Essential oils such as vetiver are used in aromatherapy for the potential health benefits they could offer. 

“The practice of aromatherapy uses natural plant extracts, such as essential oils, hydrosols and carrier oils, in a variety of ways to heal the body, mind and spirit,” according to the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA). 

Essential oils can be used in a variety of ways, such as with an oil diffuser or applied topically to the skin when combined with a carrier oil. 

MAXIMIZE HAIR GROWTH WITH THESE OILS THAT CAN EASILY BE ADDED TO YOUR DAILY SELF-CARE ROUTINE

Popular essential oils include eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint and tea tree. 

Vetiver is another essential oil that is used for its potential health benefits, an expert told Fox News Digital. 

With vetiver, and any other essential oil, it’s important to follow proper safety precautions with their use. 

Below is how to use vetiver oil, potential health benefits that could come with its use and safety tips to keep in mind. 

1. What is vetiver?
2. What are the potential health benefits associated with using vetiver?
3. How to practice safety with vetiver

1. What is vetiver?

Vetiver is a plant whose oil can be used in aromatherapy, also known as essential oil therapy. 

SAUNAS HAVE HEALTH BENEFITS, BUT OVERUSE IS LINKED TO DANGEROUS HEALTH RISKS

“The roots are actually the part that gets extracted for making essential oil,” Jenna Volpe, a Texas-based registered dietitian and herbalist, told Fox News Digital in a phone interview. 

“I would say it’s a grass that’s kind of similar to a lemon grass or a citronella,” Volpe added.

Vetiver is sold in essential oil form.  (iStock)

Typically, vetiver is sold and used as an essential oil. 

2. What are the potential health benefits associated with using vetiver?

Generally, essential oils have been used for their antimicrobial activities, as well as antiviral, nematicidal, antifungal, insecticidal and antioxidant properties, according to MedicalNewsToday. 

JASMINE HERBS’ SURPRISING BENEFITS WHEN ADDED TO HEALTH ROUTINES IN THE FORM OF OIL, IN TEA AND MORE

The use of essential oil in holistic practice works through both the sense of smell and absorption into the skin, according to Healthline. 

The use of essential oils has long been believed to come along with different health benefits, such as improved sleep and reduced stress and anxiety.

In general, essential oils have been used for improved sleep and an increased sense of calm.  (iStock)

The potential health benefits of vetiver mirror the possible health benefits associated with other types of aromatic herbs, Volpe told Fox News Digital. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

“It has antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory potential, potential antimicrobial activity, and, again, it has to do with antioxidants, primarily in aromatherapy,” Volpe said. 

3. Safety with vetiver

There are several different ways to use vetiver oil.  

One way to use vetiver oil is by inhaling the scent when it is released into the air with an oil diffuser. 

One way essential oils are used is by adding a couple of drops into an oil diffuser. (iStock)

It is also often mixed with other essential oils to create an aromatic blend. 

When using an oil diffuser, it’s important to be mindful of those around you, especially small children and pets.

“There may be potential side effects, as far as with pets,” according to Volpe. 

Additionally, Volpe said it’s important to be extra cautious when applying vetiver topically. Carrier oil should be combined with vetiver; she recommended that it not be taken internally.

“They’re definitely the most potent, so even just one or two drops goes such a long way.”

“I would say just be careful with how much you apply topically … This is for any essential oil in general, and definitely don’t take it internally as an essential oil because it could potentially cause liver damage,” said Volpe. 

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle

“Essential oils are really highly concentrated herbs, and they’re definitely the most potent, so even just one or two drops goes such a long way,” Volpe said. 

“I definitely would not recommend applying it topically without a carrier oil,” Volpe added, noting that jojoba oil and coconut oil are both good carrier oils to use. 

If applying vetiver topically to the skin, it should be used with a carrier oil, such as coconut oil, Jenna Volpe, a Texas-based registered dietitian and herbalist, told Fox News Digital.  (iStock)

When applying vetiver with a carrier oil or any new product to your skin, it’s a good idea to do a patch test first to make sure you don’t have a reaction to the product. 

With vetiver oil specifically, those with sensitive skin could potentially find themselves with irritation after applying it topically. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

“If someone were to put it on topically, even with a carrier oil, some people can get skin irritation if they have sensitive skin,” Volpe said. 

Strokes are the fifth-leading cause of death in the United States, and the leading cause of disability — but up to 80% of them are preventable.

That’s according to the American Stroke Association (ASA), which on Monday published its updated guidelines for stroke prevention in the journal Stroke.

This was the first update since its 2014 set of guidelines.

STROKE SIGNS, SYMPTOMS, RECOVERY AND PREVENTATIVE MEASURES: LIFE CHANGES A SURVIVOR MAY FACE

“The key to preventing stroke is to understand what the risk factors are and have access to care to address the ones that may require medications, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes,” study author Cheryl Bushnell, professor of neurology and stroke division chief in the Department of Neurology at Wake Forest University Health Sciences in Winston-Salem, told Fox News Digital. 

“Other prevention approaches are lifestyle changes, such as weight loss, being physically active, avoiding sitting all day during waking hours, eating a healthy diet (such as the Mediterranean diet), treating sleep apnea (which prevents optimal sleep at night) and smoking cessation.”

Dr. Bradley Serwer, a Maryland-based cardiologist and chief medical officer at VitalSolution, an Ingenovis Health company that offers cardiovascular and anesthesiology services to hospitals nationwide, commented on the updates to Fox News Digital.

