Bergamot

See also :

• Oswego Tea
• Earl Grey Tea

Other names : Monarda didyma, crimson beebalm, scarlet beebalm, scarlet monarda, Aceite de Bergamota, Bergamot, Bergamot Orange, Bergamota, Bergamotier, Bergamoto, Bergamotte, Bergamotto Bigarade Orange, Citrus Bergamia, Citrus aurantium var. bergamia, Huile de Bergamote, Oleum Bergamotte.
Bergamot, a small citrus tree grown in Mediterranean regions, produces a pear-shaped fruit prized for the aromatic oil derived from the rind. Bergot-flavored tea, marketed widely as Earl Grey tea, is a perennial favorite among tea drinkers. Research into the phytochemicals contained in bergamot and their potential medicinal qualities has yielded promising results.

Special Precautions of Bergamot

• Do not confuse with Wild Bergamot
• Children: Do not use bergamot oil in children. There have been serious side effects, including convulsion and death, in children who have taken large amounts of bergamot oil.
• Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Do not use bergamot oil on your skin if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. It might not be safe.
• There's some concern that applying bergamot essential oil to the skin may increase your sensitivity to ultraviolet light emitted by the sun and — as a result — raise your risk of skin cancer. When using bergamot essential oil on your skin, it's crucial to protect against ultraviolet light exposure by applying sunblock.
• People who work with bergamot can develop skin problems including blisters, scabs, pigment spots, rashes, sensitivity to the sun, and cancerous changes.
• Bergamot oil is safe for most people in the small amounts found in food. It might not be safe when used on the skin (topically), because it can make the skin sensitive to the sun and more vulnerable to skin cancer. People who work with bergamot can develop skin problems including blisters, scabs, pigment spots, rashes, sensitivity to the sun, and cancerous changes.
• Bergapten has also been implicated as a potassium channel blocker; in one case study, a patient who consumed four liters of Earl Grey tea per day suffered muscle cramps.
• In the past, psoralen extracted from bergamot oil has been used in tanning accelerators and sunscreens. Psoralens penetrate the skin, where they increase the amount of direct DNA damage. This damage is responsible for sunburn and for an increased melanin production. It can also lead to phytophotodermatitis, a darkening of the skin as a result of a chemical reaction that makes the skin extra sensitive to ultraviolet light. These substances were known to be photocarcinogenic since 1959 but they were only banned from sunscreens in 1995. These photocarcinogenic substances were banned years after they had caused many cases of malignant melanoma and deaths. Psoralen is now used only in the treatment of certain skin disorders, as part of PUVA therapy.
• Bergamot is also a source of bergamottin which, along with the chemically related compound 6’,7’-dihydroxybergamottin, is believed to be responsible for the grapefruit juice effect in which the consumption of the juice affects the metabolism of a variety of pharmaceutical drugs.

Benefits and uses of Bergamot are

Bergamot essential oil is typically used to treat the following conditions:

• anxiety : Bergamot essential oil may help alleviate anxiety, according to a study published in Phytotherapy Research in 2011. In tests on rats, the study's authors determined that treatment with bergamot essential oil helped decrease anxiety and reduce levels of the stress hormone corticosterone. In a 2003 study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, however, researchers found that inhalation of bergamot essential oil failed to reduce anxiety in people undergoing radiotherapy for the treatment of cancer. Involving 313 patients, the study also found that lavender essential oil and cedarwood essential oil weren't effective in easing anxiety during radiotherapy.
• Stress : In a 2009 study from the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, researchers found that inhalation of bergamot essential oil may help reduce stress and promote relaxation in healthy individuals. In addition, a 2011 study published in Natural Product Communications found that incorporating a combination of lavender and bergamot essential oils into massage therapy may help lower stress levels and improve mood.
• Ringworm : Bergamot essential oil shows promise in the treatment of dermatophytoses, a fungal infection commonly known as ringworm. In a 2007 study published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, tests on several common species of dermatophytoses-causing fungi found that bergamot essential oil may possess antifungal properties.
• Treating a tumor under the skin due to a fungal infection (mycosis fungoides), when used along with ultra-violet (UV) light.
• Protecting the body against lice and other parasites.
• depression
• eczema
• headache
• insomnia
• psoriasis
• In addition, bergamot essential oil is said to enhance mood, reduce stress, stimulate circulation, improve digestion, and alleviate pain.