Wintergreen Oil

"The health benefits of wintergreen essential oil can be attributed to its properties as an analgesic, anodyne, antirheumatic, antiarthritic, antispasmodic, antiseptic, aromatic, astringent, carminative, diuretic, emmenagogue and a stimulating substance.

The oil of wintergreen is a world-famous name, and it is extremely popular with the people suffering from rheumatism, arthritis, gout, and pain in their bones and joints for any number of reasons. This oil can usually be found in every household because it has many common applications. This oil is readily available and can be found in a wide variety of stores. wintergreen is the name of a set of plants, native to North America.

The botanical name of this plant is Gaultheria procumbens. The essential oil of this plant is extracted by steam distillation of its leaves.
--Methyl salicylate and gaultherilene are the two main components of this essential oil and methyl salicylate forms an integral part of almost every antiarthritic and analgesic balm for muscle and joint pain that is available on the market.
When rubbed on the affected area, this oil is readily absorbed through the skin and the presence of methyl salicylate induces numbness and an anesthetic effect on the nerves there. It also increases the circulation of the blood and brings warmth to the area.

This oil fights rheumatism and arthritis in two ways.
--First, when applied externally, it easily penetrates through the skin

around the muscles and tissues and stimulates circulation of blood in that location. This activity, apart from bringing warmth to the affected area, helps to clear obstructions in the flow of blood, which is one of the major causes of rheumatism and arthritis, and it does not let toxins like uric acid accumulate at that spot.
--Secondly, although it is absorbed through the skin, it eventually reaches the bloodstream, where it stimulates and increases urination, acting as a diuretic. This speeds up the removal of toxins like uric acid from the body through urination. The removal of excess water, fats, and salts through urine helps to lose weight, which also reduces the effects of rheumatic conditions.

The high degree of toxicity of this oil can make it fatal to human beings, and that means that it is fatal to bacteria and other microbes such a virus, fungi and protozoa as well. This quality is utilized to fight an infection that causes sepsis by killing the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and cures sepsis.

However,
*care should be taken to avoid direct contact with blood and it should never be applied to open wounds.
*Neither should it be taken orally to fight sepsis in the internal organs. Just applying this oil on the skin will be enough, as it will

easily penetrate the skin, be absorbed by the tissues and will then be absorbed into the bloodstream, thus spreading into the internal organs as well.
*The essential oil of wintergreen is highly poisonous due to the presence of methyl salicylate. It should never be ingested and should not be used in aromatherapy.
External application is sufficient for making this oil work inside since it easily seeps through the skin and is absorbed by the
muscles and tissues.
*Furthermore, if accidentally ingested, it can cause severe damage to internal organs like the liver and kidneys.
*One more cautionary note, an excessive external application on the skin can also turn fatal because of absorption of excessive methyl salicylate in the tissues and consequently in the bloodstream."
OrganicFacts