Fir oil also known as silver fir oil is obtained from fir needles of the silver fir, botanical name, Abies alba . The silver fir is a tall coniferous tree with a diameter of up to 1.5 meters. It is indigenous to the mountains of Europe ( Macdonald, 2017) . The leaves of the Abies alba are needle-like and flattened. It flourishes in cold and humid climates hence its preference for Europe Mountains. It is unique for its evergreen nature.
Silver fir oil is obtained by distillation of steam from the silver fir needle-like leaves. It has a thin consistency with an oily texture and produces a fresh and woody aroma hence its preferred use in aromatherapy. Silver fir is rich in phenolic acids. They include; Gallick, homovallinic acid, p- coumaric acid, and p- hydroxybenzoic acid. It also contains flavonoids like catechin and ligans such as taxiresinol. Most of these compounds were found to be concentrated more in the bark of the trunk.
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As evidenced by a research conducted by the American Herb Association (Keville, 2010) extracts from the trunk of the silver fir has shown to prevent atherosclerosis (causes narrowing of blood vessel lumen causing high blood pressure). It has also shown to have cardioprotective effects. In addition, wood extract from the silver fir has shown to reduce postprandial glycemic response which is the elevation of sugar levels in the blood after taking a meal. Also, fir oil has been shown to treat a variety of illnesses including; sinusitis, rheumatism, muscle arthralgia, bronchitis, and anxiety. Fir oil also has antiseptic properties and because of this, it is added in skin preparations to treat or prevent skin infections. Its antibacterial properties help in the treatment of bronchial and urinary tract infections.
Despite being versatile, silver fir oil is poisonous when ingested or consumed internally. Also due to its high chemical concentration, exposure to the unprotected skin could prove lethal and hence the need to regulate its use in aromatherapy as suggested by ( Sheppard-Hanger & Hanger , 2015).
References
Keville, (2010). American Herb Association. Retrieved from https://health.howstuffworks.com
Macdonald, M. (2017). Share this. Month . Retrieved from: https://pureandnaturalessentialoils.company/2017/02/
Sheppard-Hanger, S., & Hanger, N. (2015). The Importance of Safety When Using Aromatherapy. International Journal of Childbirth Education , 30 (1).
