Living Magazine Spring 2019 doTERRA Living Magazine | Page 4

DR. DAVID K. HILL, DC
Founding Executive,
Chief Medical Officer/Chairman,
Scientific Advisory Committee
What’s the difference
between Turmeric
essential oil and
turmeric extract?
Is Green Mandarin
photosensitive?
What is the
latest research on
Copaiba?
There is a distinct difference between essential oils and extracts, and it goes well
beyond their aromas. An extract is either a part of the plant dried and ground or
soaked in liquid, while an essential oil is the volatile aromatic compounds contained
within the plant. The distillation process preserves the unique compounds and their
properties that are lost when a plant extract is made. Many of the constituents
contained in turmeric extract are too large to survive the steam distillation process,
so the extract is predominantly made up of various curcuminoids, while the
essential oil is composed primary of sesquiterpenes ar-Turmerone and Turmerone.
The different compositions result in a different spectrum of benefits. Turmeric
essential oil not only imparts a powerfully warm and spicy aroma, but it also, due
to its high concentration of ar-Turmerone and Turmerone, helps support healthy
immune and nervous system function when taken internally.* It also has a number of
benefits for the skin when applied topically. Though the essential oil and the extract
yield different results, they are a power couple when used together.
Citrus essential oils generally have a photosensitivity warning due to the possible
presence of furanocoumarins (organic compounds that bond to DNA and prevent
the skin from protecting itself from sunlight). However, we have been unable to
detect any of these photosensitive compounds in our source of Green Mandarin.
Nonetheless, Green Mandarin has a photosensitivity warning as a precaution. It
is categorized as neat, but if you are going to apply Green Mandarin essential oil
topically to take advantage of its skin-cleansing and health-supporting properties,
we do recommend being cautious while outdoors.
With further investigation, we continue to find more benefits from using Copaiba
essential oil. In the last three years, we have seen over 50 peer-reviewed
publications regarding Copaiba, including our latest AromaTouch ® Hand Technique
clinical trial, which provided some intriguing evidence of Copaiba’s benefits when
applied topically. But internal use is where most of the current research is leading.
With its high concentration of endocannabinoid beta-caryophyllene and its ability
to influence CB 2 receptors, Copaiba may have powerful antioxidant effects and
may support the function of several body systems when ingested, especially the
immune and nervous systems.* A recent meta-analysis acknowledged a number
of recent publications that highlighted Copaiba’s cellular health-supporting and
tissue-remodeling benefits. We are just scratching the surface of discovery with
Copaiba. Expect more from dōTERRA Science on this amazing oil in the future.
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
4 / SPRING 2019 LIVING MAGAZINE