Find us here
Mecklenburg Extension Master Gardener℠ Volunteers
  • HOME
    • About Master Gardener Volunteers
    • 2023 Master Gardener training
    • Demonstration GARDEN
  • Request Our Help
    • Horticulture Help Desk
    • School/Community Garden Consultation
    • Speaker
  • Garden Zone
  • GARDEN CALENDAR
    • January winter
    • February to do list
    • March timely tips
    • April 15th last frost
    • May spring frenzy
    • June garden tasks
    • July summer tasks
    • August hot summer
    • September gardens
    • October fall begins
    • November planting
    • December gardens
  • Our Publications
  • Videos
  • Consider a Donation
  • HOME
    • About Master Gardener Volunteers
    • 2023 Master Gardener training
    • Demonstration GARDEN
  • Request Our Help
    • Horticulture Help Desk
    • School/Community Garden Consultation
    • Speaker
  • Garden Zone
  • GARDEN CALENDAR
    • January winter
    • February to do list
    • March timely tips
    • April 15th last frost
    • May spring frenzy
    • June garden tasks
    • July summer tasks
    • August hot summer
    • September gardens
    • October fall begins
    • November planting
    • December gardens
  • Our Publications
  • Videos
  • Consider a Donation

 Bay Laurel Essential Oils:  keeping The immune system healthy

by Tonya Banbury
Essential oils [EO] are highly concentrated compounds extracted from plants.  Playing a very important role in plant metabolism, EOs serve to attract beneficial insects as pollinators, which ensures plant survival and defense against harmful microorganisms.  EOs allow plants to send and receive signals and communicate with one another.  As gardeners, these statements are no stretch for our belief systems—we are well aware of the powers inherent in the plant kingdom.  
Bay Laurel
Bay Laurel ' Laurus nobilis' photo by Debbie Moore Clark. Used by permission.
Sources: 
Advanced Aromatherapy: The Science of Essential Oil Therapy by Kurt Schnaubelt, PhD

Herbal Antibiotics: Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-Resistant Bacteria by Stephen Harrod Buhner
 
Emily Via of Emily's Oils and Essentials, Leydet, LLC at www.eoils.net.  
 Aromatherapy is the art and science of using Essential Oils for healing a choice which offers us the opportunity to assume more responsibility for our own health and well-being.  Generally speaking, we’re probably more familiar with the role EOs play in the cosmetic industry.  Through my own search for natural body care products that eliminated harmful chemicals and animal testing, I became a huge fan of the delicate but complex fragrances of Lavender and Lemongrass.  Influenced by my massage therapist, I’m beginning to understand the importance of EOs for healing both mind and body.

 Keeping the immune system healthy 
The first of the EOs in this series is Bay Laurel, Laurus nobilis—the same herb we find so useful in the kitchen for punching up the savory flavors in soups and stews.  In aromatherapy, however, its main effect is as an anti-infective.  Used mostly as an inhalant for the respiratory system, it is a mucolytic and expectorant as well as an immune system stimulant.   Although no scientific studies exist on the medical effects of Bay Laurel, its positive effects on the lymphatic system are undeniable.  Rubbing just a few drops of Bay Laurel on swollen lymph nodes produces an immediately noticeable relieving effect.  Why is that important?  The lymph system, basically the body’s sewer system, is a component of our immune system.  When the body is processing a lot of waste the nodes or intersections of that system tend to swell, clog up and become painful to the touch; waste processing slows down.  Quite the focus of our attention these days is H1N1, the flu variant that has scientists scratching their heads.  

Here’s some advice from Kurt Schnaubelt, PhD: “Frequent use of bay laurel oil on the skin over long periods of time (e.g., longer than 3 weeks) can result in sensitization and irritability.  For a healthy body, one application weekly is an effective preventive measure.  During flu season it can be applied more frequently.  After the acute phase of the illness is over it's advisable to take a break from using Bay Laurel.”  TB 2010
Tonya Banbury garden author
Tonya Banbury is an Extension Master Gardener Volunteer with Mecklenburg County, NC.  Her series of articles on Medicinal Herbs: Essential Oils is based upon documented research and personal usage experience.  

Got GARDEN questions? Get answers! 
The more you know, the more you can grow. 
 growing & gardening in the Southeast 
Mecklenburg Extension Master Gardener Volunteers  
mastergardenersmecklenburg.org

Horticulture Help Desk   |   Speaker Request   |   Community Garden Consultation   |   Become a volunteer  

 ​The Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program is a part of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service and North Carolina State University
Picture
Extension Master Gardener℠ Volunteers of Mecklenburg County All Rights Reserved
Policies