Support Immunity and Prevent Infection from Virus and Bacteria: An Essential Oil Lifestyle
You can use essential oils to support and strengthen your immune system. How cool is that? There’s plenty of research that shows how the essential oils are able boost and enhance innate (born with) and acquired immunity. When essential oils are used within a holistic lifestyle, your body is super protected from viral and bacterial infection, along with protection from many other illnesses. Here are some essential oil lifestyle methods to help keep you healthy and strong.
Essential oils for holistic support of immunity
Immunity is a state of healthy mind and body. That is pretty much the definition of the therapeutic use of essential oils. Essential oils assist healthy immune function by:
directly influencing cell-mediated and humoral immunity
their antimicrobial properties
their influence on the central and autonomic nervous systems.
potential to relieve inflammation and protect from reactive oxygen species (free radicals)
balancing emotions, relieving stress and anxiety, reducing fight or flight, and supporting deep meditation
Lifestyle is the method
Holistic is a term used often to describe whole body healing. When working with essential oils, holistic is a necessity as well as an associated characteristic of essential oils. “Holistic” within our lifestyle systems deserves a deeper dive than the typical “mind, body, sprit.” There’s an intention, a philosophy and a practice - a lifestyle - that works best when working to boost immunity. Essential oils by themselves are very holistic, though this is not quite enough for overall wellness. A healthy positive lifestyle is the overall driving force to total wellness and includes:
a healthy diet
daily meditation (however you define or practice it)
positive emotional attitude
daily exercise
healthy community and social interaction
The essential oils for healthy immunity
I’m always on the fence about suggesting specific essential oils for specific conditions. You’ll often hear (or read) me say that oils are selected for the person not the symptom. To support a healthy immune system it is best to select essential oils according to the holistic analysis of the person. With that in mind, I’ll continue here with a list of ten essential oils, out of many, that are specific to researched and known immune enhancing activity.
Atlas Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica)
Holistic properties - Immune support, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-microbial
Emotions - Grounding, stabilizing
Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis)
Holistic properties: immune support, lymphatic support, antibacterial, antiviral, detoxification, expectorant
Emotions: uplifting, soothing
Clove (Eugenia caryophyllata)
Holistic properties: Immune support, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral
Emotions: uplifting, energizing
Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus, Euc. radiata, Euc. smithii)
Holistic properties: immune support, antibacterial, antiviral, expectorant
Emotions: uplifting, soothing
Frankincense (Boswellia carteri)
Holistic properties: immune support, antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, respiratory support
Emotions: meditative, calming, soothing
Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
Holistic properties: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-microbial. recovers humoral immune response
Emotions: grounding, uplifting
Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi)
Holistic properties: immune support, lymphatic support, antiviral, detoxification
Emotions: uplifting, happy, calming
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Holistic properties: anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antioxidant, anti-spasmodic, stimulate immune functions
anti-anxiety, balancing, calming, stress relief
Lemon (Citrus limon)
Holistic properties - immune support, anti-microbial, liver support, lymphatic support
Emotions: uplifting, happy, calming
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus)
Healing properties - Anti-inflammatory (reduction of “cytokine storm”), anti-viral
Emotions: uplifting, calming and soothing
The cytokine storm
During the Covid-19 pandemic it was recognized that an aggressive immune response of cytokine release, called the cytokine storm, was responsible for many of the complications and deaths due to the virus. The lungs are the main target of Covid triggered cytokine inflammation, and the main cause of death from the infection. The pathogenesis is described as: “hypercytokinemia underlies the hyperinflammatory state leading to injury of alveolar epithelial cells and vascular endothelial cells, as well as to lung infiltration sustained by neutrophils and macrophages” (Ye C-H, Hsu W-L, Peng G-R, et al., 2021).
Cytokines are inflammatory proteins that flood the bloodstream as an immune response to infection and disease, lifestyle, and stress, that can be damaging to the body and organs. Though cytokines are necessary to the immune response, an essential oil protocol would be instigated to reduce their impact for a more harmonious healing process.
