Oregano

[Wenonae]

yep...one and the same.

Look at this post from MSN by Fawn which lists foods which are estrogenic and anti-progestinic.

[ftp]http://groups.msn.com/BEBoard/general.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=7675&LastModified=4675428730610530485&pps=k[/ftp]

[PrincessGrace]

I actually have some oil of oregano (it's in a small bottle, like essential oils). I put a couple of dropper-fuls in the "boobie batter" that I use (along with other things -- I still need to post that in the routines section). I've had a little growth lately; whether or not it's measurable...well...not yet.

This oil can also be taken internally, but don't take it in a glass of water like I did -- my breath smelled like I'd eaten a whole pot of spaghetti!

Anyway, I'm sure there are other ways to get your oregano, but that's what I do.

[Wenonae]

I take pills. I've only been able to find those online..not in stores. Mostly available there are the oils.

I've got those sites listed in 'Favored Links' section, fyi.

[Suze]

Essential oils on one hand and raw plants/extracts on the other won't have the same effects at all, since they don't contain the same things. Essential oils are made of the volatile fraction and are mostly useless for our goals (except *maybe* the geraniol containing essential oils).
Besides, many essential oils are made of highly concentrated toxic molecules. Better not swallowing these. Oregano EO is ok, but probably won't help you. Fennel and aniseed EOs might, but taking the whole herb should still be better.
Extracts and "oils" made through macerating the herbs in vegetable oil are ok. So, if you want to take oregano, go for the whole leaves (in your spaghetti and pizzas, a well-sprinkled plate a day and you'll probably be taking more than you would with pills), pills or extracts, *not* the essential oil.

[Wenonae]

Thanks for that added insight, Suze ;D

[PrincessGrace]

Hi Suze,

The oil of oregano that I take is not an essential oil, I only said it was the same size (bottle).

I must disagree on your statement regarding essential oils. Toxic molecules? Can you site references stating that essential oils have toxic molecules? They are upon the most natural of substances on the face of the earth. BUT...they are CONCENTRATED. It goes without saying that essential oils should not be ingested, with a few exceptions, of course. I have done much reading on essential oils, and I believe much good can be done with them, including BE. There are many essential oils that I would agree are better left alone, but many are completely safe, and they should not all be lumped together as being "useless for our goals."

I use essential oils in my booby batter. Geranium, ylang ylang, fennel. Any essential oil from a plant that has a mastogenic effect would be good for BE. They cannot be applied neat (by themselves) to the skin (with the exception of lavender, tea tree, and perhaps one or two others), but MUST be diluted in a carrier oil (olive, sweet almond, grapeseed, etc.). I have been using e.o.'s in my breast massage oil for quite some time, and when I keep up with it, I notice fullness and growth. Lately, I've hardly been taking any herbs at all, but have been massaging 2 or 3 times daily with the booby batter, complete with essential oils. I have definitely been seeing a change for the better. There is fullness and heaviness, and I'm still trying to get up the nerve to measure.

For anyone interested, there are many good books out there regarding aromatherapy. One of my favorites is Aromatherapy: A Lifetime Guide to Healing with Essential Oils, by Valerie Gennari-Cooksley, and the other is Aromatherapy for Women, by Maggie Tisserand.

[Suze]

Since you're asking for a little more detail. Most of this information can be found in 'Pharmacognosy: phyto chemistry, medicinal plants' by J. Bruneton, published by Lavoisier Publishing-Intercept. That and a few other reliable sources. I'd also recommend 'Toxic plants dangerous to humans and animals', same author and publisher.

Just because something is 100% natural doesn't mean it's not toxic. Everything is toxic, it's only a matter of amount. Even without reaching a lethal amount, neurotoxic substances can do major damage. And unfortunately, quite a many of the aromatic coumpounds and terpenes found in essential oils are neurotoxic. The first thing to remember whenever you use any kind of drug, even natural is 'primum non nocere': First and above all, it should do no harm.

Among the substances found in EOs that should be avoided are, of course thuyone, but also pulegone, carvacrol, methylsalicylate and camphor. Oils like absinth, sage, hyssop, wintergreen, pennyroyal, boldo, cedar, thuya, tansy, mustard, calamus or chenopodium should not be used, even in small amounts. Peppermint EO should be avoided (pure menthol is safe and most other mints EOs also are)

As for oregano EO, it mainly contains thymol and carvacrol.

And please notice I mentioned geraniol, which is the main molecule in geranium EO, I'm also using it externally. Ylang-ylang may improve transdermal penetration, ad is rather safe.

Properties of the whole herb and properties of the essential oil should never be equated. This is more often than not wrong, and in some cases even dangerous. A safe and useful herb does not always give a safe and useful essential oil.
Fennel (and aniseed for the same reason) is a good example of an essential oil which quite doesn't match the properties of the herb. From concording sources, dianethole which has a stilben like structure and hence an estrogenic effect is broken back to trans-anethole during distillation. You might still get an effect, but nothing close to what you'd get with the whole herb.

Sage is another. The herb itself is rather safe, and its estrogenic properties may be interesting for BE, but none of the interesting substances are found in the essential oil where you can find instead a dangerously high concentration of camphor (around 20%) and of the neurotoxic thuyone (around 30%). Even diluted in a carrier oil, it makes no sense to use it at all.

[PrincessGrace]

Thanks, Suze, I'll take a look at those books. I agree, there are some essential oils that shouldn't even be on the market, but many, I believe, can be quite beneficial if used correctly.

I'm a firm believer in essential oils, and will probably always have them in the home. Anything so concentrated can be volatile, and yes, even toxic, so the smaller the amount, the better. With EOs, less is more.

I agree, also, that the whole herb and the essential oils are different, though not entirely. I look at them as taking the "easy way." I'm not big on swallowing pills, so I'm glad I can massage with the oils. I'm also not a big fan of chemicals, so I'd rather burn tea tree in a diffuser to disinfect the air than spray Lysol around the room. No neurotoxins here, please!!

I've been doing some research on neurotoxins over the past few months myself, so am always glad to find new resources to study regarding what may be toxic to our bodies. I'll try to find those books you mentioned.

Grace

[Suze]

You may want to look for these books at the library. Each one costs around US$150. Professional handbooks = small runs = horribly high prices.

[fawnmarie]

I'm not going to jump into this debate much, since I don't work with essential oils much (which are MUCH different than frangrant oils and oil infusions).

However, Oil of Oregano is safe to use, and makes an excellent systemic antifungal. Those with candida benefit from it, as well as those with persistant nail fungus infections too aggressive for topical formulas (the prescription medication is tough on the liver).

From what I understand, in most cases a safe and appropriate dose is mixed into another oil and gel-capped. I don't have safe doses handy right now, though.

Tea tree oil, straight - is safe to use on the skin, and is excellent for fungal infections, scrapes and acne. It smells too strong to use a lot of it.

Most essential oils, however, really are a bit strong to use alone except for aromatic uses. Honestly, I'm a little skeptical of the claims for aromatherapy, not that it doesn't work, but that it works well enough to be worth the time, effort and money to use it for much else than entertainment, life-quality or relaxation.

Fawn