Exploring the Science

In 2006, a scientific paper titled Medicinal Smokes was published. The research reviewed information from 50 countries over 5 continents and found that, dating back to ancient times, smoke administered medicinally is typically used to aid lung, brain and skin function. In addition, it was found that the passive fumes doubled as an air purifier. A follow-up paper examining the air purifying potentials of smoke-based remedies was published in 2007, in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology. It concluded that, in addition to health benefits, smudging was a powerful antiseptic.

The researchers observed that a one-hour treatment of medicinal smoke (Havana Sámagri) in a closed room reduced airborne bacterial counts by over ninety-four percent. In India, most rituals include a sacred fire to which medicinal herbs and other materials are added as an offering. Havana sámagri is a mixture of wood and odoriferous and medicinal herbs burnt in the fire, accompanied by the chanting of Vedic mantras. For thousands of years, the rishis (saints) performed ceremonies or yagnas to purify the environment. The medicinal smoke, together with the vibrations that the mantras produce, creates positive effects in the surrounding atmosphere.

Smudging is traditionally used as a way to clear spiritual and emotional negativity.

This research has shown that the smoke from a variety of herbs is highly effective in reducing airborne bacteria. The smoke’s ability to purify and disinfect the air was maintained up to twenty-four hours. Many of the pathogenic bacteria had not returned to the same room, even after 30 days.

Absence of pathogenic bacteria Corynebacterium urealyticum, Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens, Enterobacter aerogenes (Klebsiella mobilis), Kocuria rosea, Pseudomonas syringae pv. persicae, Staphylococcus lentus, and Xanthomonas campestris pv. tardicrescens in the open room even after 30 days is indicative of the bactericidal potential of the medicinal smoke treatment. We have demonstrated that using medicinal smoke it is possible to completely eliminate diverse plant and human pathogenic bacteria of the air within confined space.

Furthermore, these studies showed that:

the advantages of smoke-based remedies are rapid delivery to the brain, more efficient absorption by the body and lower costs of production. This review highlights the fact that not enough is known about medicinal smoke and that a lot of natural products have potential for use as medicine in the smoke form. This review argues in favour of extended use of medicinal smoke in modern medicine as a form of drug delivery and as a promising source of new active natural ingredients.

Research shows that the smoke omitted from medicinal herbs reduces airborne bacteria.

Smudging Traditions across Different Cultures

In traditional Indigenous Australian society, healers used leaves or bark from various plants in smoking ceremonies.

The leaves of the emu bush in particular were placed on hot embers for traditional therapeutic use. The resultant wet steamy smoke possibly inhibited bacterial or fungal pathogens, as well as providing a stimulus for milk let-down in women after childbirth.

The smoke of Imphepo, or African Sage, is used in southern Africa in indigenous traditional medicine. It has many uses; to invoke trance states, cleanse energy and as an offering when praying. The plant is also used as an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory, as a headache remedy and a natural insect repellent.

The Egyptians, Greeks, and numerous other cultures used frankincense and myrrh as a part of their religious ceremonies. The Catholic Church burns frankincense to purify and sanctify, and the smoke symbolises prayers rising to heaven. Today frankincense grows almost exclusively in Oman. The smoke is a powerful air purifier and insect deterrent and serves as a prophylactic to prevent the bites of malaria-carrying mosquitoes, common in the coastal regions. The granules of frankincense, the smoke, and frankincense dissolved in water, are all used to treat a variety of ailments such as indigestion, bronchitis, hypertension, depression, insomnia and post-childbirth recovery.

The Neural and Physiological Effects

In 2008, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology published a study that describes how burning frankincense (resin from the Boswellia plant) activates poorly understood ion channels in the brain to alleviate anxiety or depression. Raphael Mechoulam, one of the research study’s co-authors, states:

We found that incensole acetate, a Boswellia resin constituent, when tested in mice lowers anxiety and causes antidepressive-like behaviour.

The Catholic Church has burned frankincense, to purify and sanctify, for centuries.

They also found that incensole acetate activated a protein called TRPV3, which is present in mammalian brains and also known to play a role in the perception of warmth of the skin. When mice bred without this protein were exposed to incensole acetate, the compound had no effect on their brains. Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal says:

Studies of how those psychoactive drugs work have helped us understand modern neurobiology. The discovery of how incensole acetate, purified from frankincense, works on specific targets in the brain should also help us understand diseases of the nervous system. This study also provides a biological explanation for millennia-old spiritual practices that have persisted across time, distance, culture, language, and religion – burning incense really does make you feel warm and tingly all over!

