Health Benefits of Pimento Essential Oil

The health benefits of Pimento essential oil can be attributed to its properties as an anesthetic, analgesic, antioxidant, antiseptic, carminative, relaxant, rubefacient, stimulant and tonic substance.

Pimento is a big evergreen tree native to the Caribbean Islands and South America whose botanical name is Pimenta Dioica or Pimenta Officinalis, in which the suffix Officinalis suggests that it has medicinal properties. Pimento is better known as Allspice in some countries. The reason behind the name Allspice is that its aroma can be described as a mixture of the scents of clove, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper and a few other spices.
The essential oil of pimento is extracted by steam distillation of its leaves and fruits, but the oil extracted from each of these two is slightly different from the other in color and aroma. The chief constituents of its essential oil are cineol, caryophyllene, eugenol, methyl eugenol and phellandrene.

This essential oil, while not used much in aromatherapy, has a variety of medicinal and therapeutic uses, which are explained in greater detail below.


Health Benefits of Pimento Essential Oil

Anesthetic: This oil can be applied to any areas where you are experiencing pain, as it has a local numbing or anesthetic effect. This anesthetic effect can suppress certain types of pain, including those of neuralgia, bone and muscular injuries, and joints, as well as those resulting from insect bites or stings.

Analgesic: The analgesic property of the essential oil of pimento also comes from its anesthetic property. It has a numbing effect on the nerves which does not let the sensation of pain reach the brain or be felt by our nerves. This helps to overcome pain resulting from wounds, headaches, colds, arthritis, and gout, among others. Moreover, it doesn’t make your nerves and brain dull in the long run, nor does it have any adverse effect on the heart, unlike most analgesics that are available on the market.

Antioxidant: This property is in great demand these days as it is being viewed as the key to retaining your youth and guaranteeing a longer, healthier life. Mankind has always been in search of something like this. But what is so vitally important about these antioxidants? What are they and how are they useful? Antioxidants are agents that protect the body from the damage done by oxidation and free radicals. But how can oxygen and its subsequent oxidation, which make life and energy production possible, be the cause of so much damage? You will be surprised to know that oxygen was once responsible for the mass destruction of all life forms on earth in the very beginning. It simply oxidized them to death. 100% pure oxygen (and even in lesser quantities) can still oxidize the lungs, respiratory tracts and all the tissues in our body to death, as if they have been burnt.

pimentoessentialoilinfoOxygen is very corrosive and oxidation is believed to be one of the prime causes behind aging and age-related damage to the body such as the weakening of muscles, hair loss, loss of vision and hearing, nervous disorders, macular and muscular degeneration and certain types of cancer like those of the colon, intestines and prostate. Now, there are substances in our body, which are called free radicals, that carry active oxygen and speed up this oxidation of cells and promote aging. Antioxidants can actually stop aging by neutralizing these free radicals or oxidants and also repair the damage already done by them.

Antiseptic: Septic and tetanus are actually infections of wounds and internal organs like the urethra, gall bladder, urinary tracts, and kidneys that are caused by bacteria like Staphylococcus Aureus and Clostridium Tetani, respectively. New born babies that are less than one month old are most vulnerable to septic and tetanus. Infection of septic and tetanus can spread very quickly and can take over the whole body, resulting in severe convulsions, muscular cramps, breathlessness, pain, hydrophobia and even insanity. The antiseptic property of pimento essential oil gives protection against such infections by inhibiting bacterial growth.

Carminative: Intestinal gases are only funny in movies. In reality, this condition can be very painful, disturbing, embarrassing and even fatal in the most extreme cases. Gas can cause indigestion, unrest, stomach aches, heaviness, continuous hiccups, rheumatism, cramps, chest pain, high blood pressure, heart problems and even death, if it presses against any vulnerable organs or remain trapped in a critical position. The essential oil of pimento can give you relief from gases by easing their way out and stopping them from developing again.

Relaxant: The essential oil of pimento has a relaxing effect on the muscles, nerves, blood vessels and brain. This way, it provides relief from stress, anxiety, anger, nervous afflictions, convulsions, hypertension, mental unrest, depression, and insomnia.

Rubefacient: The rubefacient property of pimento essential oil increases the circulation of blood below the skin and brings a touch of redness to the skin, which is typically more visible in the face, hence the name rubefacient. In heavier or more concentrated doses, this property can cause skin irritation.

Stimulant: It stimulates blood circulation, the secretion of hormones and enzymes, digestion and other functions in the body, thereby helping to maintain proper metabolism. This also stimulates the growth of cells and the generation of new cells.

Tonic: Being a tonic, pimento essential oil tones up the liver, spleen, stomach, and nervous system, as well as the endocrine system and the metabolism. It also tones up the immune system of the body. Thus, it helps in growth and gives protection to the body from a number of conditions.

Other Benefits: This oil is helpful in providing relief from flatulence, indigestion, bronchitis, cough, cold, and arthritis.

A Few Words of Caution: This oil can cause irritation in the mucus membrane and the skin if used in high concentrations or in high dosages. Therefore, it should always be used in low concentration and low dosages. Pregnant women should also avoid using this oil.

Blending: The essential oils of ginger, geranium, lavender, orange, patchouli and ylang-ylang blend very well with pimento essential oil.

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