As a dietitian I’ll admit I’m not the expert on essential oils. However, I often hear how helpful they are for so many people, so I was curious to learn more. I reached out to Brooke Sullivan-Brown to learn more about this topic, specifically how essential oils improve gut health.

You can watch the 15-minute interview below, or skip down to the show notes. Just make sure you take advantage of Brooke’s special offer that she shares at the end of the interview. Trust me, you won’t want to miss out on this!


 

What are Essential Oils?

  • Essential oils come from stems, seeds, grasses, and barks of plants. The oils are distilled and bottled for use.
  • They are safe, cost effective and have minimal adverse side effects, which makes them an excellent intervention to help improve health. 

Essential Oils to Fix the Gut: 

  • Ginger oil (+ turmeric)
    • Help improves acid reflux
    • Protects stomach lining
    • Increases antioxidant levels
  • Lavender and orange oil 
    • Calms the digestive system
    • Kills off harmful bacteria
  • Peppermint oil (in veggie cap)
    • Helps with bowel movements  
    • Antispasmodic (reduces muscle spasms)
    • Reduces vomiting 
  • Frankincense-
    • Increases secretion of digestive juices
    • Helps with peristalsis (movement through the digestive tract)
    • Reduces gas buildup 
    • Anti-inflammatory 

Best Way to Use Oils: 

  • Aromas (smell) can help improve nausea, particularly peppermint, citrus, or ginger 
    • Smelling the oil gets into your system the quickest compared to topical or ingested forms of the oil 
  • For digestive health, it may be best to use topical or ingested (in veggie capsules) oils

Tips for Finding Good Products:

  • Don’t buy any essential oils over the counter because they are not regulated by the FDA
    • A company can label a product as 100% pure even if it only contains 10% of the oil
    • Synthetic or other added ingredients may be found in products, which can potentially be harmful
  • Doterra products are a trusted resource for essential oils
    • Oils sourced from 40 different countries
    • They undergo 8 levels of in-house quality testing as well as third party lab testing
    • They are not labeled organic because organic-standards are different around the world
  • Potency is an important factor when purchasing products
    • Oils from plants grown in their preferred environment are most potent
  • Pro-tip:
    • Research the company that you purchase products from or talk to an essential oils specialist to get the right products at the right dose for you 

Free Bonuses! 

  • Free personalized consultation with Brooke to figure out the right products for you
    • Virtual or in-person appointments available
    • Get a free essential oils user guide
    • First 3 to sign up get free diffuser 
  • To sign up, message Brooke and use the subject line: I Listened to Erin! CLICK HERE

Research on essential oils: 

  • Essential Oils for Complementary Treatment of Surgical Patients: State of the Art (1)
  • Essential oils used in aromatherapy: A systematic review (2)