This article is about the plant genus. For use as a psychoactive drug, see Cannabis (drug). For other uses, see Cannabis (disambiguation). Cannabis  Common hemp Conservation status  Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Rosids Order: Rosales Family: Cannabaceae Genus: Cannabis L. Species[1] Cannabis sativa L. Cannabis indica Lam. Cannabis ruderalis Janisch Cannabis (/ˈkænəbɪs/) is a genus of flowering plants that includes three different species, Cannabis sativa,[2] Cannabis indica and Cannabis ruderalis.[1] These species are indigenous to Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent.[3] Cannabis has long been used for hemp fibre, for hemp oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a recreational drug. Industrial hemp products are made from Cannabis plants selected to produce an abundance of fiber. To satisfy the UN Narcotics Convention, some Cannabis strains have been bred to produce minimal levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principal psychoactive constituent. Many plants have been selectively bred to produce a maximum of THC (cannabinoids) which is obtained through the dried flowers of Cannabis plants. Various compounds of the plant, including hashish and hash oil, are extracted from the plant.[4] Globally, in 2013, 60,400 kilograms of cannabis were produced legally.[5] In 2013 between 128 and 232 million people are thought to have used cannabis (2.7% to 4.9% of the global population between the ages of 15 and 65).[6]
Cassia is a spice that is produced from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum verum tree which is native to Sri Lanka. It is also known as true Cinnamon, Chinese Cinnamon or Cinnamomum zeylanicum. It tends to be sold under the name Cinnamon when in the form of a spice, as powder or sticks of bark. However when it is sold as an essential oil it often has the name Cassia. Cassia Essential Oil Various methods are used to obtain cassia essential oil, such as drying and grinding the seeds and steaming the bark, leaves, twigs and flowers. Cassia produces a slightly sweet aroma, and it imparts a spicy taste that has a slight bite. Health Benefits Traditional practitioners use cassia to treat a variety of maladies, including: • blurred vision • bloodshot eyes • constipation • high blood pressure • diabetes • stomach and muscle spasms • diarrhea • erectile dysfunction • flatulence • kidney disorders • nausea and vomiting • cramps • bed wetting • menstrual problems • cancer • to incite abortion • depression Antimicrobial Action Positive reports about the essential oil from NIH confirm that the Cinnamomum Cassia tree contains cinnamaldehyde, a chemical that seems to counteract bacteria and fungi. Killing Bacteria The U.S. National Library of Medicine cites the early use of spices for antimicrobial purposes, in fact it is mentioned in one of the oldest known medical books, and is mentioned several times in the Bible Much more recently, around the year 1676, Van Leeuwenhoek described some effects of using spices. Current interest in cinnemaldehyde is showing potential for development as an antimicrobial agent in food. Problems with adding a sufficient quantity of a flavorful spice such as cinnamon include the way that it alters the taste of food. Halting Fungal Infections Cassia oil is is very effective when used for athlete’s foot, a condition that frequently occurs from walking on communal shower floors, saunas as well as around swimming pools. Cassia is also very well known and highly regarded as a antifungal agent. Killing Viral Infections A virus is smaller than a single cell bacteria, so small in fact that ordinary microscopes cannot detect them. They are much more difficult to eradicate than bacteria. The fact that viruses are hampered by the cinnamaldehyde in Cassia oil validates why Cassia is widely accepted as being an effective antiviral.
CBD is not psychoactive ie. you absolutely CANNOT get ‘high’ or intoxicated by consuming CBD Hemp Oil or any natural product from Industrial Hemp plants for that matter. Unlike “Medical Marijuana” it does not contain the psychoactive properties of THC. Additionally, it is well known in scientific research that CBD is anti-psychoactive. This means you can use CBD to counter the effects of THC. So someone who's gotten "to high" can use CBD to help come down.
Cinnamomum verum (Ceylon cinnamon), most commonly used in the Western world
Cinnamomum aromaticum (Cassia cinnamon or Chinese cinnamon), which originates from southern China, is typically less expensive than Ceylon cinnamon.
Cinnamon has been consumed since 2000 BC in Ancient Egypt, where it was very highly prized (almost considered to be a panacea). In medieval times doctors used cinnamon to treat conditions such as coughing, arthritis and sore throats. Modern research indicates that this spice may have some very beneficial properties.
Health benefits
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, Cinnamon is used to help treat muscle spasms, vomiting, diarrhea, infections, the common cold, loss of appetite, and erectile dysfunction (ED).
Cinnamon may lower blood sugar in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, according to Diabetes UK.1 However high quality research supporting the claim remains scarce.
Fungal infections - according to the National Institutes of Health2, cinnamaldehyde - a chemical found in Cassia cinnamon - can help fight against bacterial and fungal infections.
Cinnamon sticks or quills.