PEOPLE WITH BRAIN ANEURYSMS AT HIGHER RISK OF SOME MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, STUDY FINDS

“These guidelines have several unique takeaway points, but focus on primary prevention with established strategies focused on better diet, exercise, avoiding tobacco, improving sleep quality and treating known risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia,” he said.

Bushnell recapped the main changes in what she calls an “important and timely update.”

New medications

Since the last set of guidelines, there have been “groundbreaking clinical trials” into new medications that not only treat the target disease — such as diabetes, obesity and high cholesterol — but also reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease, according to Bushnell.

Stroke prevention practices are closely tied to Life’s Essential 8, the American Heart Association’s eight elements that are deemed essential for cardiovascular health.  (American Heart Association)

“For example, the glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) receptor agonists have been shown to not only drastically reduce blood sugars in patients with diabetes, but they also lead to significant weight loss in these patients, which has many downstream benefits,” she told Fox News Digital.

“Together, this reduces the risk of stroke and other complications of diabetes.”

“Like coronary artery disease and heart attacks, strokes are largely preventable if we start early.”

Also recommended are the PCSK9 inhibitors, a class of drugs that Bushnell said are very effective at lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol.

“These medications have also been shown to reduce the risk of stroke,” she added.  

Physical activity

For stroke prevention, the ASA has historically recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity or a combination of both.

The new set of guidelines emphasizes the importance of not only being physically active, but also avoiding sedentary behavior during waking hours, according to Bushnell.

For stroke prevention, the ASA has historically recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity or a combination of both. (iStock)

“We provide a new recommendation for screening for sedentary behavior and counseling patients to avoid being sedentary,” she said.

Tailored guidance for women, other groups

The ASA’s update also includes specific recommendations for certain groups.

For pregnant women, there is guidance for lowering high blood pressure and screening for pregnancy complications, according to Bushnell.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP      

For all women, the ASA also calls for screening for premature ovarian failure (very early menopause before age 40), early-onset menopause (before age 45), and endometriosis (an inflammatory condition caused by endometrial tissue found outside the uterus).

The ASA’s new guidelines include a greater emphasis on screening for women’s health issues. (iStock)

“We also recommend screening for adverse social determinants of health (SDOH), which is new from the prior guidelines,” Bushnell said.

“There is abundant evidence that adverse SDOH can be barriers to prevention — inability to afford health insurance and medications, access to health care, etc. — and therefore increase stroke risk.”

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Overall, Bushnell said, the guidelines offer “relatively simple strategies” that could effectively lower the risk of stroke.  

“The main additional point is that all our recommendations will not only lead to better stroke prevention, but also improve brain health,” she said.  

The updated guidelines reflect “significant research and clinical lessons” learned over the past 10 years, a cardiologist said. (iStock)

“The risks for dementia are essentially the same as the risks for stroke.”

Overall, Serwer added, the updated guidelines reflect “significant research and clinical lessons” learned over the past 10 years.  

For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health

“It is important for professional societies to come together to provide multidisciplinary guidelines to better help our patients,” he said. 

“Like coronary artery disease and heart attacks, strokes are largely preventable if we start early.”

Tarragon is a herb generally used for culinary purposes but can also be used in herbal remedies. 

There are several potential health benefits that could come from incorporating tarragon into your diet, such as aiding digestion and balancing the immune system, Jenna Volpe, a Texas-based registered dietitian and herbalist, told Fox News Digital in a phone call. 

The herb makes for an easy addition to your diet with a large array of dishes it could be incorporated into, including a chicken or fish meal. It can also be used as an ingredient in dressing and can even be incorporated into an herbal tea. 

JASMINE HERBS’ SURPRISING BENEFITS WHEN ADDED TO HEALTH ROUTINES IN THE FORM OF OIL, IN TEA AND MORE

Learn more about the potential health benefits of tarragon below.

1. Could help stimulate digestion
2. Can help with immune system balance
3. Can be used against fungal infection

1. Could help stimulate digestion

Adding tarragon to your food can help to stimulate digestion in the body. 

“Most of the benefits are anti-inflammatory,” Volpe said of tarragon.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

“I would say it stimulates digestion because it’s bitter, and it’s aromatic, and so it has a lot of those essential oils,” Volpe said. 

“Anything bitter tends to stimulate digestive secretion.”

2. Can help with immune system balance

Tarragon can also stimulate immune balancing activity, which is called “immunomodulating activity,” according to Volpe. 

In 2017, a study done on mice was published that tested tarragon’s potential connection to immune system balance. 

In the study, mice were given tarragon extract for 21 consecutive days. 

Tarragon is easy to incorporate into your diet as an ingredient regularly used in various protein dishes as well as delicious dressings. (iStock)

The conclusion was that tarragon could be used to adjust the immune system because of its ability to “inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines and induce anti-inflammatory macrophages,” according to the study published in Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine. 

3. Can be used against fungal infection

There are millions of types of fungi, but only a few hundred of those cause sickness in humans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

The fungi range in severity for humans.

For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle

There are more than 1 billion people on a worldwide scale who get fungal infections every year, according to the source. 

Tarragon is one of many herbs that contains properties that could help fight against fungal infection.

An expert spoke with Fox News Digital about the antifungal properties of tarragon. (iStock)

“[It’s] antibacterial, antifungal, antiprotozoal, which is anti-worms,” Volpe told Fox News Digital. 

Many Artemisia herbs share antiparasitic properties, Volpe said.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

“A lot of the Artemisia types of herbs that come from the Artemisia species tend to be antiparasitic, which is really interesting,” said Volpe.