What a glorious day, and still only mid-March. With the lighter mornings, the parrots wake early and squawk interminably to arouse me from my slumber. Barely past 7am, the constant hum of distant traffic already disturbs the tranquility of the WindrushValley. I venture outside to view the day. A slight layer of frost lies across the garden, but this does not deter the tireless honey bees from getting on with the work of the day. Lightly, they flit from primrose to daffodil, and back again, as rowdier bumble-bees struggle to squeeze their rotund bodies into the hellebores. In a nearby field, a light-breasted barn owl swoops and glides in search of an errant shrew or vole, arousing the suspicion of a covey of English partridges skulking in the grass. A barely perceptible tap-tapping around my feet announces the arrival of George and Mildred, a pair of amazingly tame red-legged French partridges, eagerly seeking discarded scraps of Mick’s dog biscuits. A hen blackbird, Mrs. Scuttlebutt, streaks across the table, almost upsetting my warming cup of coffee, en route to a nearby flowerbed to sift through the recently-laid mulch to reveal an early worm breakfast. Overhead, the Canada geese honk off to feed. On such a day, it’s good to be alive and I linger longer to enjoy the bounteous beauty of emerging Spring.

For no particular reason, I reflect upon the stark contrast of this scene with my life of thirty odd years ago. By this time of the clock, I would have already been behind the wheel for almost sixty minutes, driving down the A1 from Sawtry, a few miles north of Huntingdon, to work in the City of London. Doubtless many would consider a company car quite a perk but it could also be quite a bind, as I was expected to use it in lieu of subsidized rail travel, which was fine when we lived little further than Heathrow but a distinct disadvantage when we opted for a more rural way of life. What’s more, as very early manufacturers of in-car phones, with which of course my car was equipped, my Chairman was often wont to check my dawn progress from the comfort of his bed in London. Finally I could take it no longer and exchanged my corporate motor for a season ticket on the recently introduced high-speed train from Huntingdon to the Metropolis, but was still obliged to lug around a mobile phone the weight and size of a couple of bricks. Should you doubt me, I found it in the roof the other day.

Whilst the comfort and ease of 1st Class travel were most welcome, I

do recall that the carriage seats, after a night’s sojourn in York, were invariablyas damp as ditches and, although probably not at all related, I contracted viral pneumonia soon after commencing my commute by rail. As luck would have it, this coincided with a bout of amoebic dysentery. I fell seriously ill and it was several weeks before I returned to the office, where, to my complete surprise, it was suggested that I might like to go to work in southern Spain for a while whilst I fully recuperated. Jan and Justin joined me three months later and a decade passed before we came to live in England again. Unsurprisingly perhaps, I have not commuted since by rail and rarely carry a mobile phone!  

Probing pneumonia.

When writing the above, I realized suddenly that whilst I am only too happy to research the ailments of others I am reluctant to investigate  my own, probably because I am fearful of what I might discover. Still, with pneumonia and dysentery firmly in my past I reached timidly for the Oxford Concise Medical Dictionary to find out what had beset me all those years ago as, in my ignorance, I couldn’t distinguish one pneumonia or dysentery from another.  

Pneumoniais inflammation of the lung caused by bacteria, in which the air sacs (alveoli) become filled with inflammatory cells causing the lung to become solid (consolidation). However, pneumonias may be classified in different ways.

Firstly, by looking at the X-ray. Lobar pneumonia affects whole lobes of the lung and is usually caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, whilst lobular pneumonia refers to multiple patchy shadows in a localized or segmental area. When these multiple shadows are widespread, the pneumonia is termed bronchopneumonia. In bronchopneumonia, the infection starts in a number of small bronchi and spreads in a patchy manner into the air sacs.

Secondly, by identifying the infecting organism. The most common is Streptococcus pneumoniae, but Haemophilus influenzae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae,Staphylococcus aureus, Legionella pneumophila, among others, may all be responsible for the infection.

Viral pneumonia may be caused by any one of a number of viruses, such as respiratory syncytial virus, influenza and parainfluenza viruses, adenovirus, and enteroviruses. The pneumonia can often occur with or subsequent to a systemic viral infection. Could amoebic dysentery have had anything to do with it, I wonder?