Diabetes - cinnamon may help improve glucose and lipids levels3 in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a study published inDiabetics Care.
The study authors concluded that consuming up to 6 grams of cinnamon per day "reduces serum glucose, triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes." and that "the inclusion of cinnamon in the diet of people with type 2 diabetes will reduce risk factors associated with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases."
In addition, a certain cinnamon extract can reduce fasting blood sugar levels in patients, researchers reported in the European Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Alzheimer's disease - Tel Aviv University researchers discovered that cinnamon may help prevent Alzheimer's disease. According to Prof. Michael Ovadia, of the Department of Zoology at Tel Aviv University, an extract found in cinnamon bark, called CEppt, contains properties that can inhibit the development of the disease.
HIV - a study of Indian medicinal plants revealed that cinnamon may potentially be effective against HIV4. According to the study authors, "the most effective extracts against HIV-1 and HIV-2 are respectively Cinnamomum cassia (bark) and Cardiospermum helicacabum (shoot + fruit)."
Multiple Sclerosis - cinnamon may help stop the destructive process of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a neurological scientist at Rush University Medical Center. Cinnamon could help eliminate the need to take some expensive and unpleasant drugs.
Lower the negative effects of high fat meals - Penn State researchers revealed that diets rich in cinnamon can help reduce the body's negative responses to eating high-fat meals.
Myrrh is the dried sap of the Commiphora Myrrha tree, native to Yemen, Somalia and Ethiopia. It is used extensively in aromatherapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayervedic medicine and even in western medicine. Its history of use predates the bible.
Myrrh Resin Historical Fact:
Myrrh is recorded in Ebers Papyrus, one of the oldest Egyptian medical texts on record. Ebers Papyrus dates to about 1550 BC and contains over 700 remedies for almost everything including embalming. Myrrh oil was referred to in the Bible 156 times making it the most frequently mentioned oil in the Bible!
In traditional Chinese medicine, myrrh is classified as being bitter and spicy, and as having a neutral temperature. It is said to have special efficacy on the heart, liver and spleen meridians. It is also reported to have "blood-moving" powers enabling it to purge stagnant blood from the uterus. It is therefore recommended for rheumatic, arthritic, and circulatory problems, and for amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, menopause, and uterine tumors.
Myrrh's uses are similar to those of frankincense, with which it is often combined in decoctions, liniments and incense. When used in concert, myrrh is "blood-moving" while frankincense moves the Qi, making it more useful for arthritic conditions.
It is combined with such herbs as notoginseng, safflower petals, angelica sinensis, cinnamon, and salvia miltiorrhiza, usually in alcohol, and used both internally and externally
Myrrh is used more frequently in Ayurveda and Unani medicine, which ascribe tonic and rejuvenative properties to the resin. It (daindhava) is utilized in many specially processed rasayana formulas in Ayurveda. However, non-rasayana myrrh is NOT recommended if kidney dysfunction or stomach pain is apparent, or for women who are pregnant or have excessive uterine bleeding.
A related species, called guggul in Ayurvedic medicine, is considered one of the best substances for the treatment of circulatory problems, nervous system disorders and rheumatic complaints.
In the typical western pharmacy, myrrh is commonly used for its antiseptic qualities and is found in many mouthwashes, gargles, and toothpastes. Its also frequently used is in the prevention and treatment of gum disease. Myrrh is found in many liniments and healing salves that may be applied to abrasions and other minor skin ailments. Myrrh has also been recommended as an analgesic for toothaches, and can be used in liniment for bruises, aches, and sprains.
Myrrh is a very common ingredient in tooth powders. Myrrh and borax in tincture can be used as a mouth-wash.
A compound tincture, or horse tincture, using myrrh is commonly used in veterinary practice for healing wounds.
Myrrh gum is used for indigestion, ulcers, colds, cough, asthma, lung congestion, arthritis pain, and cancer.
"As part of a larger search for anticancer compounds from plants, the researchers obtained extracts from a particular species of myrrh plant (Commiphora myrrha) and tested it against a human breast tumor cell line (MCF-7) known to be resistant to anticancer drugs. Research data indicated that the extract killed all of the cancer cells in laboratory dishes.".
Health Benefits of Myrrh Essential Oil
Antimicrobial and Antiviral: Myrrh essential oil prevents microbes from growing or infecting your system. It can be used to prevent any ailment resulting from microbial infection, such as fever, food poisoning, cough & cold, mumps, measles, pox and infections of wounds. It has no adverse side effects, unlike other antibiotics, such as weakening of liver, or digestive malfunction.
Astringent: Myrrh Essential Oil is an astringent. That means that it helps strengthen the hold of gums on teeth, contracts the skin, muscles, intestines and other internal organs. It also strengthens the grip of scalp on hair roots, thereby preventing hair loss.
