Session D: 3:30PM – 5PM
Health and Medicine. Session D – Oral Presentations, Saltair, Union
SESSION D (3:30-5PM)
Location: Saltair, A. Ray Olpin University Union
Effects of Tea Tree Essential Oil on Escherichia Coli & Staphylococcus Aureus
Jed Whetten, Utah Valley University
Taylor Eakins, Utah Valley University
Faculty Mentor Olga Kopp, Utah Valley University
SESSION D 3:30-3:45PM
Saltair, Union
Health and Medicine
Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) leaves have been used throughout many cultures around the world to help heal wounds and injuries because of its anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties. Some essential oil companies claim that tea tree essential oil contains purifying capabilities for air and contaminated surfaces. Essential oils are synthesized by many methods, the most popular being steam distillation. The essential oils, once purified, are sold to customers so they can use the oil to benefit from the plant’s physiology and metabolic processes. In attempts to inform the scientific community about the antibacterial properties of the essential oil, we tested whether tea tree oil possesses the ability to fight common infections to any significant degree. We grew Escherichia coli & Staphylococcus aureus and measured the zones of inhibition in response to different concentrations of the essential oil. We also tested two different brands of tea tree oil, dōTERRA and Lagunamoon. We found that dōTERRA tea tree oil exhibited antibacterial properties while the Lagunamoon oil did not.
Preventing Eating Disorders by Promoting Healthy Weight Management and Health
Youssef Harraq, Utah Tech University
Faculty Mentor Dannelle Larsen-Rife, Utah Tech University
SESSION D 3:50-4:05PM
Saltair, Union
Health and Medicine
Among rising rates of obesity, healthy weight loss is a common and elusive goal. A prevailing misconception is that the most effective method to lose weight is to eat as little as possible. However, research does not support this idea. Extreme dieting may result in disordered eating with severe consequences. Eating disorders disproportionately affect adolescent girls and young women, as they are twice as likely to be diagnosed with anorexia nervosa than men with an average age of onset around fifteen (Morris, 2007). Anorexia nervosa is when individuals severely reduce calorie intake to lose weight and maintain low body fat due to a distorted body image (Morris, 2007), which often results in starvation. Starvation occurs when calories are severely restricted to fewer than required to maintain health over a period of time (Stratton et al., 2010). Diets involving severe calorie restriction often result in poor health (Stratton et al., 2010) and slowed weight loss long-term (Dullo, 2021). Severe lack of nutrients in starvation conditions negatively affects skin, hair and nail growth, hunger regulation, and immune functions (Eva, 2021), which may lead to death. Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate among all mental health di