They
treated many conditions by making a poultice from crushed leaves of the tree and
would bathe in the lagoon where tea tree leaves had turned the water into a
therapeutic bath.
Tea tree oil was first used by Bundjalung Aborigines living in the northeast corner of what is now New South Wales, Australia. They would pick the oil-covered leaves of the tea tree plant and rub the leaves on their skin to help alleviate cuts, bites, burns and other skin ailments. They created a dressing for wounds by grinding the leaves into a fine paste. Crushed leaves were used as an insect repellant.
When tea trees grow at the edge of a lake or pool of water, their oil drips into the water turning it into a medicinal bath. The Aborigines would sit in these bronze pools to heal sore or infected areas of their skin.
In 1770, Captain James Cook with the British Royal Navy along with botanist Joseph Banks sailed the coast of Australia and encountered a grove of thick trees with sticky aromatic leaves. The native Aboriginal people showed him how to boil the leaves and create a spiced tea. Captain Cook then named this tree the "tea tree."
There are several different kinds of tea trees but the one with the most potent medicinal oil is called Melaleuca alternifolia. It is native only to the northeast area of New South Wales, Australia. Growing up to 20 feet high, this narrow-leaved paper bark tree thrives in flood prone wetlands.
The colorless or pale yellow oil of the tree has a pungent aroma resembling eucalyptus. It is composed of over 100 different compounds, 79 of which have been identified. There are several compounds like viridflorene, that have never been found in nature before, so identifying some of these compounds has required coming up with new names.
Fifty to 60 percent of the oil is composed of terpenes (pinenes, terpinene, and cymene). Cineole -- which is responsible for the camphoraceous odor -- comprises about 6 to 8 percent of the oil. Other substances include alcohol terpineol, which has a nutmeg-like odor and sesquiterpenes.
To check the quality of the oil in each batch, the quantity of only two compounds, cineole and terpinen-4-ol, are tested. Cineole should not be greater than 15 percent because it can be caustic to the skin. The higher the percentage of terpinen-4-ol, the better. Generally, good oils contain at least 30 percent.
The anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties of the oil come of a combination of many of the different compounds working together.
Harvesting the leaves in the wild is no easy task. The trees grow in swamp lands infested with insects and snakes. There is no way to get machinery in the area, so the leaves are cut by hand. Large machetes are used to cut suckers off of the stumps and then each branch is stripped with a cane knife. Stripping the leaves does not damage the tree. In fact, the growth of the trees seems to be stimulated by regular cropping. Damage to the trees is prevented and because no machinery is used, the surrounding ecosystem is not harmed either.
After the leaves have been harvested they are place on racks in a steam distiller. The oil comes out of the leaves and then floats on top of water in a collection tank. The oil is then filtered and poured into a container.
With increasing world demand, tea trees are now also grown on plantations. When purchasing tea tree oil be sure to buy oil from plants that have been grown organically. Finding organic oil fortunately isn't that difficult. The largest plantation- responsible for 1/2 of the world's supply each year- is an organic farm.
The first scientific paper to be published on tea tree oil was back in 1923. Dr. A. R. Penfold, a chemist in Sydney, tested tea tree essential oil for it's antiseptic properties. He found it was 13 times stronger in killing bacteria than carbalic acid- the universal standard antiseptic in the early 1900's. In the 1930's tea tree oil was used as an antiseptic for dressing wounds, for oral hygiene and as a disinfectant in hand soap. It was found to be 60 times more effective in killing typhoid bacillus than any other disinfectant used in soap at that time.
Just prior to World War II, the Medical Journal of Australia published a study finding that tea tree oil was effective in treating pus filled infections of the skin and infected nail beds, and helped to speed the recovery from sore throats when it was gargled. Other studies during this time found it was beneficial for a variety of throat and mouth conditions, dental problems like pyorrhea and gingivitis, gynecological infections, and skin fungal infections like Candida, tinea, and perionychia ( infections around the nail bed). Because of the discovery of tea tree oils potent ability to fight skin infections, it was used routinely in first aid kits during World War II. Tea tree oil was also blended with machine cutting oil during the war, to reduce the incidence of skin infections from injuries resulting from using the machines.
