Are Sweet Peas Aromatherapy?reply to Kathleen

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Hey Kathleen,

 

I am going to make a reply that Butch can join in on when he has time.

Fact 1. All flowers give off volatile chemicals.

Fact 2. Hundreds of varieties have been analysed by special techniques

that capture those chemicals and analyse them.

Fact 3. Most of the above is done for the perfume trade so they can

recreate fragrances that distillation cannot capture, ie. cherry

blossom, apple blossom, etc.

Fact 4. The definition of an 'essential oil' is a trade fixed term

mainly based on way outdated French trade definitions that I do not

accept as valid.

 

In my view the only true essential oil is that substance found in the

glands of plants or resins. That is NOT what you get in your little

bottles because hot distillation IS an un-natural chemical process.

That said, it in no way detracts from the usefullness of these " oils " .

 

Taking into account the fact that we know thousands of chemicals are

emitted by plants into the atmosphere, and some research indicating an

effect on humans in forest airs and gardens, I will stake my

reputation (for what it's worth) that some of these chemicals do have

profound effects on both our physiology and our physchology. Will we

get to find out which chemicals are involved? I kind of doubt it

because most of the analysis is only for the fragrance trade. So is

walking in a fragrant garden aromatherapy - you bet it is.

 

Lastly bear in mind that the term 'aromatherapy' is an entirely modern

one without any real analysis of what it means.

 

Martin Watt

http://www.aromamedical.com

 

ATFE2 , " Kathleen Petrides " <Beadhussy wrote:

>

> There is another point that I hesitate to point out lest Butch takes

out his

> big gun and shoots me down. LOL! But here we go...

>

> How are eo's derived. Steam distillation for the most part. What is

used?

> Flowers (I'm being VERY simplistic here, I know other parts of the

plant is

> also used, so give moi a wee break). What kind of flowers? Fresh

flowers.

> Not dried up, withered old maid flowers without a spark of life, but

big fat

> juicy, prime of their fertile lives flowers, still retaining a bit

of life

> in them.

>

> Okay. Flowers, add steam (heated past boiling point water) and you get

> essential oils.

>

> So. You trying to tell me that flowers growing in the garden, being

pummeled

> by mr. nasty sun (not a heat lover here) is NOT, in fact, releasing

a minute

> quantity of something theraputic? That when we suck into our lungs

the air

> around these flowers that we are ONLY getting smell? AAAAACHHHHOOOO! and

> pollen.

>

> I don't believe it.

>

> One can be rather short sighted and say that only bottled product can be

> used for the practice of Aromatherapy, but it is my belief that

sitting in a

> garden, a maze, a room filled with the real thing is going to do one

a huge

> amount of good and part of that is from whatever the plants are

releasing to

> the air around them.

>

> Chin stuck out with stubborn conviction that she's right!

>

> K

> P.S. Keep in mind I am not saying that it could replace oils, I'm saying

> there is a place for them as well. ;-)

> On Fri, May 9, 2008 at 2:03 PM, Christina M <BodyAmbrosia wrote:

>