http://www.v72.org/medicinal_lavenders.htm

read info about Dr. Parkinson's interest in lavender.

this is very interesting because I use it for headaches -was told by an herbalist to use to lavrnder oil a drop -and to touch the temples of my forehead, and it would be gone...it works for me, have been using lavender
and have it growing in my gardens -since 1993...

In the Jura district of France, in Franche-Comte, the herb is supposed to mitigate
grief, mental and bodily, and Pepys in his Diary says: 'Between Gosport and
Southampton we observed a little churchyard where it was customary to sow all the
graves with Sage.'

The following is a translation of an old French saying:
'Sage helps the nerves and by its powerful might
Palsy is cured and fever put to flight,'


Gerard says:
'Sage is singularly good for the head and brain, it quickeneth the senses and memory,
strengtheneth the sinews, restoreth health to those that have the palsy, and taketh
away shakey trembling of the members.'
He shared the popular belief that it was efficacious against the bitings of serpents, and
says:
'No man need to doubt of the wholesomeness of Sage Ale, being brewed as it should
be with Sage, Betony, Scabious, Spikenard, Squinnette (Squinancywort) and Fennell
Seed.'
Many kinds of Sage have been used as substitutes for tea, the Chinese having been
said to prefer Sage Tea to their own native product, at one time bartering for it with
the Dutch and giving thrice the quantity of their choicest tea in exchange.

It is recorded that George Whitfield, when at Oxford in 1733, lived wholesomely, if sparingly, on a diet of Sage Tea, sugar and coarse bread. Balsamic Sage,
S.grandiflora, a broad-leaved Sage with many-flowered whorls of blossoms, used to be preferred to all others for making tea. An infusion of Speedwell (Veronica officinalis),

Sage and Wood Betony is said to make an excellent beverage for breakfast, as a substitute for tea,
Speedwell having somewhat the flavour of Chinese green tea.

In Holland the leaves of S. glutinosa, the yellow-flowered Hardy Sage, both flowers andfoliage of which exhale a pleasant odour, are used to give flavour to country wines,
and a good wine is made by boiling with sugar, the leaves and flowers of another
Sage, S. sclarea, the Garden Clary.

The latter is known in France as 'Toute bonne' -for its medicinal virtues.

How I would love to see a photo of your lavender garden.And thank you also for prompting us to utilise simple things as a means to well being.You are so thoughtful at this Tena.
I use lavender for it`s soporific qualities and indeed,even my son who is twelve,when having difficulty sleeping [curse of too much playstation] will find me and say "Can I have a shot of lavendar spray on my pillow mum?"
regardless that he might run the risk of beaming off to school the next day smelling like a "nancy!"

I also use lavender linen water when ironing.It somehow makes the chore more attractive,although I have b een known to fall asleep whilst ironing,hence a few burnt shirts!
Just a warning...in a nice way.My mum once poured too much lavender oil in her bath water and it made her light headed.She emerged looking like she`d downed 6 bottles of wine...red faced and smiley.
How we laughed.A fond memory of her...but then again,one sherry on a Sunday after church and she was away with the fairies.
We never were a family who did well on alcohol. lol

Oh...what a delightful post to wake up to.You`ve made me want to visit a garden centre and buy heaps of the stuff to plant under my roses.
Yep...might just put that as my priority today.
Bless you
Steff
x

you are so dear to all of us,

if it were ever possible, I would love to meet you
you also are very beautiful inside and out... and funny!
ps -do you drink sage tea in the UK?

some things I do -
this is something I have done for the last few years~more and more...

I try not to allow the PD mentality to steal my joy or my hope...
do not listen when your body thinks it has PD -tell your body
you are healing very well today -continue to thank your arms legs for walkings etc...
may sound weird but the body is very happy to repair itself -it is possible

PS-S:
-
Steffi -
I just found out that a chemical we call in the US -Paraquat is very similiar
to the drug MPTP which is what the scientist use to give rhesus monkeys
PD, so if we are genetically predisposed to PD, stay away from herbicides!

also war is toxic -stay away from the news stations as much as possible...
when the bad news makes me nervous - I will turn off the entire TV, listen to
music or go outside,
so I switch my brain waves to a lower more peaceful wave...


also start taking methylcobalamine -it is a neuroprotectant sp?
it is B-12 usually comes in a sublingual tablet... it will help you~

God Bless you,

steffi, something to think about when using lavendar oil for your son, though this article deals with application to the skin, not just inhalation of aroma:

Lavender and Tea Tree Oils May Cause Breast Growth in Boys
A study published in this week’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that repeated topical use of products containing lavender oil and/or tea tree oil may cause prepubertal gynecomastia, a rare condition resulting in enlarged breast tissue in boys prior to puberty, and for which a cause is seldom identified.

Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), confirmed in laboratory studies what a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Science Center’s School of Medicine suspected after diagnosing three of his young male patients with prepubertal gynecomastia. The researchers found an association between the use of products containing these oils and the rare disorder, but cautioned more research is needed. At this point, the findings are only applicable to young males with unexplainable enlarged breasts who are regularly using products containing these essential oils.

