How to Use Essentials Oils to Support the Immune System During Cancer Treatment

Did you know that your immune system is the only thing that stands between you and everything around you, on you and in you that tries to attack you?

In fact, did you know that cancer is a result of your immune system malfunctioning?

Dr. Rashid Buttar even stated:

“You can’t have cancer if you have an intact immune system.”

Don’t get me wrong…yes, there are many factors that lead to your immune system malfunctioning. For example:

• environmental toxins
• malnutrition
• inability to properly detox
• genetic expression

However, it’s essential to recognize that in order to help the body recover from a cancer diagnosis, we must support the immune system.

So, what’s our immune system and how exactly does it work?

Simply put…the immune system is the body’s defense mechanism against unwanted invaders.

It’s actually estimated that we have about 120 trillion cells in our body, and roughly 10% of those cells make up the immune system. This means that not only do we have more cells in the immune system than we have in our brain, our central nervous system AND in/on our skin, but the majority of our cells are also responsible for protecting all of the other cells in the body!

Pretty incredible, right?!

And to dig a bit deeper…the largest number of immune cells in your body are a type of white blood cells called, neutrophils, which account for 50-70% of your total immune “army.” When undergoing any sort of cancer treatment, they’re commonly referred to as “Absolute Neutrophil Count” (ANC). The ANC measures the integrity of your immune system and tells the doctors if your immune system is strong enough to move forward with your treatment protocol or is too weak and will make you even more susceptible to an infection.

Now…what can go wrong?

We all have between 10 to 100,000 abnormal cells in our body on any given day, and it’s our immune system’s job to get rid of those abnormal cells on an ongoing basis.

However, as your body is exposed to specific invaders, such as viruses, toxins and parasites, the immune system becomes distracted by the acute situation, aka. the invader. Thus, it no longer maintains its normal “job” of getting rid of the abnormal cells and your immune system weakens.

This is EXACTLY why I am such a big advocate of providing proactive support to your immune system (i.e. a healthy diet, essential oils, regular detoxification and exercise). I would even go so far to say that these are “cancer prevention practices” because they help to actively keep your immune system strong.

If your immune system is strong, then…

• …the parasite is no longer a threat.
• …the virus your exposed to is not a threat, and
• …the abnormal cells are destroyed BEFORE they become a threat.

All this to say, any time your immune system is compromised, you are susceptible to a malignancy.

So, let’s talk about conventional medicine’s approach to cancer.

As most of you know, an oncologist uses chemotherapy, radiation and surgery in attempts to get rid of the cancer. However, while these can be effective and helpful, here’s where all of this gets really messy and convoluted…

Chemotherapy is a cytotoxin poison. This means it kills EVERYTHING in its path, including not just the abnormal cells, but our healthy immune cells too.

Radiation not only damages the DNA in cancer cells, but it does the same damage in the normal cells. Plus, radiation therapy may lead to variety of side effects, including low white blood cell counts. (And remember…these are an important part of your immune system!)

Finally, some experts suggest that using any amount of anesthesia during a surgery creates a wave of inflammation in your body and aggravates the heart, the respiratory system or the cancer. Plus, they also have found that any surgery triggers the release of stress hormones, (i.e. norepinephrine), which then activates even more inflammation in the body and further weakens the immune system.

All this to say, while intentions may be good…and somewhat effective…these further compromise an already weakened immune system.

“Um, what can I do, then?”

Now that I’ve shed some honest light on all of the “traditional” paths, I do have a suggestion…

Let’s boost your immune system and help you fight cancer – without compromising the efficacy of the treatment – with essential oils!

Now, before I lose you, I completely understand that many oncologists are very hesitant to recommend the use of essential oils during cancer treatment. In fact, some of them may have given you a straight-up, “No!”

Here are some critical things you need to know first:

• Many essential oil companies on the market are producing poor quality essential oils. These contain synthetic ingredients and are sourced from inappropriate environments.
• Using poor-quality oils can cause more harm than good, can be contraindicated with chemotherapy and can cause unpleasant side effects.
• Therefore, I ONLY use and recommend doTERRA essential oils because of their rigorous testing on every! single! batch! This ensures that there are absolutely no chemicals, no synthetics and that every plant is grown and sourced in an environment that is supportive of that specific species of plant. (If you want to learn more about doTERRA’s quality control and the in-depth measures they take to produce the absolute best, click here.) 