Atypical pneumonia is any one of a group of community-acquired pneumonias that do not respond to penicillin but do respond to such antibiotics as tetracyclin and erythromycin. They include infection with Mycoplasmapneumoniae, Chlamydia psittaci, and Coxiella burnetii.  

Aviculturists will doubtless be familiar with Chlamydiapsittaci, and farmers with Coxiella burnetii, because the bacteriumC. psittaci is the cause of psittacosis, an endemic infection of birds, which can be passed to humans by inhalation from handling the birds or by contact with cage dust, faeces, or feathers, and therickettsia C. burnetii isthecauseof Q fever, an acute infectious disease of cattle, sheep, and goats, that can be transmitted to man primarily through contaminated unpasteurized milk.Still, I digress. Back to pneumonia.

Thirdly, by considering the clinical and environmental circumstances under which the pneumonia is acquired. These infections are divided into community-acquired pneumonia and hospital-acquired (i.e. nosocomial) pneumonia. The aetiology of infective pneumonia, and therefore the choice of treatment, differs according to whether it is community- or hospital-acquired and whether the patient was previously healthy, has chronic lung disease or other debilitating condition, is very young or very old, is immunocompromised, or has pneumonia as a result of aspiration. Pneumonia is usually due to bacterial or viral infection, but may be caused by fungi in immunocompromised patients or by the aspiration of chemical irritants.

The organisms responsible for community-acquired pneumonia are those that I have mentioned above and, more recently, Moraxallia catarrhalis, especially in those with chronic lung disease. They are totally different from those in the other groups, which will have to wait until I have read a bit more. To be honest, I had no idea that there was so much to take into account when considering pneumonia, and I bet that every type has a different prescription, or maybe not?! Hopefully, my look at dysentery will be a little easier. Meanwhile, can essential oils assist? 

Pneumonia is one of those conditions where a symbiosis of different methods of treatment are brought into play. Antibiotics are prescribed with great success and should be taken no matter what your personal view. Bed-rest is essential, as is drinking plenty of fluids and keeping your hands and feet warm.

Although it may sound a bit odd, putting essential oil on to a tissue and into one’s socks is an extremely effective measure in the treatment of bronchitis, and also pneumonia. Tear a tissue in half and on each piece put 2 drops of essential oil, red thyme (Thymus zygis L.) for bronchitis and ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) forpneumonia, and arrange these in the socks so that the tissues are against the soles of your feet. Change the tissues twice a day - in the evening they should be placed in your bedsocks and worn overnight.

Inhalations, using Ravensara (Ravensara aromatica Sonnerat), Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia (Maiden & Betche) Cheel) or Niaouli (Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) S.T. Blake), are another effective method. Also make a body rub which can be used all over the body, except the face. The Fragrant Pharmacy, to which I am indebted for the other tips as well, suggests 10 drops Eucalyptus lemon (Corymbia citriodora (Hook.) K.D. Hill & L.A.S. Johnson), 10 drops Niaouli, 5 drops Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) and 5 drops Ravensara, diluted in 30ml vegetable oil.

How long is prolonged?

Sheila Wilcox-Leonard and her business partner Debra Hughan, who is a podiatrist and has been practising for twenty years, have developed a range of four products for four common conditions of the feet: athlete’s foot, verrucae, fungal nail infection, and chilblains. They used these in Debra’s footcare clinic for three years before marketing them to other podiatrists.

Sheila has spoken to podiatrists all over the country, many of whom have been advising their clients to use neat Tea Tree on fungal infection of the toe nails for sustained periods of time, i.e. until the condition clears, but, when asked if many people develop a reaction to this, they often confirm that they do.

Debra and Sheila would like to write an article for the various podiatry journals opening up a debate on the use of neat Tea Tree. During her training, Sheila was told that the use of neat Tea Tree on an insect bite or similar was all right, but not for prolonged use. She asks for my view.

As one who has been associated with Melaleucaalternifolia formore than thirty years, and always uses it neat for a variety of common ailments, I can only say that, in my experience, the incidence of adverse reactions has been very low. However, I have always noted that people with pale skin and auburn hair invariably react, as do grey and bay horses. Also, I don’t doubt that ‘old’ Tea Tree can induce an adverse reaction. As far as “prolonged” use is concerned I cannot really comment, because I don’t know how long is “prolonged”, and I’m not being facetious. However, my late friend Don Miller, who used neat Tea Tree liberally on a daily basis for a number of years - it was like a cosmetic for him - and reputedly bathed in it whenever he had a bad cold, told me a few years ago that he could no longer apply a drop without getting a severe adverse reaction!