One more serious aspect of this astringent property of Myrrh is that it helps stop hemorraghing in wounds. It's astringent properties forces the blood vessels to contract, this helps to check the flow of blood, thereby stopping you from bleeding out if your wounded.
Expectorant: Myrrh essential oil is good against coughs and colds. It fights the viral infections that can cause coughs and colds, as well as relieves congestion and reduces the deposition of phlegm in the lungs and respiratory tracts.
Antifungal: Myrrh essential oil acts as a fungicide as well. It can be used either internally and externally to fight fungal infection.
Stimulant: Myrrh essential oil stimulates thoughts, blood circulation, digestion, secretions, nervous activity and excretion. It stimulates the pumping action of the heart, the secretion of digestive juices and bile into the stomach, and it keeps you alert and active by stimulating the brain and the nervous system.
Carminative: This essential oil helps to relieve you of those gases which can result in embarrassing situations in public. It also has an expensive toll on your health by stealing your appetite, slowing down digestion, giving you stomach aches and headaches and sometimes chest pains as well by raising your blood pressure.
Stomachic: Myrrh oil is beneficial for the all around health of your stomach.
Anti-catarrhal: This property of Myrrh essential oil relieves you of excess mucus and phlegm and troubles associated with that sort of mucus deposition, including congestion, breathing trouble, heaviness in chest, and coughs.
Diaphoretic: It increases perspiration and keeps your body free from toxins, extra salt and excess water from your body. Sweating also cleans the skin-pores and helps harmful gases like nitrogen escape.
Vulnerary: This property of myrrh essential oil protects wounds from infections and makes them heal quicker.
Antiseptic: If you have a healthy amount of myrrh essential oil, you don’t need to worry about small cuts and wounds becoming infected. This oil can take care of them and will not let them become septic, since it is an antiseptic substance. It can protect you from tetanus as well to some extent.
Immune Booster: Myrrh oil strengthens and activates the immune system and keeps the body protected from infections.
Circulatory: This powerful essential oil stimulates blood circulation and ensures the proper supply of oxygen to the tissues. This is good for attaining a proper metabolic rate as well as for boosting the immune system. Increasing the blood flow to the more obscure corners of your body, the better the nutrients and oxygen reach those body parts so they function better and stay healthy.
Tonic: This property means a boost to your overall health. As a tonic, myrrh oil tones up all the systems and organs in the body, gives them strength and protects them from premature aging and infections.
Anti-inflammatory: Myrrh essential oil sedates inflammation in various tissues in cases of fever or viral infections, in the digestive system resulting from ingestion of too much spicy food and in the circulatory system when something inflammatory or toxic enters the blood stream.
Antispasmodic: It also provides relief from unwanted contractions or spasms and therefore eases cramps, aches, and muscle pain.
Uses of Myrrh Oil Both myrrh resin and myrrh oil have a long history of medicinal use, valued for their wound-healing properties. Egyptians used myrrh to treat hay fever and heal herpes.8 Myrrh oil has also been used as incense and a holy oil in religious rituals and ceremonies for over 5,000 years.9
Maintaining healthy skin is one of myrrh oil's renowned uses, as it prevents the signs of aging and soothes cracked or chapped skin. This is why it's commonly added to many skin care products today.10
Myrrh oil is also used for
Adding fragrance for perfumes Embalming Flavoring food products Myrrh oil is also a valuable aromatherapy oil that can be used for massages, mixed in bathwater, or simply applied on the skin. You can also:
Use it as a mouthwash to help eliminate dental infections. Put it in a cold compress to relieve sores and wounds. Add it to creams and lotions to help relieve skin infections, such as athlete's foot, ringworm, weeping eczema, bedsores, boils, carbuncles, and acne. Composition of Myrrh Oil
There are many health-enhancing compounds in myrrh oil, such as terpenoids, a class of chemicals with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.12 It also contains up to 75 percent sesquiterpenes, which are compounds that can affect certain parts of your brain, particularly your hypothalamus, pituitary, and amygdala, which control your emotions and produce many important hormones in your body.13
Other components of myrrh include alpha pinene, cadinene, dipentene, limonene, eugenol, cuminaldehyde, m-cresol, cinnamaldehyde, acetic acid, formic acid, and heerabolene.14, 15
Benefits of Myrrh Oil
Myrrh oil's benefits can be attributed to its powerful antioxidant, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, expectorant, and antispasmodic properties. This essential oil can help with many health conditions, such as:
Respiratory problems - Myrrh oil works well against coughs, colds, and sore throat. It also helps relieve congestion and expel phlegm. Digestive ailments – It promotes digestive health and helps cure problems like stomach upset, diarrhea, dyspepsia, indigestion, flatulence and hemorrhoids.16, 17 Gum and mouth diseases – It helps relieve toothache, gingivitis, and mouth ulcers, and also freshens your breath. Myrrh oil is even used as a natural ingredient in mouthwashes and toothpaste. Immune system health - It strengthens and activates your immune system to keep your body protected from infections. A study conducted by Chinese researchers, published in the Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, also found that extracts made from myrrh resin may be effective against human gynecologic cancer cells.18
Other Benefits
This oil is highly valued in aromatherapy as a sedative, antidepressant and as a promoter of spiritual feelings. This oil takes care of uterine health and stimulates that organ, helps fading away of scars and spots, is good for treating skin ailments, pyorrhea, diarrhea and skin diseases such as eczema, ringworm, and itches. It is also an emenagogue which means that it normalizes menstruation and relieves the associated symptoms like mood swings and hormonal imbalances.