“But what if my doctor wants my immune system to be suppressed and ‘under-active’?”

Yep, this is also a very common question I hear.

But here’s the deal…doTERRA essential oils are not only effective and safe,  they are also NOT contraindicated with cancer treatment.

These specific essential oils have a modulating effect on the immune system, which means that the oils support the normal function of the immune system. So, for the over-functioning immune system, they’ll help it calm down, and for the under active immune system, they’ll help it to work harder. Unlike medications, which drive function, doTERRA essential oils bring your system into balance.

Here’s an example…if you’re constipated and take medicine (a laxative), you’ll going to have a bowel movement. Or if you have diarrhea, you’re going to take a different medication which will drive your body to that specific desired result. Basically, the medication drives the results.

However, a recent study compared a blend of essential oils (Frankincense, Wild Orange, Litsea, Thyme, Clove, Summer Savory Plant, and Niaouli) to other drugs (i.e. Methotrexate, Prednisone, etc.) that are supposed to suppress the immune system. In their results, they found that the blend was more effective in regulating an over-active immune system than any of the drugs being prescribed. The blend modulated the need and didn’t drive an outcome because the essential oils don’t just have a one-direction approach. Instead, they bring support and balance, as needed.

(Here’s the study reference, if interested.) 

Here’s my recommended essential oil protocol to boost your immune system function:

To help you, here’s the protocol similar to what we used with my son, Kicker, during his 3.5-year cancer treatment. He was never hospitalized for opportunistic infections and maintained a “normal” ANC through 95% of his treatment. Basically, using these essential oils changed the trajectory of Kicker’s outcome…and for that, we’re so incredibly grateful!

Also, if you have any natural remedy suggestions that you’ve found helpful to boost your immune system, please share below in the comments! I’d love to hear what has worked for you!

Blend #1

For an Adult:

Use 3 drops – 3X/day or 5 drops – 2X/day of each of the following doTERRA essential oils. Apply topically on to the bottoms of feet and on the liver. (If wanting to make a blend in a 10ml roller bottle, add 15 drops of each oil and top it off with Fractionated Coconut Oil.)

For a Child:

Cut the adult dose in ½ and dilute with Fractioned Coconut Oil. (If wanting to make a blend in a 10ml roller bottle, add 8 drops of each oil for 5-9 year olds and 5 drops of each oil for 2-4 year olds. Then, top it off with Fractionated Coconut Oil.)

For an Infant:

Cut the adult dose to ¼ and dilute with Fractioned Coconut Oil. (If wanting to make a blend in a 10ml roller bottle, add 2 drops of each oil and top it off with Fractionated Coconut Oil.)

Oils:

• Cypress
• Grapefruit
• Wild Orange
• Lemon
• Frankincense
• OnGuard
• Melaleuca

Blend #2

For an Adult:

Use 3 drops – 2X/day or 5 drops – 1X/day of each of the following doTERRA essential oils in a veggie capsule and drink with water.

For a Child:

For ages 9 and up, use 1 drop – 2x/day of each of the following doTERRA essential oils in a veggie capsule and drink with water.

For 5-8 year olds, add 8 drops of each oil in to a 10ml roller bottle, and top it off with Fractionated Coconut Oil. Apply to the bottoms of the feet 2x/day. (Topical use only.)

For 2-4 year olds, add 5 drops of each oil in to a 10ml roller bottle, and top it off with Fractionated Coconut Oil. Apply to the bottoms of the feet 2x/day. (Topical use only.)

For an Infant:

For an infant, add 5 drops of each oil in to a 10ml roller bottle, and top it off with Fractionated Coconut Oil. Apply to the bottoms of the feet 2x/day. (Topical use only.)

Oils:

• Copaiba
• Turmeric
• Pink Pepper
• Frankincense

If you don’t have doTERRA essential oils, you can purchase them from me by clicking here. Please also know that I suggest getting a wholesale customer account. This gives you access to 25% off of all doTERRA products for an entire year and will allow you to use your doTERRA account as often or as infrequent as you would like. If you have questions, click here to email me.

 

What are some natural remedy suggestions that you’ve found helpful to boost your immune system? Please share in the comments below because I’d love to hear what has worked for you.

 

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