Thyme and Cinnamon Essential Oils May Be Effective Alternative to Antibiotics

"Essential oils could be a cheap and effective alternative to antibiotics and potentially used to combat drug-resistant hospital superbugs," according to the article "Essential Oils to Fight Superbugs" on the ScienceDaily website.

The research for this study was led by Professor Yiannis Samaras and Dr. Effimia Eriotou from the Technological Educational Institute of Ionian Islands, in Greece, and presented at the Society for General Microbiology's spring meeting in Edinburg. Samaras and Eriotou tested the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from eight plants, from which they found thyme (Thymus vulgaris) essential oil to be the most effective; thyme essential oils "was able to almost completely eliminate bacteria within 60 minutes."

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) essential oil was also found to be effective, and both cinnamon and thyme essential oil "were found to be particularly efficient antibacterial agents against a range of Staphylococcus species. Strains of these bacteria are common inhabitants of the skin and some may cause infection in immunocompromised individuals."

"The Greek team," according to ScienceDaily, "believes essential oils could have diverse medicinal and industrial applications. 'The oils--or their active ingredients--could be easily incorporated into antimicrobial creams or gels for external application. In the food industry the impregnation of food packaging with essential oils has already been successfully trialed. They could also be included in food stuffs to replace synthetic chemicals that act as preservatives,' they said."

To read the full-length article on the ScienceDaily website, go to: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100330210942.htm

*This information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, diagnose, heal, or prevent disease. You should always consult with your primary care physician or naturopathic doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine.

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine is Changing Directions

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is "expected to focus less on the large human clinical trials common in the past and more on fundamental research," according to an article released by the American Botanical Council (ABC).

The Center, which is entering its second decade of operations, will continue to dedicate more than 50% of its research to human studies, but will move towards a more "patient-centered approach," focusing on "effectiveness-based studies emphasizing interventions in real-world settings."

Dr. Josephine P. Briggs, NCCAM Director, told ABC that "All of us recognize that assessing how modalities work in real world settings is critical,” and she noted a study that "uses existing data, including 5 years of insurance claims, to compare outcomes, quality of care, and costs of patients who use CAM providers for back pain treatment with those who do not."

You can read more about potential areas of focus for NCCAM research, as well as how these changes may influence CAM modalities and the general healthcare system, from Herbal Gram: http://cms.herbalgram.org/heg/Volume7/02%20February/NCCAM_Future.html?t=1265060114

New study shows enforcing kids' bedtimes improves children's health

Children who do not get enough sleep "can have behavioral and emotional problems and cognitive developmental issues," according to a September 14 article, "Enforcing bedtimes improves kids' health" on CNN.com.

Based on a study by Jodi Mindell, which appeared in the May edition of the journal Sleep, bedtime routines, the article continued, including a bath, cuddling, or singing, help "infants to sleep better through the night and improve sleep issues for children."

>> Read the full-length article about sleep and children's health on the CNN website

>> Read more about the connection between bedtime and adult health in Hey...Are you still awake? by ACHS graduate Maureen Jeanson

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Pine essential oil may be natural insect repellent

As the weather warms, we spend more and more time outside. Whether you have a family camping trip planned, or just plan to hang out in your backyard, mosquitoes can make outdoor living pretty uncomfortable. However, there is another reason to use insect repellent. "Human diseases caused by blood-feeding ticks and mosquitoes represent a serious threat to public health worldwide," according to the website ScienceDaily.com.

Agricultural Research Service scientists have discovered that a naturally-occurring compound made from pine oil seems to deter the biting of mosquitoes more effectively than the widely used synthetic chemical repellent DEET.

"Many natural-product chemicals isolated from plants and essential oils have proven to have repellent effects," reports the article "Tick and Mosquito Repellent Can Be Made Commercially From Pine Oil." "This newly-discovered repellent can be prepared inexpensively from pine oil feedstock in ton quantities for large-scale commercial applications, giving it a significant advantage over many of the other natural-product repellent chemicals."

In the meantime, however, pine Pinus sylvestris essential oil has been shown to have natural insecticide properties. The essential oil has a sweet, woody fragrance with a somewhat balsamic undertone, which sweetens as it evaporates. Used externally, the Recommended Daily Dose is 1-3 drops, or diffuse into the air.

*A skin patch test is recommended. Avoid use on sensitive or damaged skin.