According to many the pine plant has its origin in Austria and Russia, from where it spread to various regions of the globe. As the pine tree possesses the aptitude to endure extreme cold as well as comparatively arid conditions, it can grow well and thrive in various different regions.
In early days, Native Americans employed pine trees in various ways. For instance, they chewed the pine needles with a view to protect them against scurvy. They also stuffed their mattresses with pine needles, which are loaded with oil, to ward off fleas and lice. In addition, the pine needles are a very effective remedy for hunters, as they enclose plenty of vitamin C. Usually, hunters lack this vitamin when they are on their job.
Ancient Greek philosopher and physician Hippocrates is known to have employed pine for treating health conditions related to the pulmonary system, while Pliny advised people enduring respiratory problems to use pine essential oil.
Pine is an evergreen tree that can often grow up to a height of 40 meters (130 feet). The crown of this tree is flat, while its bark is reddish-brown with deep fissures. The leaves are grey-green and bear resemblance to needles, while the flowers are orange-yellow and they develop into pointed brownish cones.
Pine trees are cultivated widely for their wood, turpentine, pitch, and essential oil. This tree was used extensively by Native Americans to protect them from scurvy, as it contains considerable vitamin C. Even today, people stuff their mattresses with dried out pine needles to ward off fleas and lice. In ancient times, Egyptians used pine kernels in cooking.
Pine essential oil is used most extensively for treating problems related to the skin. Often, dermatologists recommend this essential oil for treating a number of skin related problems, including scabies, itching, eczema, sores, psoriasis and fleas.
The essential oil extracted from pine has a characteristic essence and it imparts a sweet fragrance to cosmetics in which it is used. In addition, pine essential oil is extensively used in perfumes and various fragrances, besides being employed widely in the form of massage oil.
It is important to note that this essential oil possesses antiseptic properties and, hence, can be used for treating sores, cuts and even fungal infections.
The essential oil obtained from pine needles and young twigs is also useful in improving metabolism and, at the same time perks up one's activity level. In addition, use of this oil also helps to cleanse the body, as it possesses the aptitude to treat all problems related to the intestines. As pine essential oil possesses diuretic properties, its use helps to get rid of excessive water from the body by means of increased urination. As this oil encourages the quantity as well as frequency of urine passage, it helps the body to not only get rid of surplus water, but also eliminate toxic substances like unnecessary fat, uric acid and excessive salts. In addition, pine essential oil is also useful for the health of our kidneys, as the use of this essential oil takes away much of the burden from the kidneys, which just have to filter toxic substance just once daily. Pine essential oil is also used to treat food poisoning, as it encourages the body to process as well as get rid of toxic substances at a more rapid pace and, as a result, helps to get rid of them faster via urination.
Pine essential oil is believed to possess analgesic attributes and, hence, is an effective remedy for people enduring arthritis, joint pain, and rheumatic conditions. In addition to being an effective analgesic, pine oil also possesses anti-inflammatory attributes. Therefore, it works to diminish the redness and swelling at the affected body areas, thereby alleviating pain. Using pine essential oil actually does not require a person to take two synthetically manufactured medications. You only need to apply some pine oil topically onto the affected areas to get rid of swelling, inflammation as well as the accompanying pain.
Apart from providing us with several physical health benefits, pine essential oil also offers a number of emotional benefits. Use of this oil helps to create rejuvenated feeling and, at the same time, is effective in alleviating mental tension caused by various issues. Therapeutically, pine essential oil is also employed to eliminate adrenal fatigue, thereby rejuvenating one's spirits. This is primarily because this oil is a very effective mood elevator. Using pine essential oil regularly for massages can offer the user mental clarity and, at the same time get rid of nervous tension and anxiety.
Last, but not the least, it has been found that pine essential oil is very beneficial for people enduring weak concentration as well as memory loss. While further research is required in this area, people in several cultures have been traditionally using pine essential oil for this purpose.