In the last 5 to 10 years there has been a lot of studies documenting the efficacy of tea tree oil in treating a variety of conditions including acne, burns, thrush (yeast), Candida, bacterial and fungal infections. Here are just a few of examples. A study published in 2001 in the Journal of Chemotherapy found tea tree oil was a good topical therapy for the treatment of fungal infections of skin and mucosa (lining of the mouth). A German study published in 2000 found tea tree oil showed anti-microbial activity against a wide range of bacteria, yeast and fungus. A randomized, placebo-controlled study conducted at the University of California San Francisco published in 1999 found topical tea tree oil effectively treats fungal infections of the toenail known as onychomycosis. Normally, this type of infection can destroy the entire nail and it has no satisfactory pharmaceutical cure. Tea tree oil cured the fungal infection in 80 percent of the patients. A study published in the Medical Journal of Australia in 1990 found tea tree oil was as effective in treating acne as benzoyl peroxide, with fewer side effects.
The only side effects reported from tea tree oil are an occasional mild rash or allergic contact dermatitis. In studies where patients developed a mild reaction, they were able to continue using it until their treatment was complete. Rarely, someone may experience a more severe reaction, in which case he or she should stop using it.
Tea tree oil can also be used for animals. Bites, cuts, stings, rashes, dermatitis, lice, mange, ringworm, fleas and ticks are just a few of the veterinary uses.
Tea tree oil can be purchased as a pure essential oil. It may be applied either full strength or diluted in water or another type of oil like olive oil. Most of the tea tree oil produced, however, is added to skin and beauty care products -- deodorants, shampoos, mouthwashes, etc. Industrial-grade oils are used as disinfectants in floor detergents and can be added to air conditioning and ventilation systems to kill mold and fungus.
For thousands of years humans being used plants to help keep themselves healthy and to heal from wounds and disease. Only in the last century did pharmaceutical drugs take over in industrialized countries as the primary approach to treat disease. In some cases, drugs are certainly appropriate, but not in all cases. As we rediscover nature's medicine chest through modern research, a whole new world of therapies is opening up to us -- natural therapies -- that are often as effective as pharmaceutical drugs, but without the side effects. Many of the medicinal plants contain properties to heal that no synthetic drug has been able to mimic. So if you have a mild health condition, do a little research. There just might be a natural remedy that may save you a trip to the doctor, the cost of a prescription, and the possibility of a significant side effect.
All About The History of Tea Tree Oil and Where the Magic Came From!
The majority of people today have lost touch with nature's remedies...
In 1770, Captain James Cook of the British Royal Navy
disembarked from the H.M.S. Endeavor at Botany Bay,
Australia – near the eventual site of Sydney. From there, he traveled north
through the coastal regions of New South Wales, where he came upon groves of
trees thick with sticky, aromatic leaves that, when boiled, rendered a spicy
tea. The local inhabitants (aborigines) told him about the
healing powers of these trees. The leaves of this tea tree were used for many
years by the indigenous peoples of Australia. The Australian aboriginal
people used tea tree leaves to treat cuts and wounds. Freshly crushed
leaves were applied directly to an injury, and then held in place with a mud
pack. The medicinal effects of this poultice were so powerful that they
helped combat infection in the wound and also overcome the potential for
further infection caused by the non-sterile mud pack.
Tea tree's effects as a folk medicine spread among Europeans as they settled Australia in the 19th century. Gradually the scientific community began to research and document the effects of the plant, especially the bactericidal and germicidal properties of the oil.
The early explorers could not have known that 150 years later, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) as it was called by Captain Cook, would be used as a medicinal agent for cuts, burns, bites, and a host of skin ailments.
In 1923, Dr. A.R. Penfold, curator and chemist at the Government Museum of Technology and Applied Sciences in Sydney, Australia, conducted a study of the leaves of the tea tree. Dr Penfold discovered their essential oils to be thirteen times stronger an antiseptic bactericide than carbolic acid, considered the universal standard in the early 1900s.
