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Essential Oils and Seizures
This session will explore the current understanding of the seizure phenomena, and both the folklore and current science on natural volatile oil compounds that may be therapeutic to such disorders.
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Lesson series
What's included?
Roughly 1-3% of the worldwide population are affected by seizures.
Although anticonvulsant drugs are available, ~1/3 of patients don’t respond or must discontinue treatment due to its serious side effects. The generally accepted principle of epileptigenesis is that glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter, is excessively released and binds to its receptors, especially to NMDA and AMPA, triggering seizures.
Many compounds in EOs can inhibit the GABA transaminase enzyme, increasing brain levels and oppose elevated glutamate levels. The essential oil constituents linalool, alpha-pinene, anethol, thymoquinone, and others can potentiate GABA activity or directly bind GABA at the benzodiazepine site.
Although anticonvulsant drugs are available, ~1/3 of patients don’t respond or must discontinue treatment due to its serious side effects. The generally accepted principle of epileptigenesis is that glutamate, the major excitatory neurotransmitter, is excessively released and binds to its receptors, especially to NMDA and AMPA, triggering seizures.
Many compounds in EOs can inhibit the GABA transaminase enzyme, increasing brain levels and oppose elevated glutamate levels. The essential oil constituents linalool, alpha-pinene, anethol, thymoquinone, and others can potentiate GABA activity or directly bind GABA at the benzodiazepine site.
Meet your host
Dr Jillian Stansbury
Dr. Jill Stansbury is a naturopathic physician with over 30 years of clinical experience. She served as the chair of the Botanical Medicine Department of the National University of Natural Medicine for more than 20 years. She remains on the faculty, teaching and leading ethnobotany field courses in the Amazon. She is the author of Herbal Formularies for Health Professionals, Volume 1 through Volume 5, and is the co-author of The PCOS Health and Nutrition Guide. Dr. Stansbury lives in Battle Ground, Washington, and is the medical director of Battle Ground Healing Arts. She also runs an herbal apothecary featuring many of her own custom formulas.
Patrick Jones - Course author
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