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The health benefits of Boldo Essential Oil can be attributed to its properties like anti inflammatory, anti rheumatic, anti septic, Cholagogue, digestive, diuretic, hepatic, insecticide, narcotic, stimulant and vermifuge.
Peumus Boldus is the botanical name of the herb from which Essential Oil of Boldo is obtained through steam distillation of its leaves. This herb, commonly known as Boldo, is a native to South America and is found abundantly in countries like Chile, Peru and Bolivia etc. The chief constituents of the essential oil obtained from Boldo are alpha pinene, ascaridole, beta pinene, camphene, gamma terpinene, cineole, limonene, linalool, para cymene and other mono terpenoids, out of which the component ascaridole is considered responsible for its toxic behaviour.
Before we proceed to study its medicinal properties, let me tell you that unlike most of the essential oils which can be taken safely at home without prescription or expert’s supervision, the Boldo Oil is not a home remedy and should not be tried to use in certain symptoms, despite studying its applications on the symptoms given below. It is highly toxic and a slight overdose can have very serious consequences.
- Anti Inflammatory: Boldo Oil is very efficient in sedating inflammations, particularly those pertaining to the liver, stomach, intestines and other parts of the digestive system. The inflammations caused to side effects of drugs, excessive use of alcohol or narcotics, hard & spicy food, any disease or any toxic element getting into the body, can be sedated using this oil.
- Anti Microbial: Due to the highly toxic nature of this essential oil, it is extremely effective as an anti microbial agent. It kills microbes and inhibits their growth. It is equally effective on any kind of microbe, such as bacteria, fungi, protozoa or virus. It can be used to cure a number of diseases and infections caused due to microbes.
- Anti Rheumatic: This is due to the stimulating and narcotic effect of this Essential Oil of Boldo. Being a stimulant (most of the narcotics are actually external stimulating agents); it stimulates the blood circulation in the affected parts and gives relief from rheumatism and arthritis (as these diseases are primarily caused due to obstructed circulation). Again, being a narcotic, it reduces the sensation of pain in the affected parts and gives relief.
- Anti Septic: Since this oil is so good in countering infections, it can be used to protect wounds against septic and tetanus, which are actually caused due to infection by bacteria. Due to the toxicity of this oil, the germs cannot flourish in the wounds and the wound is protected from being septic.
- Cholagogue: Due to its stimulating properties, the Essential Oil of Boldo increases secretion of bile from the liver, thereby helping decomposition and resultant digestion of the ingested food and maintaining balance of acid and base in the stomach. This also helps get rid of acidity and acidosis.
- Digestive: This oil has found its use in up-keeping the digestion too. It is particularly effective in treating digestive disorders due to microbial action, such as indigestion, vomiting, diarrhoea, dysentery and food poisoning. Also, being a cholagogue and a hepatic, it promotes digestion by keeping the liver healthy.
- Diuretic: The Boldo Essential Oil increases urination, although mildly, both by frequency and by quantity. This helps drain out the toxins like uric acid as well as extra salts, water, bile etc. deposited in the body. Urination also helps reduce weight due to removal of water and fat through urine. It also helps reduce blood pressure, enhances appetite, promotes digestion and prevents formation of gases in the intestines. Urination also clears the deposits in the kidneys, thus keeping them clean.
- Hepatic: This oil is particularly good for liver. It protects liver from infections and stimulates production of bile from it. It is also used to treat a number of liver diseases.
- Insecticide: The highly toxic nature of Boldo Essential Oil makes it an efficient insect killer. This property can be employed to get rid of some of the parasites on human body too, such as lice, fleas, mosquitoes, bed-bugs, flies etc.
- Narcotic: The Boldo Essential Oil has sharp effects on the nervous and the neurotic system and has intoxicating or narcotic effects. In very-very small doses, it can be employed to induce relaxing or soothing or tranquilizing effects on nerves, but in slightly higher doses, it shows symptoms like nausea, headache, nervous afflictions, convulsions and even coma.
- Stimulant: It has a stimulating effect on nerves, brain and blood circulation. It increases circulations and rate of respiration. It also stimulates discharges from gall bladder, liver, spleen and endocrinal glands (such as hormones and enzymes) as well as secretion of gastric juices.
- Vermifuge: Being toxic in nature, this oil kills the intestinal worms (both round worm and tape worm) and their spawns. It can also be used to counter other worms such as hook-worms.
- Other Benefits: The other benefits of Boldo Essential Oil include its remedial action on gall bladder stones; infections in the colon, urinary tracts, intestines, excretory organs, kidneys etc.; dyspepsia and its use in reducing weight.
Few Words of Caution: This oil is highly toxic and can produce convulsions and symptoms of toxicity even in very small doses. It can also put somebody into coma if used in slightly higher doses. It is not used in aromatherapy either due to its odour. So, it should never be used as a home remedy and should be used internally only under supervision of an expert. It should be avoided in pregnancy at all costs. It also stimulates production of uric acid.
Blending: Not used in aromatherapy and therefore no information regarding blending is found.
This article was contributed by Aparup Mukherjee
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