The usage of essential oils to treat various medical conditions have increased in the past few years.
Essential oils are either added in bathwater, rubbed on hand and sniffed or ingested for relief.
For very long, ingestion of essential oil was considered a dangerous practice, but with time people have started to accept it.
But still, there are numerous questions related to the consumption of essential oil, which haunt the people.
Is it safe to ingest? How should one consume it? Here we tried to answer some of the basic questions related to ingestion of essential oils.
How safe is it?
Essential oils are concentrated natural oils, which are extracted from certain plants. These oils may contain active ingredients of the plants from where they are extracted. The oils contain powerful antioxidants and chemical compounds that can be good for the overall health of a person.
It is safe to ingest essential oil, only if it is done properly. It is best to consume essential oil in diluted form and in limited quantity. One should read the instructions well before using them and take the guidance of an expert before trying it. The safety also depends on several factors like:
- Your age
- Underlying health conditions
- Medication and supplement use
Do’s and Don’ts of safe ingesting of essential oils:
There are some common rules all must know while ingesting essential oils to treat different health conditions:
Do’s
- Use essential oil in a diffuser or inhaler. This will help to take in the oil in a controlled manner and won’t be beyond the safe level.
- Dilute certain essential oils with water as taking them in concentrated form can be harmful. Also, only 2-3 drops of essential oils are quite effective.
- Read the instructions written on the bottle of the essential oil carefully before consuming it.
- Essential oils can be used every day for cosmetic issues. There are no side effects of using it.
Don’ts
- Don’t consume essential oils every day as it may cause inflammation and irritation in the esophagus. Doing so can also be harmful to your kidneys.
- In case you are suffering from IBS, chronic nausea, consult your doctor before ingesting essential oils.
- Do not consume any essential oil freely without understanding the potential health effects.
- Do not use essential oils with your prescribed medication. Consult your doctor about it beforehand.
