Healthy Oil with Wanona

02/19/2026

Pink Pepper Essential Oil & Brain Health—What a New Study Found

A new preclinical study found that pink pepper (Schinus molle) EO helped protect memory and learning when amnesia was chemically induced. When used daily for two weeks, the oil worked both when inhaled and when given orally, improving learning, memory recall, and object recognition—without affecting movement or energy levels.

Mechanistically, researchers also saw positive changes in the hippocampus, a key brain area for memory, including restoration of BDNF (a protein linked to learning and brain plasticity). Not surprisingly (since inhalation is the fastest way to get EOs to the brain), inhalation showed an extra benefit on brain support cells (astrocytes), hinting that how you use an essential oil may matter.

What this means: While this was not in humans, it adds to growing evidence that monoterpene-rich essential oils may support brain health through multiple pathways—and that aromatherapy isn’t just about scent. More research is needed, but it’s an exciting step forward.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41633493/

Science-forward, plant-powered, and promising.

01/31/2026

Good to know….

New Hope for MS: Can Ginger Essential Oil "Repair the Wires"?

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) acts like a short circuit, stripping away the myelin sheath (nerve insulation) and disrupting everything from movement to memory.

While we often focus on managing symptoms, new preclinical research suggests Ginger EO might actually help fix the "wiring." When administered orally, it didn't just stop damage—it promoted remyelination and increased nerve fiber thickness, in a preclinical model.

The Breakdown:
The Goal. Moving from masking symptoms to active repair.

The Result. Evidence suggests Ginger EO can both prevent and reverse demyelination.

The Next Step. This sets a strong foundation for future human clinical trials.

While human clinical research is necessary to confirm these findings and establish dosing and usage, ginger EO is proving that botanical compounds can be precision tools for neurological health.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38106635/

01/17/2026

Lab research shows that lemon eucalyptus essential oil can strongly fight several harmful bacteria—including strains often linked to food contamination and infections.

What’s especially notable is that its antibacterial strength in these tests was similar to gentamicin, a commonly used antibiotic.

Researchers also looked at how it works and found that lemon eucalyptus oil:
• Disrupts bacterial cell walls
• Interferes with how bacteria “communicate” with each other
• Helps prevent bacteria from forming protective biofilms

In simple terms: it doesn’t just slow bacteria down—it makes it harder for them to survive and organize. This study is a great example of how plant chemistry continues to show real promise in modern science.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41449889/

11/20/2025

10/21/2025

10/13/2025

While turmeric herb and curcumin tend to get all the credit and press for the benefits of turmeric, more and more research suggests that attention should be given to the aromatic constituents in turmeric root--the turmerones. Not too mention research shows that when you combine the two in a capsule and ingest them together the bioavailability of curcumin is significantly enhanced.

ar-Turmerone is the primary constituent in quality turmeric essential oil. A recent preclinical model of ulcerative colitis found that ingesting ar-turmerone improved ulcerative colitis symptoms (prevented colon shortening, reduced colon tissue damage), and decreased inflammation (lowering COX-2 and TNF-alpha). In addition, ar-turmerone improved the gut microbiome (abundance of flora, beneficial flora, and reducing harmful bacteria), which is known to improve colitis symptoms.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35794287/

06/28/2025

Blue tansy is a highly valuable essential oil rich in chamazulene that gives it a deep blue hue. I find it very useful for the skin, wound and tissue healing, pain, and inflammation. A recent laboratory study found that blue tansy oil is strongly antibacterial against two of the most common pathogens that infect humans (S. aureus and E. coli).
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37292271/


How do you like to use blue tansy essential oil?

01/06/2025

Oral candidiasis, or oral thrush, is an infection of the mouth by Candida albicans. It causes creamy white lesions to form on the tongue and inner cheeks and may spread to other areas of the oral cavity. Although, C. albicans is normally found in the mouth, people with compromised immune systems (babies, the elderly, and people who take certain medications or have certain conditions) may experience overgrowth of the fungus causing candidiasis.

Application of lemon essential oil in gel form (1.56%) twice daily for two days inhibited C. albicans in a preclinical model of oral candidiasis in immunocompromised subjects. Based on the results, the researchers concluded that lemon essential oil could be used to manage oral candidiasis.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9643547/


Add 2 drops of lemon essential oil to a half teaspoon each of apple cider vinegar and water and swish with this mixture for 30 seconds before spitting out, two to three times daily, to promote oral cleanliness.

01/06/2025

Ginger is an excellent essential oil to apply to sore areas of the body. Topical application of ginger essential oil reduced inflammation and swelling better than ibuprofen in a preclinical model. The oil decreased COX-2, IL-6, and NF-KB expression and downregulated mRNA expression of IL-6, and NF-KB.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9639606/

12/30/2024

Researchers evaluated essential oils extracted from six plants commonly inhaled to improve memory. Based on the results (ability to inhibit acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, and beta-secretase 1) of the laboratory experiments, they concluded that cinnamon bark essential oil may be helpful for the management of advanced Alzheimer's disease.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9675096/

12/07/2024

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition resulting from the loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain (the substantia nigra). The loss of these neurons causes tremors, balance issues, rigidity, and poor muscle coordination. Microglial activation and oxidative stress are the primary mechanisms driving neuron death. Oral administration of geranium essential oil improved motor coordination, reduced oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, and prevented the death of neurons in the substantia nigra in a preclinical model of Parkinson’s disease.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37819493/


There is a reason that I use geranium during the nervous system supporting segment of my essential oil application The Waterfall Technique. In my professional opinion, it is an underutilized EO for the nervous system. https://amzn.to/362Ly65