Essential Oils And Mrsa -- An Update On The Research

If you've heard the news at all in the last five years

, you've heard of MRSA, also called the "superbug". The acronym refers to any strain of Staphyulococcus aureus bacteria that has become resistant to treatment with certain major classes of antibiotics. The point is that modern medicine isn't able to handle this bacteria too well -- you've also likely heard that because of this, several thousand people are dying annually of infections with this bacterium.

The bacteria has been such a challenge that a significant amount of research has been done investigating the efficacy of natural treatments. Browsing the research abstracts at Pubmed.gov, one will find a large number of papers investigating the use of essential oils, both in liquid and in vapor phases. Essential oils naturally present themselves in ways that can be of help: Because infections are found in the nasal cavities and respiratory system, as well as at wound (broken skin) sites, both inhalation and topical application of these natural antibiotics can be useful.

In a study performed by the Metropolitan University of Manchester, a vaporized essential oil blend containing lemongrass and geranium was tested against several strains of bacteria. The blend was found to reduce the spread of bacteria (including MRSA) on agar plates (with in a laboratory setting) as well as reduce the overall bacteria count in an office environment. The overall reduction of bacteria in the air was a staggering 89% with the diffuser running continually for 15 hours.

When reviewing the data, it appears in most studies, no single essential oil was truly effective -- rather a blend of oils did the trick. Tea tree was the oil most tested individually, with mixed results. In some cases it showed promising inhibition in the lab, but in more "real world" experiments, it didn't seem to measure up. Geranium and thyme essential oils were also often promising, but also did not provide complete results.

With this synergy of essential oils in mind, a company in the UK called "Benchmark Oils" has developed a new strain of thyme with unique chemical characteristics. In effect, this new strain of thyme produces an essential oil that chemically appears like a mixture of tea tree and thyme essential oils. This single oil alone was found to quickly eradicate MRSA, and at the same time its application at 100% strength did not cause skin irritation (as is possible with some "spice" essential oils such as cinnamon and clove). Maggie Tisserand, company director, noted: "What is interesting is that the thyme oil we use is food grade and, in preliminary company trials, shows no adverse effects on intact skin."

A complex blend of eucalyptus, tea tree, clove, lemongrass and thyme essential oils was reported to successfully treat individuals with MRSA infections. The blend, diluted in alcohol, was topically applied to two individuals where traumatic injury sites incurred infections -- the result was complete eradication of MRSA infections. In a third individual, MRSA infection was present in bone structure, and was not responding to any antibiotic treatment. Using a slow-release system, the essential oil blend also resulted in complete eradication of the infection.

The possibility of using essential oils for treatment of serious infectious illness is real. The data supports the use of oils for both prevention (by diffusion in your living and working spaces) and treatment of MRSA infections -- and it follows that the vast majority of common bacterial illnesses can be successfully prevented and treated with essential oils as well. The versatility, safety, and availability of essential oils should make them the choice for such treatment in the future, as their acceptance becomes more widespread.

by: Tracy Waters

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