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With a long history of traditional use, Medicinal Spice Oils have proven themselves time and again as safe yet potent healers and preventers of disease. Modern science has verified these traditional uses. See articles and research below on the following:
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Protecting Yourself from Bioterrorism The United States is in the midst of strikes on Afghanistan. Many people are understandably nervous about retaliatory terrorist attacks. Numerous people across the country seem to have contracted anthrax through intentional contamination. Even officials from the government are saying that it is not a matter of whether terrorists will attack the United States with biological weapons, but of when, where, how large the attacks will be and what agents will be used. Anthrax and smallpox are considered the two most likely biological agents for different reasons. Anthrax is cheap to produce and, unless treated immediately, is fatal 80% of the time, but it is not transmitted from person to person. Smallpox, while it kills only one in three, is extremely contagious and easily transmitted by infected people. Botulism, bubonic plague and tularemia are also considered threats. All these are considered treatable with antibiotics, but the drugs need to be administered at the earliest manifestations of symptoms. There are vaccines for anthrax and smallpox (although the anthrax vaccine is controversial) but there is certainly not enough to go around, and there won't be for some time. Even then, in the event of a massive attack, the ability of our healthcare system to treat thousands or millions of people is questionable. What can people do to protect themselves? After the September 11 attack, the number of prescriptions for the antibiotic Cipro (ciprofloxacin hydrochloride) shot up 27% in New York City. Cipro is the only orally administered drug recommended for such use by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, although other antibiotics have been used to treat anthrax. However, Cipro is expensive, one needs a prescription, and authorities are urging people not to stock up in advance so that it will be available in case a real emergency materializes. Col. Steven Waller, director of the surgeon general's Tactical Action Team, says stockpiling Cipro is counterproductive. The government has huge supplies of the drug to fly in when needed, according to Waller, and taking the pills unnecessarily could breed resistance. Some health practitioners have recommended that people order agricultural antibiotics from animal supply houses, which can be located on the Internet. One does not need a prescription, the drugs are cheap, they have long shelf lives and supplies are plentiful. Two readily available antibiotics are Terramycin 343 and Aureomycin, both of which are effective against anthrax, according to the Physician's Desk Reference. However, be advised that it is not legal, according to the Food and Drug Administration, for a company to knowingly sell an antibiotic intended for livestock to you for your own use. And then there's the problem of determining the correct dosages and protocol for humans; a person would need to consult a sympathetic M.D. for information on properly self-administering the antibiotic. So how else can people protect themselves? In the first place, keep your immune system strong! This is best achieved by a wholesome lifestyle -- proper nutrition, exercise, rest, and so on -- but in our stress-filled, polluted world, supplementation is almost always called for. In the upcoming January issue of Alternative Medicine you will find a Prescribe for Yourself column on boosting your immunity. The many natural substances described can work wonders for dramatically increasing the functioning of your immune system, not only for warding off colds but for preventing serious illness. Secondly, there are many natural substances with proven antimicrobial effects -- which in many studies have proven more potent than pharmaceutical drugs. The accompanying chart lists some that are relatively inexpensive and readily available at natural food and vitamin stores or through the Internet. No one is claiming that employing these remedies is absolute protection against biological weapons of mass destruction, but their ability to kill pathogenic bacteria is well-established. At the very least, they could buy you time to receive professional medical help and they could very well save your life. Natural substances with proven antibacterial properties The information below was compiled by health journalist Bill Sardi from his article "How to Prepare for Biological Armageddon" (www.billsardi.com). The information on essential oils comes from Anne Vermilye, president of essential-oil product manufacturer BioExcel (www.bioexcel.com).
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