Essential Oil and MRSA

MRSA, Flesh- Eating Bacteria

So why are essential oils proving so effective at killing even the most virulent bacteria such as MRSA? According to Jacqui Stringer, the Clinical Lead of Complementary Therapies at the Christie Hospital in Manchester, England which treats cancer patients, the reason that essential oils are so effective is because they are made up of a complex mixture of chemical compounds which tremendous bugs such as MRSA find difficult to resist. I would add that because these compounds are naturally occurring & derived from plants -the "blood" of plants - no oils are exactly similar ever, which is the ideal complex compound to combat a mutating tremendous bug! Current treatments, according to Stringer, are made up of single compounds (like antibiotics) so the MRSA becomes resistant quickly & leaving only 50% success in the cases of MRSA. Think about that: only a 50/50 chance of survival. Those are not nice odds. The hope comes with this new alternative approach to battling these superbugs.

One diligent product formulator for a therapeutic essential oils company discovered that of the oils used were Melaleuca alternafolia & geranium.

Another added benefit of using essential oils to combat & help prevent (prevention is the objective in stopping MRSA) the spread of MRSA is the application: inhaled either directly or by diffusing them. MRSA is often carried inside the nose so inhaling the essential oils is all that is necessary to prevent patients being in danger. This makes them simple to administer to both humans & pets.

The largest deterrent to progressing further in the research with the essential oils & combating these superbugs has been funding. In January 2005, the Manchester researchers were having issues obtaining the £30,000 needed for their research to continue. Soon after finding out about this, Jimmy Savile the former host of the British television program 'Jim'll Fix It", has donated £40,000 for the research to continue! The issue with the funding was that since essential oils are naturally occurring as I said above, drug companies are not interested in helping this type of work because they can not profit from a product that is naturally occurring since they can not be patented.

This is reprehensible since this sort of research could potentially help save thousands of lives & stamp out MRSA.