The introduction of zedoary essential oil

What is rhizoma curcumae oil?

Zedoary (Curcumae Rhizoma, Ezhu), a Chinese medicinal herb, has been reported to show anticancer activity. Zedoary Essential Oil is one of the most widely used ingredients in the perfumery and flavor industry. This oil has long, been a part of the folk medicine. Zedoary oil is obtained by steam distillation of the rhizomes of the plant Curcuma zedoaria, which is a member of the ginger family Zingiberaceae. The oil is normally golden yellow viscous liquid that have a warm-spicy, woody & camphoraceous cineolic odor reminiscent of ginger. The oil is quite beneficial for digestive systems and is used as a gastrointestinal stimulant in flatulent colic. It also prevents stress ulceration. It can also be used in healing different kinds of wounds and cuts on the body. It can be used as an antioxidant and is commonly used to help in sexual problems experienced by both sexes. It also helps in keeping the body temperature warm during fever. It is used as a condiment, as a flavoring for liqueurs and bitters, in perfumery, and medicinally as a carminative and stimulant.

The essential oil contains: D-borneol; D-camphene; D-camphor; cineole; curculone; curcumadiol; curcumanolide A and B; Curcumenol; curcumenone curcumin; curcumol; curdione; dehydrocurdione; alpha-pinene; mucilage; starch; resin; sesquiterpenes; and sesquiterpene alcohols. The root also contains numerous other bitter substances; tannins; and flavonoids.

Health benefits of zedoary essential oil

1. Excellent digestive aid

Zedoary herb is used to treat problems in the digestive system especially in the gastrointestinal tract since ancient times. The herb and its essential oil are supposed to be beneficial in treating indigestion, colic, loss of appetite, spasms, flatulence, infestation of worms, tastelessness and irregular bowel movement. It is considered as a natural aid for preventing ulceration due to stress.

The oil is proven safe for using it on the skin. Add 3 drops of Zedoary essential oil with almond oil and gently massage it on your tummy for relieving from colic, dyspepsia, flatulence, indigestion, irregular bowel movement and spasms.

Apart from that you can also add 2 drops of this oil to warm bathing water for stimulating your digestion, improving your appetite and assist in expelling the worms through excretion. Adding 2 to 3 drops of Zedoary oil to your diffuser will also help in enhancing your appetite, reducing vomiting sensation and promoting speedy digestive process.

2. Treats respiratory problems

Respiratory problems mainly occur due to the excess of kapha dosha, due to which fluids like mucous and phlegm gets deposited in the lungs and other parts of the body. It blocks the nasal passages and ends up in breathing difficulties and other respiratory disorders like cough, asthma and cold.

Adding 3 drops of Zedoary oil to steaming water and inhaling the medicated steam releasing the camphoraceous aroma of this oil can assist you in loosening the phlegm and mucous deposits and ease breathing. You can also add 2 drops of this oil in your rubs and gently massage it on your neck, chest and back to treat congestion, cold and blocked nose.

3. Relieves pain and inflammation

As an effective anti-inflammatory agent, Zedoary oil helps in treating wounds, inflammation and certain other skin ailments. This herb was used in the Indonesian folk medicine for its effective anti-inflammatory property mostly in treating ulcerative colitis known as an inflammatory bowel disease. It was also used in protecting the lungs of the asthmatic patients by restraining the release of inflammatory mediators during the short-term treatment.

4. Fights against cancerous cells

Research on ‘Zedoary oil (Ezhu You) prevents propagation of AGS cells’ proves that Zedoary, a Chinese medicinal herb has anticancer properties. This study concluded saying, “Zedoary oil inhibited AGS cell proliferation through cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis promotion, which were related to Bax/Bcl-2 protein expression.”

Another research on ‘Applications of Nanoparticles in Herbal Medicine: Zedoary Turmeric Oil and Its Active Compound beta-elemene’ published in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine states that Zedoary oil has been approved by the Chinese SFDA as safe for treating various cancerous tumors that affect ovaries, brain, lungs, colon, breast, liver and certain other tissues.