10/27/2022
Update on our OILS, SEEDS & NASA by Dr Michael Buch:
“Hi everyone,
As most of you know, through a collaboration with NASA and SpaceX, we were able to send some samples of oils and seeds into space to examine the potential effects of radiation. Our samples were on board the International Space Station for a period of one month and then returned to earth for us to analyze. We were interested in radiation effects to gain a better understanding of how oils and seeds may be changed when grown at different altitudes (and therefore different radiation levels) here on earth.
We sent samples of Sacred Frankincense, Sacred Sandalwood, Lemon, and Peppermint essential oils into space as well as seeds from Lavender and Golden Rod.
We completed the testing on the oils soon after they returned from space, but seed testing took quite a bit longer. We determined that the best way to test radiation effects on the seeds was to cultivate them in our research greenhouse and then test the plants they produced and compare them to plants grown from the same set of seeds that we kept here on earth as controls. This allowed us to inspect the plants physically, genetically test the plants, and distill oils from the plants and compare them to our standards.
Because we had to wait for the plants to mature, this took quite a long time. But we now have nearly all the results, and we have good news!
We have found no changes in the oils or the plants when exposed to radiation. This means that we should have no worries about variations caused by differing radiation doses on plants raised on farms at different altitudes around the world. And we now have evidence that essential oils are quite stable to radiation here on earth (so no worries about carrying them through airport scanners, for example).
We are still awaiting the results of genetic testing on the plants, so if anything changes I’ll let you know.
I’ve included a few photos of our samples being prepared to go into space, the samples “going for a spin” on the international space station, and one of the golden rod plants raised from the seeds that spent a month in space (if you’re familiar with golden rod, you’ll agree that this plant looks very typical).
I’m proud that we are the first essential oil company to partner with NASA and the International Space Station, and I hope you’ve enjoyed this little “space adventure” as much as we have.
May the force be with you!”