Dr Penfold noted Melaleuca Alternifolia is quite common, and exists in very large areas in the North Coast district of New South Wales. It yields 1.8% of an oil of pale lemon tint, with a pleasant terpenic myristic odor. This is prepared on a commercial scale, and is particularly recommended as a non-poisonous, non irritant antiseptic of unusual strength.
During World War II, an outbreak of foot-fungus became so bad that they had to hospitalize hundreds of Australian soldiers. Nothing seemed to work. One day, a medic who was an aborigine from Australia, remembered about the Tea Tree and got some of the Oil. The doctors coated the effected soldiers feet with the pungent smelling oil, and the fungus was killed within a few days!
With modern farming methods, and the fact that the Tea Tree grows fast, there's plenty of its oil to go around. So-called "modern medicine" can't argue with the effectiveness of Tea Tree Oil on hundreds of maladies. ____________________________________________________________
History of Tea Tree Oil
The medicinal properties of
Tea Tree Oil were known for hundreds of years by the Bundjalung tribe of
Aborigines who inhabited the Bungawalbin Valley on the far North Coast of New
South Wales.
They
treated many conditions by making a poultice from crushed leaves of the tree and
would bathe in the lagoon where tea tree leaves had turned the water into a
therapeutic bath.
The early settlers soon came to learn about the healing power of the tea tree and used it on wounds and bites. When Captain James Cook landed at Botany Bay in 1770, Sir Joseph Banks, the botanist, collected samples of leaf from several species of Melaleuca and brewed up a native tea, giving them their common name "Tea Trees".
The scientific discovery of Tea Tree Oil was first made by Arthur Penfold in 1922. His studies determined that tea tree oil had a Ridealwalker co-efficient of between 11 and 13. This means the oil is 11 to 13 times more powerful than Carbolic acid (phenol) for killing bacteria and fungi yet non-caustic the skin.
Subsequent studies revealed Tea Tree Oil as a broad spectrum anti-bacterial / anti-fungal with a wide range of applications.
During
WWII, all supplies of tea tree oil were commandeered by the Australian Defence
Force and people working in the tea tree oil industry was exempt from military
service. Tea Tree Oil became standard first aid issue and was known as the
"medicine kit in a bottle". Tea tree oil was also added to machine cutting oils
in munitions factories during the war to reduce the infection rate from cuts and
injuries to the skin.
The Australian Government's utilisation of tea tree oil supplies resulted in its disappearance from the marketplace. This lack of market presence, coupled with the discovery of new synthetic drugs following WWII contributed to tea tree oil fading from prominence.
Since the 1960's, however, tea tree oil has been experiencing a revival in popularity. The "flower power" generation of the 1960's and 1970's created a renewed awareness worldwide of natural products and medicines. This brought about the resurgence of tea tree oil and scientists again undertook expansive testing of tea tree oil both in Australia and overseas, in particular the USA and France.
Today, tea tree oil has many commercial and personal applications. Many households retain a bottle of tea tree oil for treating common ailments such as acne, minor cuts, dandruff, boils and fungal infections.
Tea tree oil is also used commercially in medicated shampoos, soaps, antiseptic cream, cosmetics, in air conditioning ducting to kill bacteria, in insecticides and in many other ways. New uses are currently in the process of development.
Tea-tree (or ti-tree) oil is distilled from the fronds of a tree native to New South Wales, Australia, and parts of New Zealand. This tree, melaleuca alternifolia, is a member of the myrtle family, and is extremely hardy and disease-resistant. The leaves have been employed medicinally for centuries by New South Wales Aborigines, and the name is said to stem from a visit by Captain Cook, whose crew made a tea from the leaves.
Tea-tree oil is water-white in appearance, and has a fresh, spicey, agreeable odour. Until recently it was hardly known in aromatherapy outside Australia, but some recent clinical trials in France have helped to highlight its usefulness. Tea-tree oil turns out to be one of the most useful of all essential oils, especially as an antiseptic, and yet it has not previously been discussed in books on aromatherapy.
