06 Aug Are Essential Oils Safe to Ingest?

From the moment you opened your Young Living Premium Starter Kit, with it’s set of beautiful little bottles, you will have noticed that half of them are labeled in white. The white labels indicate that the oil is part of Young Living’s Vitality line, which is labeled for internal use. But are essential oils safe to ingest?

This is a controversial subject in the aromatherapy world. If you dare to do an online search, you’ll encounter some pretty passionate arguments warning of the dangers of ingestion. In general, the American aromatherapy industry preaches that it is unsafe to ingest any essential oils. According to them, essential oils are too strong, too concentrated and have no nutritional value. While these points are absolutely true, there is another side of the argument.

Over time, I have come to realize that we have an unnatural, irrational fear of natural health. I’ve watched as people are popping pills, drinking sodas, and spraying their homes in toxic chemicals, yet react in fear and distrust of lavender and peppermint. “Let me research that,” they say, when in truth, we know they did no research on the pharmaceuticals they are taking, the sodas they are drinking, or the toxins they are spraying. When did things become so backwards? When did we become so afraid of plants and their extracts?

If you do a thorough search of the scientific literature, you will have a hard time finding anything that can claim essential oils are unsafe for human consumption. I did, however, find many studies that actually used essential oils internally while conducting the study. I also ingest essential oils myself to help support specific body systems and know of many people who also consume essential oils on a daily basis with fantastic results.

So What Do We Do?

Always start with common sense. This will always be my greatest influence and guide. If you want to ingest your oils, start slow, dilute and, if desired, consult a professional who is trained in ingesting essential oils. As a rule, if you notice a reaction, stop using it, and if it makes you nervous and uneasy, don’t do it.

While on the subject of common sense, we know that there are many different qualities of essential oil. Many brands are even labeled with warnings to avoid ingestion. Because of added solvents and fillers, most brands are not fit for consumption, but Young Living is different. They are the industry leader in quality and purity. You can visit their farms to watch their commitment to this standard play out.

The Young Living Vitality line is an entire line of essential oils that are specifically labeled for internal use and are safe to consume. These oils are classified as GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe), and are compliant with the FDA Code of Federal Regulations.

How Do I Consume Essential Oils?

Essential oils can be consumed in several different ways. They can be dropped into a clear, vegetable capsule with a carrier oil. Some enjoy a drop of a citrus essential oil or peppermint in their water. Essential oils are not oily, so although you will see some of the lighter molecules collect on the top of the water, many will infuse with the water. Just be sure to use a glass or stainless steel water bottle, with a metal straw.

A very natural way to consume essential oils is when cooking. The Vitality oils add a delicious, bright flavor to sweet and savory dishes alike. Since these oils are so powerful, we suggest dipping a toothpick into the oil and swirling it in the sauce etc to taste. The possibilities are endless, but a few ideas that we have used are adding basil to spaghetti sauce, a few drops of peppermint to chocolate icing, cinnamon bark to muffins, and lemon to a marinade.

Essential oils are also added to Young Living’s NingXia Red drink and the majority of their supplements. This increases the bioavailability of the supplements, thus increasing their effectiveness.

Some Capsule Recipes

I ingest essential oils daily, mostly through supplements and capsules as needed. Most often, no more than 1-2 drops of each oil are needed in a capsule along with approximately 4 drops of carrier oil. Here are some of my favorite capsule recipes.

What are some of your favorite ways of ingesting essential oils?