The antioxidant properties of pine essential oil also help it to counteract the detrimental free radicals and, at the same time, has a positive effect on the health of our eyes. Free radicals are responsible for some of the serious health conditions related to our eyes, such as cataracts, macular degeneration, and many other conditions related to good eye sight. These free radicals actually harm or cause degeneration of the cells in the eyes. In fact, use of pine essential oil has been associated with improving eye sight as well as protecting our eyes from the normal age related problems.
It is worth mentioning here that pine essential oil is an effective natural remedy for a variety of infections, counting urinary tract infections (UTI). The antibacterial constituents of this oil are said to be responsible for its protective actions.
As pine essential oil possesses antiseptic properties, it is widely used for treating cuts, boils, athletes' foot, sports related injuries and others. The antifungal attributes of this oil is an added bonus, which also helps in treating the above mentioned conditions. In fact, fungal infections are not only among the most dangerous conditions, but also very difficult to treat, especially when they occur internally, they may even prove to be fatal. Using this oil to purify your entire system is certainly a wonderful idea, but it needs to be done with great care.
In addition, pine essential oil is an excellent natural remedy for all types of respiratory problems and, therefore, it is widely used for making cough syrups and medications, in addition to medications meant for treating colds. This is primarily owing to this oil's expectorant abilities. In other words, pine essential oil works to slacken phlegm as well as mucus inside the respiratory tracts, thereby making it easier to get rid of them from the body.
As the use of pine essential oil reduces the unwanted deposits (read mucus) in the respiratory tract, it enables the body to combat initial infection in a better manner as well as accelerate the time taken for recuperation.
In addition, pine essential oil is a wonderful remedy for lessening gall bladder inflammation and preventing the occurrence of gallstones. As this oil possesses a pleasing fragrance, it is also used in various household products. Some of the domestic products that include pine essential oil are room fresheners, room sprays and volatile liquids.
Although pine essential oil offers several health benefits, it can prove to be dangerous when consumed or used internally. This oil is so potent that it can result in kidney damage. Hence, this oil should never be given to people enduring kidney problems. In addition, use of pine essential oil may result in skin irritation in sensitive people. Therefore, it should always be used in a diluted form. You should also remember that children as well as aged people should never be recommended or given the essential oil of pine because it may result in irritation and high blood pressure (hypertension).
Generally, pine essential oil is extracted by employing a process known as steam distillation. Usually, the pine needles and fresh, tender twigs of the tree are used to obtain this oil. Sometimes, many essential oil manufacturers also use pine cones to obtain the oil. As pine trees are found in abundance, this essential oil is relatively less expensive compared to many other essential oils. In addition, this oil is also easily available.
Pine essential oil possesses very potent properties and, therefore, it can resist redness as well as swelling (inflammation) in people enduring joint pain. Use of this essential oil also alleviates joint pain and rheumatoid arthritis. When used externally, pine essential oil also helps to alleviate common muscular pains. You may add this oil to your hot bath for this purpose. Alternatively, add this oil to any base massage oil like coconut or almond oil for relief from muscular and joint pains.
Apart from alleviating joint and muscle pains, pine essential oil is also useful for providing relief from congestion in the respiratory tract. This oil serves as an expectorant and, thereby, helps the body to disintegrate mucus and expel it from the lungs. In addition, use of pine essential oil also helps in lessening the occurrences of sinus infections.
These apart, pine essential oil is also said to be effective in providing us protection from common cold as well as flu. Besides using pine oil, you can also prevent these conditions by taking a balanced diet and foods that are loaded with vitamin C.
Pine essential oil also works to invigorate the body as well as the mind, in addition to rejuvenating the person in general. This oil is an aromatherapy agent and has been used traditionally to treat mild depression as well as support adrenal fatigue.
This oil is a wonderful cleaning agent and, hence, you can safely add it to room fresheners and sprays that are used for cleansing. It helps to provide a better brightening and cleansing effect. When used in disinfectants, it has been found that pine oil works effectively to eliminate several household germs, counting yeast spores, mildew and E.coli.
Notwithstanding its health benefits, pine essential oil should always be used cautiously, as this is very potent oil. If this oil is used undiluted with other suitable carrier oils, it may result in skin and mucous membrane irritation. Using this oil internally, precisely speaking, orally, may cause health hazards in humans.
