Bitter Orange Oil

Bitter Orange Oil

Bitter orange is highly effective for many ailments such as gastrointestinal disorders, insomnia, headaches and even obesity. The bitter orange oil is normally extracted from the peel of the orange and this accounts for its strong smell and taste. Although in some instances the flower of bitter orange is used but the essential oil is most effective when it is extracted from the peel of the citrus fruit.

In Oriental medicines the flower of bitter orange is used to increase appetite, alleviate the stomach and chest pain and to stop vomiting. The homoeopathic practitioners use both the peel and the flower to cure headaches and other bodily pains. Even nowadays bitter orange teas, tinctures, and extracts are used to treat many internal and external ailments.

Although the bitter orange oil extract is normally used by the perfume and cosmetic industry it can also be used as an antifungal agent.

The main constituents of the bitter orange oil are limonene, myrcene, camphene, pinene, ocimene and cymene. The botanical name for bitter orange is citrus aurantium and it is primarily cultivated in India, China and Spain.

Important Notes