ANTISEPTIC POWER
The first to recognize the unique qualities of the essential oil was a government chemist from Sydney, A. R. Penfold. In 1925 he announced the results of laboratory experiments which showed that the oil was twelve times stronger than phenol (carbolic acid) which was then the universal standard for antiseptic substances. This led to further research and to the increasing use of the oil in medicine, dentistry and as a home remedy.
In 1930 a report in the Medical Journal of Australia' commented on its non- toxicity and lack of irritancy. The report noted enthusiastically that tea-tree oil dissolved pus and left the surfaces of infected wounds clean so that its germicidal action became more effective and without any apparent damage to the tissues. 'Dirty wounds, such as are frequently seen as the result of street accidents, may be washed or syringed out with a 10% watery lotion; the solvent properties will loosen and bring away the dirt which is usually ground in ... healing will readily take place.' in 1936 the same journal reported a very bad case of diabetic gangrene successfully treated with tea-tree oil. In 1937 it was pointed out that one of the outstanding features of the oil is that the presence of blood, pus or other organic matter actually increases the oil's antiseptic powers by some 10 to 12 per cent.
During the Second World War tea-tree oil was issued in first aid kits to army and navy units in the tropical regions. At one point demand so outstripped supply that synthetic antiseptics had to be substituted. This, coupled with the fervent post-war interest in antibiotic drugs, led to a decline of interest in tea-tree, which persisted right up to the 1970s. (2)
SKIN PROBLEMS
In April 1972 the results of a very thorough study were published on the use of tea-tree oil in many common foot problems. (3) The study covered sixty patients and concluded that the oil had relieved or eliminated foot symptoms in fifty-eight of them. of these, results were graded as excellent in thirty-eight cases. The problems treated included athlete's foot, corns, callouses and bunions, hammer toes, skin peeling or cracking, fungal infection under toe-nails and bromhidrosis.* The study took place over a period of six years, and treatment times varied from three weeks to four years. In his conclusion the author observes that, overall, the best results were obtained in treating bromhidrosis, an unpleasant and embarrassing condition'. The athlete's foot cases were found to be caused by one or more of four fungi (including Candida albicans), all of which responded to tea-tree oil.
Ringworm is a condition closely related to athlete's foot, and almost as common. Both are caused by similar fungi. There have been a great many reports of ringworm being rapidly cleared up with teatree oil, and I have treated two cases, both of which were clear within three to four days.
Dr Paul Belaiche, Professor of Phytotherapy at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Paris Nord, published a number of trials using tea-tree oil in 1985. In his report on skin infections (5) he finds teatree effective against problems due to straphylococcus, streptococcus, or candida albicans. Both acne and impetigo are shown to be clinically vulnerable to the oil, and Belaiche reports the most convincing results of all in the treatment of fungal nailbed infections, frequently caused by candida. Eight out of eleven patients with nailbed infections showed complete recovery with twice daily application of the oil for one to three months.
*Bromhidrosis is the medical term for 'smelly feet' and is caused by malodorous perspiration.
UROGENITAL DISORDERS
In June 1962 an American report was published in obstetrics and Gynecology on the use of tea-tree oil in trichomonal vagin itis. (4) Vaginitis simply means vaginal inflammation, which in this case is caused by Trichomonas, a very tiny animal microbe, a glagellate creature, which is a common cause of greenish-yellow discharge, often foul smelling, and soreness in the area. The study comprised 130 women, including ninety-six cases of trichomonal vaginitis, and also several cases of thrush and cervicitis. As controls the author treated fifty other cases with standard antitrichomonal suppositories. The teatree oil was applied diluted by means of saturated tampons and douches, but was not given orally. Out of the 130 patients, all were successfully treated, and results were similar to the control group. Many patients commented on the pleasant odour of the oil, its cooling soothing effect and its efficiency in removing obnoxious vaginal odours. None of them complained of any irritation or burning.
