Marjoram Essential Oil Benefits Sleep, Blood Pressure, Bladder, Gut (1)
Marjoram essential oil has long been used as a traditional medicine. According to Greek mythology, Aphrodite, goddess of love, once used it as a love potion. Today, the sweet marjoram oil uses and potential healing properties are shared worldwide in commercial products like soaps, shampoos, and creams.
Marjoram oil is extracted from the leaves of the perennial plant, Origanum majorana, and is used to treat various ailments orally, topically, and via inhalation.
What is marjoram essential oil used for health-wise? Its primary use is for calming nerves. It also may be used for promoting good blood circulation, lowering blood pressure, alleviating pain, reducing inflammation, and settling digestive problems.
The chemical composition of marjoram essential oil includes the powerful terpinolene, a-terpinene, y-terpinene, terpinen-4-o1, linalyl acetate, p-cymene, sabinene, cis-sabinene hydrate, and linalool.
Nutritionally, two tablespoons of marjoram oil offer the following recommended daily allowances (RDA):
– Vitamin A – 6%
– Calcium – 8%
– Vitamin C – 3.5%
– Iron – 18%
Healing Properties of Marjoram Essential Oil
1. Pain Relief
As an analgesic, marjoram essential oil works to alleviate pain caused by inflammation, muscle fatigue, colds and flu, fever, headaches, and toothaches. The oil does not have the same adverse effects as commercial painkillers.
Use it to relieve pain by adding it to your favorite skin lotion or diffuse in a vaporizer.
2. Reduces Spasms
The antispasmodic component of marjoram essential oil targets muscle spasms and spasms of the intestinal and respiratory systems. The oil may help reduce or at least control the activity of the spasm. This is key in health conditions with uncontrollable spasms, including convulsions, spasmodic cholera, and cramps.
3. Fungal Infections
Marjoram essential oil may be used to fight and prevent fungal infections with its antifungal properties. It works to stop the growth of fungus while treating the invader at the same time. Marjoram oil may help with various skin diseases and dysentery, which is a form of gastroenteritis resulting in bloody diarrhea.
4. Viral Infections
The antiviral properties of marjoram essential oil may treat viral infections and the resulting disorders. It may also prevent the related ailments, which include colds and flu, measles, chicken pox, and mumps.
5. Wounds
With its antiseptic components, marjoram essential oil can be used for both internal and external wounds and sores. It can be used with a carrier oil or added to lotion for direct contact on skin wounds.
The oil is intended to treat and prevent wounds from infection such as sepsis, which is the body’s negative response to fighting the infection. Marjoram oil may also prevent the development of tetanus, a bacterial disease that attacks the nervous system.
6. Bacterial Infections
Marjoram essential oil may offer bactericidal treatment for bacterial infections throughout the body. This may include bacteria in the digestive system, colon, urinary tract, and on the skin surface.
The oil may be used for colic, food poisoning, malaria, and typhoid conditions.
7. Suppresses Sexual Desires
As an active anaphrodisiac, marjoram essential oil could possibly lower testosterone levels and reduce or control sexual desires. This may be helpful to those experiencing sexual impulses of a higher than normal level.
Marjoram Essential Uses – Digestive Aid
Marjoram seeds have been used for centuries for their essential oils to treat digestive problems. The oil is thought to promote healthy digestion by supporting the workings of the stomach acids, gastric juices and bile.
At the same time, the aroma of the oil affects the essential salivary glands by triggering them to produce saliva, which helps in the breakdown of food.
During the last stages of digestion, marjoram essential oil properties stimulate the contraction and relaxation of the muscles of the intestines for waste elimination.
1. Stomach Disorders
Within the digestive system, stomach issues such as gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and ulcers can arise. As a stomachic, marjoram essential oil may promote bile production to neutralize excess acid that causes ulcers. It may promote the digestive gastric juices to aid in the breakdown of food as well.
2. Gas Problems
The carminative and antispasmodic properties of marjoram essential oil may help the digestive system effects of excess gas or gas build-up. The abdomen muscles spasm, causing the aches and pains, nausea, and vomiting seen with gas problems. These, as well as indigestion, may be treated as the components of the oil could settle the contracting muscles.
3. Constipation
As a result of some digestive problems, constipation may develop, causing painful abdominal cramps and back pains. Marjoram essential oil may be used as a laxative, since it relaxes the muscles of the digestive tract and large intestine.
To use marjoram essential oil as a digestive aid, mix one teaspoon of ground marjoram leaves with every seven ounces of water. Boil for 15 minutes and drink two to four cups of the tea daily until symptoms of nausea, diarrhea, constipation, or cramps subside.
Marjoram Essential Oil Benefits for Cardiovascular Health
Marjoram essential oil could be used to regulate and boost the cardiovascular and circulatory systems. It may stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, known as your rest and digest reaction, while hindering the sympathetic nervous system that triggers the fight-or-flight response.
These actions are crucial to good cardiovascular health, as the parasympathetic nervous system stabilizes the body after a state of imbalance brought on by the sympathetic nervous system. Marjoram oil may help to lessen this stress on the heart by improving blood circulation and reducing blood pressure.
1. Vasodilator
Marjoram essential oil is rich in antioxidants. It may work as a vasodilator by opening the blood vessels to allow for better blood flow.
By dilating the blood vessels, the risk of having a heart attack decreases. A heart attack occurs when the heart does not receive sufficient oxygen due to a blockage of blood flow.
Brain hemorrhaging may also be prevented with the use of marjoram oil, because it can work to relax the muscles within the walls of the blood vessels.
Cardiovascular disease is also caused by the narrowing and hardening of the arteries, which disperse oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body. This is caused by plaque build-up within the vessels, and is known as atherosclerosis.
2. Blood Pressure
By easing the blood flow through stimulating the dilation of blood vessels, marjoram essential oil may help to lower high blood pressure. High blood pressure can lead to cardiovascular disease, heart attack, and stroke.
The use of marjoram and other essential oils was evaluated in a study of a group of middle-aged women with high blood pressure, also called hypertension. Published in the Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Journal, the results showed a significant reduction in blood pressure levels with the implementation of aroma therapy use of the oils.
Read the second part of the article
yogaesoteric
December 14, 2018