7A Testing the Hypothesis Pt. 1

Opportunity: Natural medicinal opportunities have been around for millenniums like essential oils however the food and drug administration has not capitalized on their health benefits due to the cost and quantitative biochemicals. Essential oils have enhanced lives for thousands of years, offering a variety of benefits from cosmetic and dietary purposes
to spiritual and religious use.

Who: Everybody that uses FDA controlled medications in a home or therapeutic environment. 

What: The FDA won't regulate the use of natural and medicinal medical options in therapeutic or household environments.

Why: The FDA believes there isn't a cost effective way of providing these treatments and doesn't recommend the use of therapeutic grade oils for medical or therapeutic care. 

• Testing the who: I believe that many people could use therapeutic grade oils to help with problems around a household and/or therapeutic experiences like chiropractic offices. There are many children, young adults, and adults that may have severe reactions to pain, sleep, or digestive system medications. The use of these natural oils could help remedy these problems. As some one who wants to become a doctor, I never used natural remedies because I believe in the power of medication that was made by scientists. But after suffering severe and permanent reactions from several sleeping medications and anti-depressants, I needed something to help control the problems I have been having for almost a decade. I am in no way distrusting the use of antibiotics, antivirals, high-dosage pain medications, or anesthesia used in hospitals and doctors offices. All I suggest is a healthier way to help relieve day to day problems without spending large sums of money on medications that could have severe and permanent risks. 

• Testing the what: It is understandable that the FDA won't support the use of therapeutic grade oils because you never know what may be lurking in some of the oils. Also, a bad batch could have negative effects on a person. That is why it is so important to know exactly where each oil is sourced. I buy my oils from a website called Young Living. All of the plants used in oil extractions are found on sacred and protected lands, these oils have a seed to seal promise to make sure their oils are the very best. Irregularities are bound to happen but they also happen with the mass production of synthetic drugs used to treat digestive issues, sleep issues, and even pain issues. 

• Testing the why: There will be people who are 100% against the use of therapeutic oils for relief of day to day problems. This is because they might believe that they won't work, are too expensive, and don't have an FDA seal of approval. Although these may not seem cost effective, they can be in the long run. Buying a bottle of Advil at the store costs about $5. A bottle of PanAway oil which is a blend of oils used for pain relief retails for about $47. However, the average adult takes about 3-4 Advil to relieve pain. 200 tablets would only last about 50-55 days. One bottle of PanAway oil could last 6 months and in the long run would be a lot more cost effective than buying pain relief medication every month and a half. This is one oil that could be used by chiropractic offices to relieve pain for muscles and deep tissue pain. 

Interview 1: This individual has been using essential oils for a few years. She likes them because they are all natural and can provide relief for many issues that she has. Without going to the doctor for a small cough or pain issues allows her to save possibly hundreds of dollars a year. She also says they have health benefits as well. Some oils can clean the air around you, ridding it of pollutants in the air. Also, regular pain medications such as Advil or Tylenol don't work for her she says. She has a high pain tolerance and in order for pain medications to work, she has to take much higher than the recommend dosage. She says she will use oils for the rest of her life, especially if they can help her with small problems and save her money in the long run.

Interview 2: As an individual who believes whole-heartedly in the medical system and the implementations the FDA uses to regulate medication use, he doesn't believe that essential oils don't work. He believes they are a waste of money and don't provide any extra health benefits. He also thinks they could be tainted with other oils that make it less pure than stated on the bottle. For him, it just seems like a waste of money when if he is having a a headache, he can take Tylenol or if he can't sleep, he could take Melatonin. He also believes that people get obsessed with the oils and believe they could cure anything with them.

Interview 3: The next individual is my mom. She was the person that introduced me to the oils. As she can attest, I was severely against the use of these oils. It was until side effects from medical I took became permanent and I could no longer take them. She has been using oils for about 2 years now. She uses them for cleaning, cooking, sleep remedies, and even to help catch an early cold. As a retired microbiologist, she knows the long term side effects medications can have on the human body which is why she switched to something more natural. It has helped her sleep and my dad sleep better, helps with allergic reactions she might have, preventing a cold, and just as something to help the house smell good. She says that she won't ever stop using this brand of oils, Young Living, unless they happen to go out of business. She believes they are 100% pure therapeutic oils that could help with a plethora of problems.

Interview 4: As a vegan, environmentalist, and all around healthy person, one of my friends has been using essential oils her entire life. She believes they are healthier for you than the use of "big-pharma" produced products, she says. She also believes that large pharmaceutical companies are corrupt and doesn't believe in purchasing or using anything from them unless it is am absolute emergency, like in a necessary surgery. She uses them in a diffuser to help clean the air, to help her sleep, and she even makes blends to keep her focused, help her stay healthy, and even one as an insect repellent. Although she spends a large sum of money on them throughout the year, she doesn't buy any over-the-counter medications and tries to not go to the doctor unless it is an emergency.

Interview 5: The interviewee has had problems with essential oils. She says she will never use them again. She bought some from her local Whole Foods and had a severe allergic reaction to one of the oils. I explained to her that this is possible because they cut the pure oil with a carrier oil like grape seed or olive oil to dilute it. Even with my pure, therapeutic oils she didn't believe that they would work and wouldn't try them. She also says that it is a waste of money and that if they were effective, the FDA would label them as so and support the use of them in therapeutic and household environments. 

What I Know Now:
I know that some people prefer to have out-the-counter medication because they believe that it works best. I support that decision because at the end of the day, I sometimes need a Tylenol for a migraine that just won't go away. Essential oils can be very expensive, especially the pure therapeutic grade oils that I buy. I believe they have health benefits for many people. Others may not, and that's okay. I still have to respect people's beliefs for big-pharma and other large medicinal corporations and regulators, like the FDA. This opportunity has made me aware of how other people may respond to this opportunity and how many people support this opportunity and are wanting to remedy this issue.