Do others have any views?

Another vegetable oil to consider.

I would have thought more than fifty vegetable oils on our list enough but, surprisingly, this doesn’t seem to be the case. Just the other day I was asked why we didn’t stock Ricebranoil (Oryza sativa L.). I’ve no idea, but now we’ve taken some into stock I just hope that somebody buys it! In fact, for those interested in oriental cooking, you could do little better because it has a very high smoke point (>500 degrees F) which makes it ideal for pan or stir frying.

A refined oil, extracted from the bran of the rice kernel, it contains primarily oleic (45%) and linoleic (35%) acids and is naturally high in tocopherols and ferulic acid. It has also a high level of components with nutraceutical value such as g-oryzanol and tocotrienols. Said to reduce cholesterol more effectively than olive oil, ongoing research shows it may have potential as an anticancer and antiinfection agent [Minhajuddin, M. 2005. Rice bran oil to cut cholesterol. Food Navigator. 13 May].

Codex Alimentarius.

I am concerned about the possible implementaion of CodexAlimentarius. If you have not heard of this, take a look at the Codex Alimentarius web site and view the video links. This implementation will affect not only your business but others like it plus all the therapists who use vitamins, minerals and herbs. I would be pleased to hear your views on this, writes Carole Headley. Most fortuitously, Jennie Harding was already on the case.

She had written to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as follows.

“ I write on behalf of myself and many concerned individuals to find out more about the proposed introduction of legislation at the end of 2009, supposedly to ban the sale of vitamins, herbs and other forms of natural medicine - classing these as ‘toxins’.

I am a natural medicine practitioner with almost 20 years experience, and it is galling to see yet another attempt by the pharmaceutical industry to outlaw natural medicine and deny people the right to choose to use beneficial herbs and supplements. It is a well-known argument, but the sheer numbers of adverse reactions to natural medicines is tiny compared to the vast numbers of drug-related reactions that happen on a daily basis. Also many thousands of people benefit from using herbs, homeopathy and vitamins; this is preventive care, unlike the NHS/drug companies that make their money out of selling drugs and have a vested interest in people being sick!

Of equal concern is the fact that this proposed legislation has so far not been covered by the media, so that we can be informed as is surely our right in a democratic society. This proposed legislation that is being sneaked in by the back door is an insidious attack on our freedom [yet another in a long line of our choices that are being steadily eroded]. I would welcome clarification from you of this proposed legislation and an understanding of its potential effects and scope. I am sure you are aware that a major petition against it is being lodged with Number 10 Downing Street and thanks to the internet the message is being spread. I believe it is important to know the facts and to make those clear. I hope you agree with me.”

To put things into context, a little background to the Codex is warranted. It originated at the beginning of the 1960s and its membership is limited to member state Governments, but international businesses, and other non-governmental organisations, meeting certain criteria are afforded observer status. It is sponsored and funded wholly by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). The need for such an international body, tasked with agreeing standards and guidelines for the safe production of food, should be viewed against the background of the increasing globalisation of the food supply. A core principle of Codex, enshrined in its statutes, is that there needs to be consensus amongst its members, firstly on the need for any new work, secondly throughout the development of its texts, and ultimately at the final adoption stage. It is member country Governments that take the lead throughout discussions and negotiations.

At the heart of the work of Codex is the maxim that consumers have a right to expect their food to be safe, of good quality and suitable for consumption. It follows that the safety and provenance of internationally traded food is of paramount importance. This is where Codex plays an important role. UK food supplements are regulated under the EC Food Supplements Directive (EC 2002/46/EC), which has applied since 2005. This sets out requirements for establishing maximum levels of vitamins and minerals in food supplements, however these have not yet been agreed. Proposals in this regard are not expected until later this year.

In relation to Codex Alimentarius, the Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements were published in 2005. As an active participant in Codex, the FSA is not aware of any current work on the part of Codex to reclassify substances as has has been suggested, or indeed of any further work in the area of food supplements.

Therefore, bearing this official line in mind, the FSA’s response to Jennie was perhaps predictable.

