Nutraceuticals

A term “Nutraceuticals” was termed in 1989 by the chairman of the Foundation for Innovation in Medicine, Mr. Stephen DeFelice. The name combines the two words NUTRIENT (nourishing food component) and PHARMACEUTICAL (a medication). Nutraceuticals are often grouped as being functional food groups (ie: berries), medicinal foods (fermented), functional foods (whole foods, fortified & enriched) and dietary supplements that contain nutrients derived from food products. The FDA does not have to approve Dietary supplements. Supplements have to register their manufacturing locations with the FDA.

Pharmaceuticals

Beta blockers create pharmaceuticals. Beta-blockers take away the uncomfortable sensation and pain that various conditions can cause. They do not help the root cause of the discomfort, they simply help the person FEEL better. There is debate among health care practitioners as to whether this type of “treatment” is good or bad.  Is the body being healed?  No.  The pain is just being masked.

Essential Oils

Essential Oils work completely different than traditional medications. EO molecules are measured in atomic mass units and most are under 300 amu in size. Since they are so tiny and are lipid soluble, they have the ability to enter the cell walls. This enables an essential oil to kill a viruses INSIDE the cell, where pharma drugs can only kill the bacteria on the outside of the cell. Normal pharmaceuticals do not have the ability to kill viruses. Another age old problem is that pharmaceuticals end up decimating the healthy cells as well as the bad. (ie: chemotherapy).

Extensive research is ongoing regarding the ability of essential oils to attack cancer cells without damaging the surrounding tissues and health of the host. The most exciting work is in the area of the blood/brain barrier and the treatment of brain cancer. Right now, little can be done because the large molecular size of many drugs. They cannot cross the blood/brain barrier. Due to the tiny size of essential oil molecules, work has begun on finding essential oils that will target cancer cells without damaging the brain. The work shows great promise and we will all cross our fingers.