The Role of Essential Oils PRESENT DAY and FUTURE
I recently had a fellow pharmacist friend reach out to me via Insta to ask if I had some info and insights about doTERRA ClaryCalm essential oil blend for balancing hormones. She had a lady customer come into the pharmacy and ask her about it, as she had read online it could help “balance” hormones.
I’ve reflected on this message for some time as it really is the perfect crossroads of my two words. So I thought I would share my perspective of the role of essential oils currently and where I know this to be heading. I actually think it’s really important to acknowledge.
Firstly, I really respect this intelligent and caring health professional who wrote this. Look at her wording.... Ultimately, she is reaching out because she cares. Instead of being dismissive, she’s remaining curious and seeking answers, so that she can help.
Health professionals like this, are exactly what we need to shape the future of our healthcare in the right direction!
And doTERRA know this, to be true, too.
Now, perspective! Let’s take a look at the current reality.
I could justify how ClaryCalm, a blend of essential oils, aimed at supporting a woman physically and emotionally during her menstrual cycle, may assist in supporting hormonal balance, based on my own research, experience from customers, reading small sample size human trials with essential oils in this blend, understanding mechanisms of how these particular plant constituents interact in our body to bring about homeostasis, but ultimately right now, that is not the appropriate response for me to take.
Essential oils aren’t regulated by the TGA/FDA, because they fall within the natural health category. Natural health products cannot claim to treat, prevent, cure or mitigate any disease, even if there is scientific research to back it up, because this is the realm of the pharmaceutical industry, which the TGA/FDA does regulate. And we have to respect that (some essential oils are going through TGA approval as I type this).
However, after a five year pharmacy degree I can tell you that the pharmaceutical industry does recognise the power of plants. For the most part, that is how the industry started and exists today (penicillin, aspirin, tamiflu and about another 40% of all prescription medications are derived from plants). We looked to nature and then manufactured a synthetic version, for it to be able to be sold within the model that the pharmaceutical industry exists as today.
Here’s what I know…
Breastmilk, fresh food that grows, light and dark, spring water, plants, humans, animals, all coexist in a world that nature created. Some of us know that there is this intuitive intelligence that exists in all of these things that cannot be truly re- created by mankind. Much of which still cannot be fully understood by science but we know it to be true anyway. I believe that when we focus on being inclusive of that natural realm, our biology tends to self organise in a way that promotes health.
You see nothing in your body works in isolation. When you have a specific target in the body that is needed to bring about a change, you also change other parts within the body. What you do to one part you do to the whole. More times than not, when we focus singularly, in the body, we lose sight of the bigger picture.
Plants, however work differently. When we communicate to the body in the same language that it knows, ie. nature to nature, it creates a synergistic effect (versus mechanistic), allowing recruitment of all body systems to work together, to bring about homeostasis. It seems “woo woo” or “unspecific” or “magically” but what it is, is - intuitive.
So for now I focus on using these gifts of the Earth (Fun Fact: doTERRA, is a Latin derivative meaning “Gift of the Earth), to support my body physically, mentally and emotionally in the realm of lifestyle and prevention and supporting body systems back to homeostasis.
But I excitedly look to the future...
This is where doTERRA has shifted their focus a couple of years ago as they knew where and why this had to shift, if they were committed to supporting health outcomes - and so Prime Meridian health clinics were established. https://pmhclinics.com/
doTERRA has begun to call on all of the doctors that have a respect of nature and a willingness to learn, and be a part of the solution.
Through these health care facilities we will see a a larger body of doctors and patients being educated on the use of essential oils and as a result of their integration you will see a large body of research through human trials growing. Most health practitioners have very little training in plant medicine, particularly with doTERRA essential oils. We need practitioners to have an understanding of pure plant medicine. Because like my friend elicited in this message, at present they have little idea on how the plants work that they can’t advice their patients effectively and safely, when they are asked.
And yes there is a BIG difference between “essential oils” and doTERRA essential oils. doTERRA have set the bar on quality so high, that they are in a unique position to drive this direction and integration, because of their repeated quality. 54 tests in total for every bottle, 43 in house, 11 are done by a third party, oils go from farmer to you without going through brokers, and perfumists, like other essential oils do. You can read more about these processes HERE.
In the last decade, medical publications of essential oil research has increased by 400% . That is going to continue to explode over the next 10 years, because of the work doTERRA is doing.
This is exciting as we look to a future that is not, them or us, but inclusive of both worlds. At the very least, It’s a conversation of options, “let’s try this first, and if it doesn’t work, we’ve still got this to try, too”.
And that friends, is a future I look forward too, as both practitioner and patient!
Love Chantel