Essential oils to reduce the cytokine storm
Studies have shown the effectiveness of essential oils and their related active compounds to modulate “the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the suppression of inflammatory cell accumulation” (Gandhi, Vasconcelos, 2020). Clove, as already listed for healthy immune function, has evidence of reducing the cytokine storm. “The essential oil of clove also inhibited the production of cytokines. Eugenol was found to be the major component of the clove extract and essential oil, and probably is the causative agent of cytokine inhibition (Tsung-Hsien Tsai, et al., 2017). Euganol is also a component of Tulsi or Holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum), which was also studied for its ability to reduce cytokine inflammation (Paidi, R.K., Jana, M., Raha, S. et al, 2021). The compound geranial (an aldehyde citral) has also been shown to reduce the inflammatory cytokine response.
Essential oils that reduce the inflammatory impact of cytokines would include:
Clove (Eugenia caryophyllata)
Ginger (Zingiber officinalis)
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus)
Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora)
Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin)
Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum)
Essential oil to fight bacterial infection
There is a long history relating to the study of essential oils and their effectiveness in killing bacteria. The challenge is how bacteria are able to survive within the body. Though not as challenging as the fight against viral infection, bacteria also require a diligence to treatment in order to eliminate them. The mechanisms by which essential oils are capable of inhibiting or slowing growth of bacteria are as follows:
they are active against a variety of targets on the bacteria including the cell membrane and cytoplasm
they can completely change the morphology of the cells
they interfere with enzymes involved in the production of energy
they can denature proteins
Some of the most effective essential oils against bacterial infection are:
Ajowan (Trachyspermum ammi)
Black seed/black cumin or black caraway (Nigella sativa)
Cinnamon bark and leaf (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
Clove (Eugenia caryophyllata)
Savory (Satureja Montana)
Thyme ct thymol (Thymus vulgaris)
Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
Other Thyme species and chemotypes (Thymus species; especially Thymus vulgaris ct p-cymene)
Other Oregano species and chemotypes (Origanum species)
Essential oils against viral infection
There are variations at what stage essential oils stop the virus, which is generally accomplished through disruption of the viral envelope. Not all viruses have an envelope structure. This is generally the cold, flu and Covid type of virus.
Essential oils are ineffective after the viral stage of adsorption, when the virus binds to a host cell, and therefore are unable to prevent the virus from populating the cell with its progeny. This is why you still may feel sicker when starting an essential oil treatment. When considering a treatment for viral illness, it must include a system of getting the essential oils to the virus before it’s able to bind and infect a host cell. The system I use is referred to as saturation, which you’ll see when we discuss the methods of treatment.
It can be difficult to predict which essential oils will be most effective against the strain of virus causing an infection. For best results and protection, use a complex mix of essential oils and multiple applications. As best as you can, base your selection decisions on accurate research and well-documented information.
3 daily lifestyle methods for healthy immune function
Along with a healthy diet, meditation and exercise, an essential oil lifestyle method can be incorporated into your daily routines to support immunity and prevent illness.
These are three methods used as a system of treatment:
diffuse, diffuse, diffuse
run a diffuser consistently throughout the day
apply diluted essential oils to the entire body
use morning and evening as a body conditioning lotion or oil
twice daily facial care regime with protective essential oils
use essential oils in your skin care formula known for supporting immune function and are also good in skin care. From the listed oils in this article, Atlas cedarwood, bay laurel, frankincense, lavender and patchouli are suggested. Most oils used in skin care would have some benefit for immune support.
Essential oil methods for viral or bacterial infection
When dealing with a parasitic infection an essential oil and lifestyle protocol can be used with consideration of the difficulty in reaching viral and bacterial infections once they are inside the body. The concept of saturation seems to be the most effective and complete method for healing, as well as for prevention.
I created a three-tiered system to combat infection, especially in the treatment of viral infection. It’s a simple process of keeping the body as “saturated” with essential oils as possible throughout the day. It’s basically the three step system above with the addition of capsules or suppositories. In this system you may want to use more aggressive essential oils that are generally too much for everyday use, such as thyme, oregano and cinnamon.
The three steps are:
Diffuse oils throughout the day in your home and work space
Take oils in a capsule or suppositories (recommended) twice a day
Massage a treatment essential oil formula over the whole body twice a day
Good start to healthy immunity
This is a good start to assisting healthy immune function and protection from pathogenic viral and bacterial infection. Keep in mind the importance of a healthy holistic lifestyle that must coincide with any use of essential oils.