Essential oils are aromatic, volatile liquids distilled from shrubs, flowers, trees, roots,

bushes, and seeds. Unlike vegetable oils, essential oils do not become oxidized and rancid
over time and are not greasy. Essential oils are antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral.
Ancient cultures used these aromatic essences to heal certain diseases. Ancient writings
describe recipes for medicinal essential oils. As in ancient times, today various forms of
extraction are used. The most common method is distillation.
While part of the plant, essential oils are constantly changing their chemical composition, to
help the plant adapt to the ever-changing internal and external environment. Recent
scientific research has shown that plants produce essential oils for a variety of purposes
including:
1.) To attract pollinators and dispersal agents
Insects have been pollinating flowers for millions of years.
Insects, like humans, are attracted to specific plants for one of
three possible reasons: its aroma, its color, or its morphology or
physical structure. Scent appears to be strongest reason insects
are attracted to certain plants. The power of aroma is shown by
bees, butterflies, and beetles being attracted to certain plants.

2.) To play a role in allelopathy, a type of plant-to-plant competition
Alleolopathy: When Plants Attack!
Biochemical warfare used by aliens on the attack sounds like the
plot of an apocalyptic sci-fi story. However under the ground there is
biochemical warfare occurring, invaders being repelled and
defenders being overcome. Despite their apparent passive and
inanimate natures, plants are continually battling against each other,
against the elements and against everything that wants to devour
them. One of the most interesting and controversial ways that this occurs is through allelopathy.
Allelopathy is defined as the event of one plant producing a chemical that does not cause harm
to itself or members of its species, but harms others. Understandably, gardeners are particularly
interested in allelopathic chemicals, because targeted weed killers that affect everything but
your prize carrots are highly sought after. However, there are more applications than just
growing vegetables.

3.) To serve as defense compounds against insects and other animals
Plants, like other living things, need to protect themselves from various types of predators.
Plants use in their essential oil compounds to repel insects and animals. Interestingly,
insects are rarely found on peppermint plants. The presence of linalol in the peel of citrus
fruits resists the attack of the Caribbean fruit fly. The Douglas fir tree releases a complex
mixture of essential oils, from their needles to defend against the spruce budworm. Even
more fascinating is that the Douglas fir trees will vary the composition and production
chemicals in their essential oils each year. This decreases the ability of the budworm to
develop immunity to specific compounds. Compare this to our synthesized antibiotics
that are increasingly becoming ineffective after bacteria. Think MRSA.



4.) To protect the plant by their antifungal and
antibacterial nature
Resins and complex combinations of compounds in essential
oils are released by some plants and trees, such as evergreens.
They act as antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial agents
against a wide range of organisms that may threaten the
survival of the plants. Compounds found in plants such as feverfew, yarrow, and blessed
thistle, have been found to play a strong antimicrobial role as well as a protecting it from
herbivores.
What does this mean to you and me?
The same essential oils used thousands of years ago continue to provide protection to us
today. The fragrance of an essential oil can directly affect everything from your emotional
state to your lifespan. When one inhales essential oils, nerve cells are triggered in the
brain. These cells are connected to parts of the brain that control heart rate, blood
pressure, stress levels, memory and hormone balance. We now know that certain essential
oils can control bacteria, fungus, and viruses without the side effect of antibiotics. This is
one reason over 50 hospitals now use Young Living essential oils.