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The Black Death was a devastating global epidemic of bubonic plague that struck Europe and Asia in the mid-1300s. The plague arrived in Europe in October 1347, when 12 ships from the Black Sea docked at the Sicilian port of Messina. People gathered on the docks were met with a horrifying surprise: Most sailors aboard the ships were dead, and those still alive were gravely ill and covered in black boils that oozed blood and pus. Sicilian authorities hastily ordered the fleet of “death ships” out of the harbor, but it was too late: Over the next five years, the Black Death would kill more than 20 million people in Europe—almost one-third of the continent’s population..

During this time, people resorted to extreme measures in order to survive. One of the most well-known stories was that of the four thieves and the "miraculous" essential oil blend they used, dubbed as thieves oil, to ward off the sickness.

According to the legend, these thieves rubbed botanicals on themself to avoid contracting the plague while they robbed the bodies of the dead and dying. When apprehended, the thieves were forced to tell what their secret was and disclosed the formula of the herbs, spices, and oils they used to protect themselves in exchange for more lenient punishment.

Staphylococcus aureus is a very common bacteria, responsible for a variety of chronic and severe infections. If infections caused by S. aureus are not effectively treated, high mortality in some patients could occur. Although antibiotic resistance is a major problem in treatment of infections caused by S. aureus, drug-tolerant persisters such as small colony variants (SCVs) are demonstrated to be significant contributors of chronic persistent infections and recurrent infections.  Persisters are non-growing or slow growing antibiotic-tolerant bacterial cells that are able to revert to growing forms under appropriate conditions and cause relapse or persistent infections with symptoms. Clinically, infections caused by S. aureus such as soft tissue infections, endocarditis, osteomyelitis, prosthetic joint infections, and biofilm-related infections on indwelling device is difficult to cure with the current antibiotics, which are mainly active against the growing bacteria but have poor activity against the non-growing persisters.

"Spring breathes new life into the world around us." Easter is a great marker to start your spring cleaning. After a long winter of staying indoors, your house can really become disorganized and feel stagnant. Beyond just clearing out the clutter and deep cleaning before you guests arrive for Easter dinner you should consider clearing out the winter energy and detoxify the air in your home. Here are some great essential oils to diffuse to purify your home:

Pop open a bottle of Thieves® essential oil blend and you’ll be transported by a powerful combination of Lemon, Clove, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Radiata, and Rosemary oils. Each drop contains the naturally occurring constituents limonene, cinnamaldehyde, and eucalyptol (among others) in a concentrated dose of “yes, please” perks for body and spirit. With a warm, sweet scent that’ll have you hooked at first drop, you’ll want to have it everywhere in your life—and you can!

 There are many health conditions which are successfully treated with essential oils, and many more which are being evaluated scientifically. Unlike most conventional drugs or botanically based remedies, essential oils work through one (or both) of two distinct mechanisms of action. Essential oils have a physical effect on the mind and body through sensory memory. Essential oils also produce physical effects on the body through chemical actions, just like other drugs and botanical products.

Cancer is a major public health problem in many areas of the world. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, in both men and women. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of death from cancer after lung cancer. Breast cancer, is the most frequently occurring cancer in women and the major cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Several agents including life habits, exposure to chemical agents, and diet have been correlated with risk of cancer development. Besides, pharmacological or nutritional intervention can significantly affect patients’ quality of life by delaying cancer progression.

The liver plays a central role in transforming and clearing chemicals and is susceptible to the toxicity from these agents. Certain medicinal agents, when taken in overdoses and sometimes even when introduced within therapeutic ranges, may injure the organ.

In the Western world, drug‒induced liver injury is a major health care problem and accounts for the majority of acute liver failure cases. The pathophysiological mechanisms of  chemical-driven liver damage are mostly associated with the metabolic conversion of xenobiotics into reactive oxygen species (ROS), which induce oxidative stress and damage the cellular macromolecules. Oxidative stress has recently been recognized as a key factor in the pathophysiological changes observed in a wide range of liver diseases, such as subclinical hepatitis without jaundice, inflammatory necrotic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Better understanding the role of oxidative stress in these liver disorders may lead to the appropriate use of antioxidants as a therapeutic approach for liver diseases. Natural antioxidant products, especially phytochemicals, have gained popularity worldwide due to their efficacy and safety. They are increasingly being used to treat various pathological liver conditions and nearly half of the agents used in liver therapy today are either natural products or their derivatives.

Vetiver oil has been used in traditional medicine in South Asia, Southeast Asia and West Africa for thousands of years. It’s native to India, and both its leaves and roots have wonderful uses. Vetiver is known as a sacred herb valued because of its uplifting, soothing, healing and protective properties. It’s a natural body cooler — making it extremely popular in tropical countries. In fact, in India and Sri Lanka it’s known as the “oil of tranquility.”

When it comes to creating homemade bathroom cleaners the best way to avoid toxic chemicals in most commercial cleaners is to use essential oils known for their cleaning power. Here are some of my favorites to use in my homemade bathroom cleaners.

Do you ever get so tired that you can’t even finish your senten . . . kdfoamskl? So sorry—must have nodded off there.           

Bleary-eyed, excessive-yawning days are usually preceded by nights of tossing and turning, punching our pillows, and worrying about tomorrow’s to-do list. Luckily, we’ve got a sleep guru for every one of your sleepless nights. You guessed it—essential oils! Let’s start with the basics.

Depression is a major psychiatric disorder that is associated with high rates of suicide and is considered one of the most important causes of human disability. It is well known that chamomile is one of the oldest known medicinal herbs and has been used to treat various disorders. In the present study, Roman chamomile inhalation with clomipramine treatment improved depression-like behavior, hippocampal neurogenesis and serum corticosterone levels.