Regarding the specific allegations raised in her letter, she is told to rest assured that they are unfounded. Whilst her concerns that the Codex is sinister in some way are appreciated, this is far from the case. She is assured that everything is fully transparent.

When it comes to Government, is anything ever fully transparent? I don’t think so, but check http://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/index_en.jspand let me know what you think. I shall keep a watching brief.   

Meanwhile, many thanks to Jennie and Carole for bringing this vital issue to our attention and all power to Jennie’s elbow in her endeavour to cut through the obfuscation.

Checking out Chilli.

I’ve recently been experimenting with chilli for pain relief. Did you know that you can get cayenne nasal sprays for migraine? Unfortunately they don’t do much for me, but the other day I remembered what I had read about the use of capsaicin cream for joint pain, and added a little chilli oil (Tesco Finest, infused in Spanish olive oil) to a muscle/joint blend I made up with plai, lavender, lavandin, marjoram and rosemary. I have severe ME and managed to get my elbows and wrists into a bit of a state after some overenthusiastic quilting, so yesterday I decided to try slapping this oil on. It’s early to tell, but I think it’s helping a lot more than my other oil blends usually do. What can you tell me about chilli oil?, asks Eve Morris. Is it going to have a similar efficacy to capsaicin cream (not that I’ve tried that), and should it also be applied repeatedly before it starts working, as is apparently true for capsaicin cream? What else might it be useful for, and are there any essential or base oils you’d recommend combining it with for muscle or joint pain? Also, is it safe to use the cooking oil, or should I try another source?

ChilliPepper, Cayenne Pepper, Hot Pepper or Tabasco Pepper, is also referred to merely as Red Pepper. It consists of the dried ripe fruits of Capsicum frutescens L., Capsicum annuum L., or a large number of hybrids or varieties of these species of the family Solanaceae. These plants have been highly valued as spices for hundreds of years, and the extensive cultivation carried out over that length of time has resulted in peppers widely differing from one another in size, shape, and pungency. Therefore, the labelling of commercial samples is really meaningful only if the variety is specifically designated.

Most of the cultivated peppers are C. annuum L. var.annuum, with five groups of cultivars,ofwhichsomeofthefirst three are also grown as ornamentals: 1. Cerasiforme Group(the cherry pepper), which has very pungent small fruit, 2. Conoides Group (the cone pepper), which has erect and more-or-less conical fruit, 3. Fasiculatum Group (the red cone pepper), which has very pungent, red, erect, slender, clustered fruit, 4. Grossum Group (the bell, green, or sweet pepper, also called pimento), which has large, thick-skinned, bell-shaped fruit, with a depression at the base. These are the principal salad peppers, red, green or yellow, and are scarcely pungent, 5. Longum Group (the cayenne, or chilli, pepper), the fruit of which grow up to 30cm long and are very pungent. These are the source of chilli powder, Cayenne pepper and paprika. C. frutescens L. (a name much used for forms of C. annuum) is the source of Tabasco and other hot sauces.   

However, capsicum fruits do not yield essential oil on ordinary steam or water distillation and, therefore, many cooks and chefs make their own chilli oil by infusing vegetable oil with dried peppers, to which they may add other ingredients as well. The choice of vegetable oil does not seem to matter, although olive oil seems to be preferred in catering circles. For large-scale, commercial production, capsicumoleoresinis used.

Capsicum oleoresinis a prepared oleoresin. The extract consists of resinous matter and a liquid phase which is not volatile with steam. Extraction is usually carried out with ethyl ether, and the evaporation residue will separate into an oily-fatty part and a liquid, rather mobile oleoresin which is collected as the yield. The oleoresin is a dark-red or orange-red to brownish red liquid, soluble in ethyl ether, hydrocarbon solvents and most vegetable oils, but not in alcohol. If the fruits are extracted in alcohol, the oleoresin will be darker, more viscous and will contain less pungent matter per weight unit.

Capsicum oleoresin is used in place of the plant with the advantage that the strength can now be standardized since the pungent material is now known and synthesized. All of the activities attributed to capsicum are dependent on the presence in capsicum of  capsaicin, which, with two other closely related principles, is the reason for the pungency of the fruit. Typically, capsicum contains about 1.5% capsaicinoids.