Moxibustion is yet another traditional therapy in which dried plant materials are burned, and has been used throughout Asia for thousands of years. Moxa is usually made from the dried Chinese mugwort (artemesia vulgaris). Research has shown that it acts as an agent that increases blood circulation to the pelvic area and uterus, and moxibustion has successfully been used to turn breech babies into a normal head-down position prior to childbirth. It is used on or very near the surface of the skin. The intention is to warm and invigorate the flow of Qi in the body and dispel certain pathogenic influences.

It definitely seems that the ancient practice of burning powerful herbal material is much more than just a primitive belief, and our ancestors must have intuitively understood the many benefits.

Thyroid Gland and Its Function

The thyroid gland is a small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck. It’s the brain of the endocrine system and responsible for synthesizing thyroid hormones T3 and T4 which control metabolism and heartbeat. The gland secretes more thyroid hormone when you need a boost in energy, such as when you’re cold. The hormone boost cues your body to speed up your metabolism, or the rate at which chemical reactions occur, and this generates more heat and raises your body’s temperature. Consequently, thyroid hormones affect your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and that determines how many calories you burn while you’re at rest.

Functions of Vitamin B-12

Although daily B-12 requirements are fairly low (just 2.4 micrograms for teenagers and adults) it plays a crucial role in metabolic and cellular processes. B-12 is the catalyst for red blood cell production, DNA synthesis, protein conversion, neurological function, fatty acid synthesis, and nerve health.

Symptoms and Effects of B-12 Deficiency

The process of metabolizing vitamin B-12 is a complicated one and there are several ways to develop a deficiency. The vitamin B-12 found naturally in food is bound to proteins. Once consumed and in the stomach, it separates from these proteins through the action of pepsin and gastric acid. From here, it immediately binds to R protein from saliva which protects it from damage in the acidic environment. In the duodenum, the first section of the small intestine, the B-12-R protein complex splits apart. Intrinsic factor (IF), a protein secreted in the stomach, joins B-12 and safely transports it past the protein-digesting enzymes that would otherwise destroy the vitamin. Once it reaches the last part of the small intestine, the ileum, it’s absorbed from the GI tract where B-12 detaches from IF and joins transcobalamin to become B-12–TC-II. This last complex is taken up by the bone marrow, liver, and other cells; the liver stores 90% of a person’s B-12.

A B-12 deficiency may result when you either don’t consume enough B-12, or your body doesn’t absorb enough B-12. Absorption problems can result from inadequate intrinsic factor, digestive enzyme problems, or organ damage. Symptoms of deficiency vary depending on severity. The most common include fatigue, constipation, decreased appetite, tingling in the hands and feet, impaired memory, depression, and soreness of the tongue.

Some people have a higher risk of B-12 deficiency:

• Older adults, due to decreased hydrochloric acid in the stomach.
  
• People whose bodies don’t produce enough intrinsic factor.
  
• Vegetarians and vegans who don’t get B-12 from food.
  
• People with conditions that irritate mucosal lining in the stomach and intestines, such as Crohn’s or celiac disease, chronic alcoholism, or inflammatory bowel disease.
  

Effect of Hypothyroidism on B-12 Absorption

Hypothyroidism can compromise your ability to absorb vitamin B-12. An infection of Helicobacter pylori bacteria may also interfere with gastric secretions and hinder B-12 absorption.

Experts believe that 4.6% of the U.S. population age 12 and up suffers from hypothyroidism. One study found that approximately 40% of hyperthyroid patients also suffer from a B-12 deficiency. Adding supplementary B-12 to these patients’ routines improved weakness, memory, mood, and other symptoms. The USDA recommends B-12 supplementation for people at risk of deficiency because it’s more easily absorbed than B-12 from food sources.

Dietary Sources of Vitamin B-12

The most common sources of B-12 are meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy. Since vitamin B-12 is produced by a soil based bacteria, animals pick it up while foraging for food. Some vegetarian sources such as fortified cereals and nutritional yeast do exist if you’re trying to avoid animal products. A B-12 supplement is a great way to fill the gaps in your nutritional intake.

The Benefits of B-12 Supplementation

A B-12 supplement is invaluable, especially for older adults. The right B-12 supplement is easily absorbed and provides the B-12 the human body requires. All people at risk of B-12 deficiency should consider a B-12 supplement. VeganSafe B-12™ offers the most bioactive forms of B-12 — methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin.

While B-12 is an essential vitamin for supporting thyroid health, the importance of iodine and selenium cannot be overlooked. That’s why we created the Thyroid Health Kit™; it contains all of our best thyroid support supplements — vitamin B-12, selenium, and iodine.

Have you added a B-12 supplement to your day? What effects have you noticed? Leave a comment below and share your experience with us.