Nowadays, the practice of smudging is becoming more and more popular, and it dates back from prehistoric times. Smudging was believed to clear spiritual and emotional negativity.
Yet, many are a skeptic when it comes to the benefits of this practice and regard it as unscientific and akin to magic. Yet, researchers have recently confirmed that smudging a certain herb can effectively eliminate negative bacteria from the air.
The scientific paper entitled “Medicinal Smokes”, published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, analyzed the effects of herbal and non-herbal remedies administered by the burning of various matter. Researchers used data from 50 countries over 5 continents and concluded that smoke administered medicinally can positively affect the function of the brain, lungs, and the skin.
The follow-up paper entitled “Medicinal smoke reduces airborne bacteria,” also confirmed the antiseptic properties of smudging.
Scientists found that an hour treatment of medicinal smoke emanated by burning wood and a mixture of odoriferous and medicinal herbs on aerial bacterial population led to a 94% reduction of bacterial counts. Moreover, the ability of the smoke to cleanse and disinfect the air was maintained up to 24 hours in the closed room. Additionally, much of the pathogens originally found were still undetectable a month afterward.
Nowadays, the air quality is atrocious, containing up to 1,800 bacterial types, many of which are pathogenic, so smudging is a great way to protect yourself from them.
Researchers have also found that sage is one of the most powerful ways to cleanse the air. Burning sage eliminates a whopping 94% of bacteria in the air.
All you have to do is to get a bunch of dried sage, twist it into a stick shape, and light one end of the ends. Then, blow it out, and allow the smoke to smudge the air and destroy all existing bacteria in the air. It was found that it needs about an hour to cleanse the air.
Being completely natural, it will not cause any allergic reactions for people with scent sensitivities. You can either purchase ready-made sage sticks or grow your own herbs in the garden.