Aaah, The Sweet Smell of…Pesticides?!
According to entomologist, Murray Isman, of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, the next generation of pesticides might smell as sweet as rosemary, cinnamon and thyme because these spices, among others, are proving to be potent insect-fighters that are gentle on the environment and safe for humans. As a Seattle chiropractor, I have been concerned for years, like all chiropractors and I’m sure many of you as well, about the dangers of pesticides to human beings and the environment. However, it’s no surprise that, just as there seems to be so many “natural” solutions to health problems if we are willing to look for and give alternative solutions a try, now there appears to be a natural solution to pest control, as well.
Scientists are finally figuring out how pungent plants and their essential oils, used by people for centuries to protect their foods, might be harnessed by modern man for pest control. “There was some magic in how nature has gone about doing this,” said Isman, speaking yesterday at a meeting, held in Washington, D.C., of the American Chemical Society. “Our research is trying to figure out which essential oils work best for which applications.”
The strong odors from spice plants consist, chemically, of small molecules that evaporate easily. Their chemical structure allows spice extracts to easily penetrate cell membranes in places like the brains of bugs. People, pets and other animals don’t have the same messenger molecules in their brains, making extracts that harm insects safe for us. In addition, over time insects are less likely to develop resistance to spice extracts than conventional chemicals, Isman said.
Hopefully, the research will continue on this “natural” path and not detour (as usual) down that all-too-familiar road toward the artificial synthesis of these organic potentialities. As Isman pointed out, “There is some internal magic to that mixture of compounds that defies trying to tease them apart. There is some benefit to using the natural mixtures as they come out of the plant.”
So, for we organically-minded folks, the future of pest control is not only looking more natural, but it’s smelling a whole lot sweeter, too!
Full article at: http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/08/17/killer-spices-02.html
Leave a Comment