50, 70, 90 mins) and after the experiment (30, 60, 90,120,150,180,210 mins). The experiment was repeated several times based on a sample of 500 litres of air. The experiment results proved that:

Green Tea has 90% effectiveness in killing bacteria; and 61% effectiveness in killing fungus. Ginseng has 90% effectiveness in killing bacteria; and 62% effectiveness in killing fungus. Eucalyptus has 52% and 48% effectiveness respectively, as pertaining to the items above. Lavender has 66% and 71% effectiveness respectively, as pertaining to the items above. Professor Tsai expressed excitement and interest in such results, because the experiment proved that Sathelyne Bel'Air's aromatherapy products indeed could combat micro-organism in the air, thus purifying the air. He also said that although the effectiveness figures for fungus seem low, but that is desirable because this would mean that it would not be harmful to the body.

After obtaining such positive and encouraging results, Bel'Air has worked even harder to carry out the 2nd experiment. This program made detailed analysis and records of the chemical compositions of these 5 essential oils, and tests were done to determine their chemical and biological safety.

Professor Tsai carefully selected Ginseng, Green Tea, Green Bamboo, Lotus and Eucalyptus as the 5 essential oils for the experiment. The reason for such a selection was because the 1st four essential oils are plants from the East, of which not enough researches had been carried out in the West. The selection of Eucalyptus was to act as a test reference for the other 4.

Chemical and Biological Safety Experiment

The 2nd experiment went through the following steps:

Using GC-MS to analyse the chemical composition of these 5 essential oils. Based on their individual chemical compositions, analysis was done to determine the safety for use of essential oils. Using GC_MS to determine the after effects of these essential oils, whether any by-products or toxins were produced in the combustion process. Using Ames test to test the before and after changes of these essential oils.

Using skin cells, fat cells and HepG2cancer cells to determine essential oils effects.

Find out what effects these essential oils have in combating bacteria and killing micro-organism such as mold, yeast and fungus (MIC). The 2nd experiment results proved that these essential oils have compositions that are mild, low in toxins, do not irritate skin and have low light-sensitivity. The Ames test also proved that these essential oils do no go through major changes before and after the combustion process. What is more encouraging is that before the test, these essential oils already contained beneficial compositions, but after the test, these beneficial compositions diffused into the air and these are what the body needs exactly. Moreover, the body does not easily absorb these compositions in our daily activities.

These experiments carried out by Bel'Air and Yang Ming University have achieved positive results, and we hope that in future, there will be more of such experiments to make the benefits known to consumers.

The Aims of Bio-technology in the Medical Applications of Aromatherapy

1. To determine the plant essences and their scientific applications, their methods of production and their

relevance for health therapy and health maintenance.

2. To establish the concepts and the operational models.

3. To bring aromatherapy into the realm of medical treatments.

4. To employ modern methods of making new medicinal products in setting up aromatherapy processes, so as to develop aromatic medical science.

Nur Syahid, a Natural Aromatherapist, specializes in Bio-Tech Aromatherapy including oxygen therapy, ozone therapy, health aromatherapy. Comments, Share and more info E-mail to : Healthybelair@yahoo.com

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

Obama warns of dire consequences without stimulus (AP)

AP - President-elect Barack Obama warned of dire and long-lasting consequences if Congress doesn't pump unprecedented dollars into the national economy, making an urgent pitch Thursday for his mammoth spending proposal in his first speech since the election.

Obama tax plan runs into opposition in Senate (AP)

AP - President-elect Barack Obama's proposed tax cuts are running into opposition from senators in his own party who say they won't do much to stimulate the economy or create jobs.

UN halts Gaza aid shipments, cites Israeli attacks (AP)

AP - The U.N. halted deliveries to the Gaza Strip on Thursday after gunfire from an Israeli tank killed an aid truck driver, and the threat of a wider conflict arose when militants in Lebanon fired rockets into northern Israel.

