Tansy Essential Oil health benefits includes helping relieve allergies, killing harmful bacteria, reducing inflammation, destroying harmful viruses and enabling improved emotional health. Other health benefits includes preventing the spread of diseases, moisturizing the skin, improving digestion and promoting adequate secretion of hormones.
What is Tansy Essential Oil?
Tansy essential oil is extracted from the leaves and stem of the Tansy plant, native to Europe and, Asia by the process of steam distillation, having first been cultivated and used traditionally in ancient times by the Greeks to treat a number of ailments including stomach upset and joint pain.
The Tanacetum vulgare oil has active ingredients like thujone, myrtenol and piperitone which contributes to its warm aroma and may help to maintain overall body function. For many years, the tansy essential oil has been used for medicinal purposes despite its high level of toxicity and is still being used today in topical preparations. It can be made safe for oral use given that the presence of thujone is absent.
1. May Help Relieve Allergies
Histamine is a hormone made by the immune system to get rid of allergens, but when they accumulate in the body or are not broken down, allergic symptoms develop and in order to balance the histamine level in the body, essential oils may prove helpful. They are known to provide relief for seasonal allergies and the tansy essential oil is not left out as it may act as a natural antihistamine and provide relief for symptoms of allergy like rashes and sneezing. It may even be more preferred to antihistamine drugs as it does not have a sedative effect when used.
2. May Help Kill Harmful Bacteria
Pathogenic bacteria secrete toxic substances that cause disease including tuberculosis and pneumonia and if not eliminated, they can cause further damage. The tansy essential oil contains toxic substances that can be dangerous to humans when taken in large quantities, however, the poisonous nature of this essential oil may enable it to rid the body of infectious bacteria by preventing them from rapidly dividing and flushing them out of the body hence, it may help minimize the risk of bacterial infections and leaves the body in good health- provided it is taken in small amounts and in a formulation devoid of thujone.
3. May Help Reduce Inflammation
An inflammatory response initiates the healing process and is usually part of the immune system’s answer to irritating agents. However, when an inflammation becomes chronic, it must be treated to prevent other associated disease conditions from occurring. Most essential oils are used to reduce swelling and the tansy essential oil may be excellent when it comes to its anti-inflammatory. properties. It may help reduce pain caused by inflammation in muscles and joints, especially when it is added to bathing water. Persons who suffer from arthritis or rheumatism may find the tansy essential oil an excellent choice in relieving pain so that mobility is restored in a short period of time.
Viruses can take over the host cell and initiate rapid division to make more viruses that may end up destroying the host cell, ultimately causing mild to severe illnesses. One of the major constituents of the tansy essential oil is thujone, a poisonous substance that can assist the body in eliminating viruses. Camphor is also present in this essential oil and since it is toxic to cells, may help to kill harmful viruses as well by stopping their growth. Thus, the tansy essential oil may be helpful in providing immunity against common viral diseases like measles, mumps and the common cold, but again, needs to be used for as short a period of time as is necessary.
5. Possesses Anti-Parasitic Properties
Tansy essential oil has been used centuries (and still is) by native populations to treat intestinal parasites, something it does quite effectively. Natives seem to have found the sweet spot of using the oil for medicinal purposes without incurring toxicity, as Tasny essential oil is poisonous to a variety of parasites. Should you decide to use it for this purpose, keep doses to a minimum.
6. May Enable Improved Emotional Health
Aromatherapy is a healthy way of curing many different ailments, and to enhance physical and psychological wellbeing. The delightful aroma from the tansy essential oil may be able to offer a sense of calm and ease the mind, being very popular for putting an end to emotional problems including anxiety, depression and even chronic stress. When inhaled, the herbaceous aroma provides relief for the nerves, increases concentration and contributes to a boost in the emotional health of an individual.
7. May Help Prevent The Spread Of Diseases
Household insects like mosquitoes, fleas and lice may cause a number of diseases, which make it a necessity for them to be prevented from coming into contact with food, or body secretions, as they can contaminate food and cause diseases in the human body. A natural insect repellent is the tansy essential oil, which achieves its function thanks to its high toxicity that insects cannot withstand thus, preventing the spread of diseases by these insects. The essential oil can also be sprayed around your home and surroundings to keep these pests away.
8. May Help Moisturize The Skin
The skin must be constantly hydrated to maintain a healthy look, and moisturizing the skin provides nourishment and promotes shine. Presently, there are so many moisturizing products in the market that claim to provide such benefits, however, the tansy essential oil is one of such moisturizing products that may help hydrate the skin as well as treat a number of skin problems including eczema and acne and fight bacterial, fungal and inflammatory conditions. Be wary, however, as poor quality tansy essential oils may be pro-inflammatory on their own, causing contact dermatitis.
9. May Promote Adequate Secretion of Hormones
Hormones control man major body functions and behaviors, including those such as adequate growth and development and metabolism, which with regular use of tansy essential oil, may ensure that the endocrine glands secrete hormones in the fashion they were meant to be done. The effect of the tansy essential oil may help the thyroid gland to secrete the hormone that promotes growth and on the thymus gland to promote maturity, in addition to other supporting glands that regulate metabolism and uptake of nutrients.
10. May Improve Digestion
Digestion is the key to health and it involves the breakdown of food in the form of macromolecules into nutrients that can be absorbed and assimilated by the body. as such, the digestive system must be properly taken care of. Among the many essential oils available today, the tansy essential oil may help the digestive system to ensure that it is fully functional and may even be able to prevent indigestion, gas, constipation and other digestive disorders.
11. May Help Regulate Body Temperature
A fever is characterized by a significant rise in temperature above normal, and is usually the indication that the immune system is fighting infectious agents such as bacteria, fungi or viruses, to name a few. Tansy essential oil, as previously established, has anti-microbial properties, but may also help to reduce fevers and body temperatures thanks to its anti-pyretic properties. Though consumption is not the best course of action, it can be applied locally to the forehead for fever reduction.
Conclusion
The tansy essential oil is still widely used for its medicinal properties, and blends well with other essential oils including those of rosemary, cedarwood and lavender to enhance its functions. However, due to its high concentration of thujone, large doses of the tansy essential oil may prove to be fatal and is not recommended to be used for long periods or by pregnant women. The best course of action is to use a thujone free variety, or apply topically for various benefits.