Dr. Gattefosse shared his experience with his colleague and friend, Dr. Jean Valnet, a medical doctor in Paris, France. During World War II, while serving as a medical physician in French Army at China Wall, treating war victims, Dr. Valnet ran out of antibiotics, so he decided to try using essential oils. To his amazement, they had a powerful effect in reducing and even stopping infection, and he was able to save many of soldiers who otherwise might have died even with antibiotics. “

Dr. Valnet had two students who did their internship with him who were responsible for expanding his work, Dr. Paul Belaiche and Dr. Jean Claude Lapraz. They discovered that essential oils contain antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and antiseptic properties as well as being powerful oxygenators with ability to act as carrying agents in delivery of nutrients into cells.”

The above is “modern” history of essential oils and aromatherapy. However, practice of creating essential oils and aromatherapy is an ancient practice likely dating to Egyptians and Chinese, possibly older. It is known that essential oils were used at time of Christ, as at least one of “Gifts of Magi” was essential oil. So what we now have is modern incarnation of an ancient practice, given “official recognition” by medical profession in persona of Doctors Gattefosse and Valnet, later joined by Doctors Belaiche and Lapraz.

What is interesting to us, my wife and I, is that there is a significant difference in quality between every essential oil we have used and “therapeutic essential oils” from Young Living. We have used what, to us, were only finest and purest of Lavender Essential Oil. We used several, eventually finding one that was clearly better than rest. What we have learned from this experience is that as good as lavender oil we used was, Young Living essential oil is significantly superior and while there are obvious disinfectant and healing properties for cuts and abrasions, it has especially superb healing powers for burns.

In coming articles I will share with you much more of wonderful world of aromatherapy, what it has done for us and what it can do for you.

Low intakes of fruit and vegetables have been consistently linked to high cancer rates in many countries around world. Yet, less than 10 per cent of North Americans eat recommended 5-10 daily servings. The fruit and vegetables that appear most protective against cancer are raw, dark green leafy vegetables (such as spinach, kale and lettuce), cruciferous or cabbage-family types (such as brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli), and orange forms such as carrots, squash, citrus and other fruits. Different plant foods may protect against different cancers, for example:

* dark green vegetables may protect against lung cancer;

* cruciferous (cabbage family) vegetables and carrots appear protective against colon cancer;

* citrus and other fruits rich in vitamin C may lower risks of mouth, larynx, stomach and esophageal tumours.

The constituents in plant foods thought to ward off cancer include antioxidants - such as vitamins C, E and carotenes (vitamin A precursors) - and starches (which may protect against colon cancer). Other plant compounds such as indoles, flavones, phenols, coumarins, isothiocyanates, sterols and limonene may also play an anti-cancer role. Together, plant components or phytochemicals that fight cancer have been dubbed "chemopreventive agents."

The possible "chemopreventive" role of antioxidants

The cancer-combatting or chemopreventive effects of fruit and vegetables are attributed by some experts to antioxidants such as carotenoids or vitamin-A precursors. Their action in inhibiting cancer is ascribed mainly to ability to combat oxidative hits that damage DNA and cell membranes. The carotenoids are red, orange and yellow pigments found in fruit and vegetables such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, corn, carrots and peppers, as well as in green leafy vegetables such as spinach, brussel sprouts and broccoli (where their orange/yellow colour is masked by green pigment, chlorophyll). Some carotenoids are converted into active vitamin A (retinal) inside body, others not.

How about dietary supplements?

Since certain constituents in fruit and vegetables seem to reduce cancer risks, it is reasonable to wonder whether one should take supplements. While opinions vary, most nutritional scientists do not encourage use of vitamin or other supplements for cancer prevention. People can obtain all necessary vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients from a well balanced diet. There are no scientific grounds at present to support anti-cancer benefits of taking vitamin or antioxidant supplements. "Besides risk of toxicity from vitamin megadoses, there is added danger," notes one University of Toronto expert, "that people who take supplements may falsely believe they are eating well, yet fail to achieve health benefits of a balanced diet."

In addition to expense, those who take supplements may neglect to eat recommended quota of fruit and vegetables, miss out on other valuable components and get less effective health protection. The evidence for a cancer-protective effect of individual supplements is far less convincing than that for fresh fruit and vegetables as a whole. There is also concern about safety of antioxidant supplements. Although vitamins C, E and beta-carotene have low toxicity, even when consumed in doses above recommended daily amounts, a few studies suggest that consuming large doses might not be safe.

Large studies now underway will clarify action of individual dietary components. The joint effect of many varied compounds in whole fruit and vegetables gives far greater protection against cancer than any individual nutrient or supplement. Finally, remember that diet is basically worthless if you are not getting proper nutrition from your diet. If basic nutrients from your diet are not being used to help heal your body and maintain overall health, you are wasting your time, effort, money and life. A healthy diet begins with proper and full nutrition.

The place to begin with your nutrition, method to get most benefit out of foods you eat, especially in our modern world with foods rampant with antibiotics, poisoning of our lakes, rivers and oceans (not to mention land and air), is to make liberal use of both herbal dietary supplements and especially dietary aids such as organic greens.