Retailers report dismal December sales (AP)

AP - Retailers reported dismal sales figures for December on Thursday as even Wal-Mart Stores Inc., one of the bright spots in the industry, finally buckled under the pressures of the deteriorating economy.

Prosecutors: Madoff was ready to send out $173M (AP)

AP - Prosecutors say Bernard Madoff had $173 million in signed checks in his office desk that he was ready to send out at the time of his arrest last month.

Continuing jobless claims rise more than expected (AP)

AP - The number of people continuing to seek unemployment benefits has risen sharply, according to government data released Thursday, indicating that laid-off workers are having a harder time finding new jobs as the recession enters its second year.

Shooting by Oakland, Calif., officer sparks anger (AP)

AP - Mayor Ron Dellums urged residents to remain calm after protests turned violent in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by a transit police officer.

Microsoft's Ballmer: Windows 7 is nearly final (AP)

AP - Microsoft Corp.'s next version of the Windows operating system is almost ready for prime time. That's one message Chief Executive Steve Ballmer delivered on the eve of the official opening of the International Consumer Electronics Show.

Private memorial set for Travolta's son in Fla. (AP)

AP - John Travolta and family were expected to host a private memorial service Thursday for their son, 16-year-old Jett Travolta, at their gated-community home in central Florida.

AP source: Smoltz agrees to deal with Boston (AP)

AP - John Smoltz has reached preliminary agreement on a contract with the Boston Red Sox, who also agreed Thursday to a one-year contract with outfielder Rocco Baldelli.

Obama pushes stimulus and warns on recession (Reuters)

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama sought to rally support on Thursday for a massive fiscal stimulus package by warning that the United States could remain mired in recession for years without bold action.

U.N. agency halts work in Gaza as death toll tops 700 (Reuters)

Reuters - Palestinians faced even grimmer conditions in the Gaza Strip on Thursday after a U.N. aid agency halted work, saying its staff were at risk from Israeli forces fighting Hamas militants, after two drivers were killed.

Jobless rolls at 26-year high, retail sales weak (Reuters)

Reuters - Unemployment benefit rolls swelled to a 26-year high in the last week of December, data showed on Thursday, while retailers, including market leader Wal-Mart, reported poor sales as the year-long economic slump deepened.

US says Madoff had checks ready, wants him jailed (Reuters)

Reuters - A search of accused swindler Bernard Madoff's office desk revealed he had signed checks totaling more than $173 million ready to be sent, U.S. prosecutors said in court papers on Thursday asking a judge to jail him.

North Korea may see no U.S. nuclear threat: adviser (Reuters)

Reuters - North Korea may have begun developing nuclear arms after deciding the United States was unlikely to use nuclear weapons to eliminate its development program, a senior Pentagon adviser said on Thursday.

Ex-Senator Craig accepts sex sting guilty plea (Reuters)

Reuters - Former Sen. Larry Craig has ended his effort to void the guilty plea he made following his 2007 arrest in a men's toilet sex-sting operation, his lawyer said on Thursday.

Global economic woes deepen, more action urged (Reuters)

Reuters - Bleak economic data in Europe and disappointing December retail sales figures in the United States unsettled financial markets on Thursday, strengthening the case for more government stimulus and encouraging rate cuts.

Satyam in crisis as India vows to end company fraud (Reuters)

Reuters - India's Satyam Computer faces a crisis of "unimaginable proportions," its interim chief executive said a day after the chairman revealed profits had been falsely inflated for years.

Rocket attack jolts Israel as Gaza war blazes on (AFP)

AFP - Rockets fired into northern Israel from Lebanon on Thursday sparked a new military alert as Israeli jets carried out mass strikes on smuggling tunnels in Gaza.

Russia to restart Europe gas after transit deal: Medvedev (AFP)

AFP - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday said Moscow will resume gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine after it has struck an agreement with Ukraine on the transit, Russian news agencies reported.

Exploring the Mystery of Aromatherapy Through Biotechnology

Alternative Medicine Alternative Medicine