More recently Dr Belaiche conducted two studies featuring tea-tree oil, the first of these on twenty-eight cases of thrush (infestation of the vagina with Candidaalbicans). Candida albicans (7) is normally present in the vagina, but its growth is kept in check by certain baceria. A common cause of thrush is antibiotic therapy which results in the beneficial bacteria being destroyed, thus allowing Candida to flourish. This results in a white discharge, often with itching, soreness and pain - a very common condition. For this study tea-tree oil was made into pessaries for insertion into the vagina once every night. After the first week one patient felt vaginal burning, so discontinued treatment, but none of the others had any similar symptoms. After thirty days the twenty-seven patients were examined, and twenty-three showed a complete cure with no further discharge or burning. The other four showed a moderate improvement. Belaiche observes that tea-tree oil is as effective as several other essential oils, but is notably less irritating: 'We have been happily astonished at the results obtained ... the essential oil of melaleuca has entered the team of the major essential oils and emerges as an antiseptic and anti- fungal weapon of the first order in phytoaromatherapy.'
In
Belaiche's second study with teatree oil, twenty-six female patients, with
chronic cystitis were given the oil orally over a period of six months.' (7)
This was a double-blind trial, in which half the patients were given a placebo
which had the odour of tea-tree. After six months none of the placebo group
showed any improvement. Out of the thirteen who took tea-tree oil, seven were
cured after six months, which, for such a chronic condition, is a significant
result. As many have done before, Belaiche comments in his conclusion on the
very low toxicity and irritancy of tea-tree oil.
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FROM ATHLETE'S FOOT TO AIDS
Tea-tree oil has also been used successfully in the treatment of many other conditions and is now increasingly employed by herbal practitioners in Australia, as it is by the layperson. Cuts, wounds, ulcers, sores, boils, burns, ringworm, athlete's foot, psoriasis impetigo, nappy rash, anal and genital pruritis, cold sores, lice, urinary and vaginal infections, genital herpes, throat, bronchial and sinus infections, bad breath, mouth ulcers, infected gums and many other conditions have all responded remarkably well to treatment with this astonishing essential oil.
Why is tea-tree oil so effective? its chemical content is not dramatically different from eucalyptus or rosemary, except that it has an unusually high content of terpinen-4-ol, an alcohol, which constitutes some 35% of the best quality oils. It is also worth noting that a thorough analysis of the oil in 1978 (8)revealed the presence of four constituents which have not been found anywhere else in nature: viridiflorene, present at I %, B- terpineol (0.24%) 1-terpineol (trace) and allyl hexanoate (trace).
There is no recorded toxicity data on tea- tree oil, but terpinen-4-ol has a toxicity of 4.3 g/kg, which would indicate a toxicity for the oil of between 3 and 5, a completely safe rating. Christopher Dean reports four cases of children swallowing up to 25 mls of the oil with no significant side effects. in the worst instance mild diarrhoea and drowsiness was noticed, but both passed within 24 hours. (9) Because of its lower cineol content, teatree oil is reckoned to be less toxic and less irritant than eucalyptus oil.
Karen Cutter, a leading Sydney naturopath, has taken 120 drops of teatree oil orally each day for over three months to satisfy herself that her extreme recommendations for dosage are quite safe. Karen uses tea-tree oil extensively in the treatment of systemic candida, particularly when associated with AIDS. Her patients frequently ingest up to 3 mls (60 drops) daily for periods in excess of six months. Christopher Dean comments that "it has been most instructive to see the enormous degree of success which Karen has achieved with no apparent ill- effects over the past two years." (9)
Research has shown that
tea-tree oil is four to five times stronger than the usual household
disinfectants, and yet it stings far less when applied to minor abrasions,
and of course is completely natural. Teatree oil has passed the Kelsey-Sykes
test, which is the most rigorous antiseptic test in the world today. It has
proved effective, both in vitro and in vivo against candida
albicans, straphylococcus aureus, escherichia coli, trichophytia and
streptococcus, and in vitro against pseudomonas aeruginosa,
proteus vulgaris, pneumococcus, gonococcus, meningococcus, diphtheric bacterium,
and aspergillus niger.
Because tea-tree oil is relative y
inexpensive, completely natural, and the problems it is used for are among the
easiest to research, it would appear to have a very bright future. It has been
predicted that demand for the oil will multiply some fifty times over the next
few year, and it is likely to feature in many natural remedies and patent
medicines for home treatment. It is not a cure-all, but is one of the most
exciting essential oils to emerge in recent years.