"We want to encourage doctors who may be seeing patients with gynecomastia to ask their patients about the products they are using. Patients with prepubertal gynecomastia may want to consider reducing the use of products that contain these oils,” said Ken Korach, Ph.D., chief, Laboratory Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology at NIEHS and author on the study. “Although we found an association between exposure to these essential oils and gynecomastia, further research is needed to determine the prevalence of prepubertal gynecomastia in boys using products containing lavender and tea tree oils. Results of such epidemiological studies are important to tell us how strong the association is between topical application of the oils and prepubertal gynecomastia”

The three otherwise healthy Caucasian boys, ages four, seven and 10 years, had normal hormonal levels when they were diagnosed with gynecomastia by Clifford Bloch, M.D., in Colorado. All had either used lavender-scented soap and skin lotions, or shampoos or styling products that contained tea tree oil and lavender oil as ingredients. In each case, several months after the suspected products were discontinued, the gynecomastia had subsided or resolved.

After Bloch discussed the cases with Korach, the NIEHS researchers conducted experiments using human cells to determine if the oils mimic the effects of estrogen, the female hormone that stimulates breast tissue growth, or inhibited the effects of androgen, the hormone known to control masculine characteristics and inhibit the growth of breast tissue. The researchers tested the ability of the oils to modulate or inhibit gene expression.

“The results of our laboratory studies confirm that pure lavender and tea tree oils can mimic the actions of estrogens and inhibit the effects of androgens,” said Korach. “This combinatorial activity makes them somewhat unique as endocrine disruptors.”

Bloch said the laboratory studies support his hypothesis. “Since there was no identifiable cause for prepubertal gynecomastia in the three patients we reported, we speculated that environmental factors might be contributing to their condition. Together, the case histories and NIEHS in vitro studies provide support for our hypothesis that topical exposure to lavender and tea tree oils likely caused gynecomastia in the three patients.”

The oils did not alter the levels of the usual forms of circulating estrogens and androgens in the boys. “We do not anticipate any long term effects on hormonal levels,” said Derek Henley, Ph.D., the lead NIEHS author on the study. It is unknown whether the oils have similar endocrine disrupting effects in prepubertal girls, adolescents or adults.

“This study clearly demonstrates how clinical observations can be supported by basic science research,” said NIEHS Director David A. Schwartz, M.D.

These essential oils might now be considered endocrine disruptors since they appeared to have caused an imbalance in estrogen and androgen signaling. Endocrine disruptors are naturally occurring compounds or synthetic chemicals that may interfere with the production or activity of hormones of the endocrine system leading to adverse health effects.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reference: Henley D, Lipson N, Korach K, Bloch C. Prepubertal Gynecomastia Linked to Lavender and Tea Tree Oils. New England Journal of Medicine, Feb. 1, 2007.

dear olsen -thank you!!!!!!!!!

WOW!
I knew the sense of smell was powerful...
what a terrible side effect for boys -yikes

however:

does itt then enhance breat growth in women and girls?
that may explain my late blooming!
I inhale lavender essential oil almost
every day for the past 3 -4 years, and I use it to control headaches...

and I use tea ttree oil tooth paste -
also is great for fungal infections -? hmmm


thank you for teaching me this dear olsen...

Lavender keeps moths away.Clothes months are on the increase and lavender is a nice way to discourage them and avoids using insecticides

MAN BOOBS!!!
Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!!
Olsen...thank you thank you thank you.
Forgive me.I don`t know whether to laugh or suffer from shock.What a thought? You just never know do you,when using these lotions and potions what the outcome might be but MAN BOOBS? This would never ever ever have crossed my mind.
Oh...I am so sorry but my daft sense of humour has taken over again.
Imagine my son waking up with an enormous pair of KNOCKERS.He`d die... and my daughter and I would be bereft with jealousy.
Which is where your comment about late development comes in Tena. At this very minute I am madly massaging lavender cream into my lesser than less assets hoping for a pair of giant MELONS by the morning.

Oh gosh...really I am too bad..way way too bad.Forgive me but I have just been through a trauma.See my new post if I manage to write it up.
No..truly,thank you for this warning.He will have to cope with insomnia now,and believe me,when he knows the whole truth he will thank me for it.

Tena. What a beautiful reply and I feel truly priveleged that you feel that way.I would love to meet you too and having watched your documentary,am indeed proud to be associated with you.If ever you have the chance of visiting the UK you would be surely welcome at my home,providing you can tolerate two huge dogs.[Once I put my home back together again]

ECD. Does lavender keep away daddy long legs? The bain of my life and the only insect which brings me out in goosebumps.

Love to you all
Steff
x

ohhh my gawd - dear steffi,
I am laughing my **** off!! you are a comedian you and Hugh Laurie
would be fun to watch on the telly!

whew!! funny lady you are!
the mental pictures are a scream!!



laughing so hard -I have tears rolling down my face?
thank you! I needed that!!

hahahahahaa!!!