And last but not least.... A few Words of Caution
Despite all of the healthy benefits of myrrh essential oil, if used in excess... it can have toxic effects. It should be avoided by pregnant women since it stimulates the uterus and could result in miscarriage.
Sure it can be used on the body and it works great but its even better when used IN your body. Extra virgin olive oil, the least processed form of olive oil, has additional antioxidant properties that have a protective effect against heart disease. Only extra virgin olive oil contains the all-important oleocanthal.
Weight Loss: Many people, especially those from the Mediterranean, drink ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil every morning, followed by a small glass of warm water mixed with fresh lemon juice. This helps to cleanse the body, and jump-start the system. Women in Israel swear that drinking the olive oil each morning keeps hunger pangs away and has helped with weight loss and maintenance.
Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention: Heart disease is the number one killer of women. Stroke is the third. The FDA reports that by ingesting olive oil each day, you may reduce your risk of coronary heart disease, which can cause heart attacks and strokes. Olive oil contains up to 80 percent monounsaturated fatty acids, which helps to increase HDL, known as the "good" cholesterol, and decrease LDL, the "bad" cholesterol. Extra virgin olive oil, the least processed form of olive oil, has additional antioxidant properties that have a protective effect against heart disease.
Gallstone Reduction: According to the "Divine Prescription and Science of Health and Healing", by Gunther B. Paulien, the consumption of olive oil stimulates the production of bile and pancreatic secretions that drastically reduce the formation of gallstones. An experiment revealed the actual weight of a gallstone was reduced by 68 percent after two days of being soaked in pure olive oil.
Colon Cancer Prevention: An article in the International Journal of Cancer stated that the consumption of olive oil may protect against certain forms of cancer, especially colon cancer. Olive oil contains oleic acid and other phenols that have antioxidant benefits in the body. Antioxidants rid the body of free radicals that cause cell damage and may even lead to some forms of cancer. The study showed that the phenols extracted from extra virgin olive oil inhibited colon cancer at different stages. Of course, consuming olive oil is not a substitute for getting regular colonoscopies.
Breast Cancer Prevention: The Mayo Clinic reports that the second most common killer of women is cancer, with lung cancer ranking first and breast and colorectal cancer close behind. According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 12 percent of women will at some point be diagnosed with breast cancer. Cornell University studies showed that olive oil consumption was linked to a substantial decrease in breast cancer risk. The oleic acid and antioxidants in olive oil can help combat other cancers, as well.
Alzheimer's Disease: A research study by Northwestern University in conjunction with the Monell Chemical Senses Center shows that the natural compound in olive oil -- oleocanthal -- may help treat and prevent Alzheimer's disease. Oleocanthal actually alters the structure of neurotoxic proteins believed to contribute to the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's.
Diabetes: Diabetes is a growing health issue in this country, especially due to the ongoing obesity issue. Many people aren't even aware they have diabetes. Diabetes can be complicated by menopause and bring about a host of other health problems such as eye, skin and foot complications. The American Diabetes Association recommends olive oil as a healthy, monounsaturated fat to manage diabetes and the European Food Information Council reports that olive oil can reduce blood glucose levels.
What kind of olive oil should you be using? Definitely extra-virgin olive oil, although it isn't always easy to know if you're getting extra virgin, even if it says so on the label. (Note: olive oils that list "olive oil," "pure" or "light" do not contain oleocanthal. It, like other phenolics, is removed during the refining process. It must say "extra virgin olive oil" on the label.) Only extra virgin olive oil contains the all-important oleocanthal.
So how can you tell which of the extra virgin olive oils have lots of oleocanthal? The gold standard test is taste and your physical reaction to it. Many health experts believe that extra virgin olive oil that contains oleocanthal, a distinguishing chemical characteristic of fresh-pressed olive oil, will be extra peppery and will make you want to cough. A recent article compared the reaction one has to ingesting extra virgin olive oil with oleocanthal to swallowing ibuprofen. This unique sensation and the accompanying 'cough' are regarded among connoisseurs as indicators of high quality olive oil. If the one you are using is peppery then almost certainly you are getting a liberal dose of oleocanthal in your everyday diet.