ANTI-TOXICITY
As an interesting conclusion, the following sheds some light on the antitoxic properties of tea-tree oil.
The venom toxicity of the black widow spider may be matched by that of the funnel web spider found only in New South Wales, Australia. This spider first made the news in 1927 when a two-year old boy was bitten by one and died within ninety minutes. Since then five other deaths have been reported. The latest was a seventeen- year-old pregnant woman, who died in Sydney in 1970 after being bitten on the breast.
The following account dates from May 1983, and comes from Harry H. Bungwahl, New South Wales.
"A rather extraordinary episode happened to me recently involving teatree oil. I was bitten on the foot by a funnel- web spider... it happened at night time about I a.m. He gave me a vicious bite, and it was very painful ... I lay down on the bed and tried to think of some way to soothe the pain of the bite, which was very severe. I then thought of the small bottle of tea-tree oil which was in the bathroom. My wife went and got it and applied some to the bite and there was an immediate easing of the pain. My wife then went to ring up Taree Hospital, and while she was doing that I put some more tea-tree oil onto the bite which, in a short time, stopped being panful! My son drove me to the Taree hospital - the foot was no longer painful but my lips and fingers were still tingling . . . the spider was identified as a male funnel-web spider all right ... I was given no treatment but was kept under observation for a period of four hours, and then discharged."
It is interesting that both tea-tree oil and the funnel web spider are found only in New South Wales
Tea Trees and Their
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Recently, there has been a
significant increase in the use of therapeutically active compounds
extracted from plants, commonly called phytochemicals. Although the flora of
New Zealand and Australia are rich in unique species, very few of these
native plants have been tested for medicinal constituents. The family
Myrtaceae contains many plants, including the Australian tea tree (Melaleuca
alternifolia) and its New Zealand equivalents manuka (Leptospermum
scoparium) and kanuka (Kunzea ericoides, formerly Leptospermum
ericoides), which are currently being investigated for their therapeutic
properties. These species have been known collectively as "tea trees" since
Captain Cook used their leaves to brew a strong tea for his sailors. Parts
of the trees were used extensively by the early settlers of both countries,
and the Maori and aboriginal people have been using parts of tea trees
therapeutically for centuries. Various preparations of the gum, sap, seed
pods, leaves, bark or flowers of manuka have been used both externally and
internally to treat many conditions, such as sores, constipation, colic,
fever and coughs, among other aliments (see table below).
Therapeutic properties of Australian tea tree oilAustralian tea tree oil, which is commercially available in the United States, has a wide range of topical applications and is commonly used to treat skin and respiratory infections. Surprisingly, the oil is active against all three categories of infectious organisms: bacteria, viruses and fungi. Tea tree oil is an effective treatment for many skin conditions, such as cold sores, the blisters of shingles and chicken pox, verrucae, warts, acne, large inflamed spots and nappy rash. It is also effective against fungal infections, such as ringworm, athlete's foot and thrush, as well as dandruff--a mild form of seborrheic dermatitis. Tea tree oil is rich in terpene alcohols, such as terpinen-4-ol, which is thought to be the active germicidal component, and 1,8-cineol (eucalyptol), which gives eucalypts their characteristic strong fragrance and medicinal properties. High-terpinen-4-ol oils are therapeutically more important than high-cineol oils because the latter irritate mucous membranes and the skin. Numerous instances of contact dermatitis associated with the use of tea tree oil have been reported and resulted in the discovery that 1,8-cineol was the allergen. Most commercial tea tree oils contain less than 10% 1,8-cineol and between 30% and 45% terpinen-4-ol. Nevertheless, the oil should be patch tested on the skin before use. The antimicrobial activity of tea tree oil has been demonstrated against several common bacterial and fungal pathogens (see table on next page), which were cultured in nutrient media to which tea tree oil was added. It is especially interesting that methicillin and mupirocin resistant Staphylococcus aureus were susceptible to tea tree oil. Terpinen-4-ol was active against all the test organisms, while 1,8-cineol was inactive against them. A number of studies have compared tea tree oil with conventional medications:
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