The Therapeutic Benefits of Essential Oils

Abstract

Since ancient times, essential oils are recognized for their medicinal value and they are very interesting and powerful natural plant products. They continue to be of paramount importance until the present day. Essential oils have been used as perfumes, flavors for foods and beverages, or to heal both body and mind for thousands of years (Baris et al., 2006; Margaris et al., 1982; Tisserand, 1997; Wei & Shibamoto 2010). Record findings in Mesopotamia, China, India, Persia and ancient Egypt show their uses for many treatments in various forms. For example, in the ancient Egypt, the population extracted oils by infusion. Later; Greeks and Romans used distillation and thus gave aromatic plants an additional value. With the advent of Islamic civilization, extraction techniques have been further refined. In the era of the Renaissance, Europeans have taken over the task and with the development of science the composition and the nature of essential oils have been well established and studied (Burt, 2004; Peeyush et al., 2011; Steven, 2010; Suaib et al., 2007). Nowadays, peppermint, lavender, geranium, eucalyptus, rose, bergamot, sandalwood and chamomile essential oils are the most frequently traded ones.