The pharmacology of capsicum centres around capsaicin. When topically applied to the skin or mucous membranes, capsaicin stimulates and then blocks small-diameter pain fibres by depleting them of substance P. This substance is thought to be the principal chemomediator of pain impulses from the peripheral nerves to the spinal cord. Thus, even though the condition causing the pain is still present, no perception of it reaches the brain. However, the initial depletion of substance P requires about three days, so even regular application of capsaicin-containing ointment does not bring immediate relief. In addition, substance P has been shown to activate inflammatory mediators into joint tissues in both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Nevertheless, whilst topically applied capsaicin may be effective in relieving the pain of both, one study showed it to be more effective in osteoarthritis and another just the opposite. Ointments containing 0.025 or 0.075% capsaicin may offer significant benefit in a number of other conditions as well.

When taken internally, chilli exerts a number of beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. In addition to possessing several antioxidant compounds, studies have shown that chilli reduces the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis by reducing blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and platelet aggregation as well as increasing fibrinolytic activity. Cultures consuming large amounts of chilli have a much lower rate of cardiovascular disease. All the same, conflicting reports have been documented concerning the effect of chilli on acid secretion and on ulcer healing. Capsaicin-sensitive areas of the gastric and duodenal mucosa are thought to provide protection against mucosal damage, but it has been suggested that this protection is lost if these sensory fibres are desensitised. Whether oral consumption of chilli can cause this is not clear. However, ingestion of chilli in the diet is not thought to pose a health risk so long as it is not ingested in doses greatly exceeding those normally used in foods.

The first studies and approved use for topically applied capsaicin was in relieving post-herpetic neuralgia. Numerous studies now document this FDA approved application. It may also be effective in reducing the pain

of trigeminal neuralgia [Fusco, B.M., Alesandri, M. Analgesic effect of capsaicin in idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia. Anesth. Analg. 1992; 74: 375-377]. There is some proof that it may assist post-mastectomy pain as well [Watson, C.P., Evans, R.J. The postmastectomy pain syndrome and topical capsaicin: a randomized trial. Pain 1992; 51: 375-379].

In a study conducted at the YalePainManagementCenter, capsaicin was shown to reduce dramatically the pain from mouth sores as a result of chemotherapy or radiation treatment [Nelson, C. Heal the burn. Pepper and lasers in cancer pain therapy. J. Nat. Canc. Inst. 1994; 86: 138]. The interesting feature in this study was the vehicle used to deliver the capsaicin - taffy (an American confection like toffee). It was chosen as it could be held in the mouth long enough to desensitize the neurons, its sugar decreased the initial burning sensation, and its soft edges did not aggravate sore mouths like a hard sweet.

Topically applied capsaicin has been shown to be of considerable benefit in relieving the pain of diabetic neuropathy in numerous double-blind studies, and several studies have found that intranasal application of capsaicin ointment by a physician may relieve migraine.       

As excessive substance P levels in the skin have been linked to psoriasis, researchers were prompted to study the effects of capsaicin. Forty-four patients with symmetrically distributed psoriasis lesions applied topical capsaicin to one side of their body and a placebo to the other side. After 3-6 weeks, significantly greater reductions in scaling and redness were observed on the capsaicin side, but burning, stinging, itching, and skin redness were noted by nearly half the patients initially. These, however, diminished or vanished upon continued application [Bernstein, J. et al. Effects of topically applied capsaicin on moderate and severe psoriasis vulgaris. J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 1986; 15: 504-507].

In summary, evidence suggests that creams containing 0.025 or 0.075%  capsaicin can be applied to affected areas up to four times daily. Whether chilli oil will have the same efficacy I do not know but, as capsaicin is not that cheap, I do know that some add a couple of teaspoons of cayenne to a jar of cold cream to save the cost. Nonetheless, a word of warning.

People who pick or otherwise handle quantities of hot peppers know that the pungent principle capsaicin is essentially insoluble in cold water and only slightly soluble in hot water. Traces remaining on the hands may be transferred inadvertently to sensitive mucous membranes even several hours after contact. The capsaicin may be removed from the affected part of the anatomy by bathing in vinegar, but, of course, this should not be applied in or around the eye. Caution in the use of this irritating product is certainly advisable. Therefore I’d use commercial products, despite the cost.

Finally.....

I fancy a chilli con carne this evening!




charles@essentiallyoils.com

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