Essential oils have long been claimed to relax those who use them, but new research is helping to maximize this effect.
Perhaps in your time you have heard a free spirit or two mention the “power of essential oils”. This is usually answered with an eye roll or a spark of curiosity.
You may even have looked at a few oils of your own, but so far there hasn’t been a lot of research to back this up.
How Much Should You Use? Which fragrances? Does it actually affect the body or is it a placebo?
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Science has put on its red cloak and is on the way to help us better understand essential oils and hopefully provide an inexpensive but effective way to improve our moods.
New research from Monash University suggests that certain oils may actually improve mood – they actually just published the study in the journal Neurochemistry International.
Essential oils derived from plants are mixtures of volatile compounds. They can be released into the air and inhaled at room temperature and are easily absorbed into the brain.
The study focused on understanding how the oils affected the brain and how we can better leverage this fast avenue for therapeutic aromatherapy.
“To get benefits, you have to know which types are best and what dose is required,” said Professor Louise Bennett, lead author of the study at Monash University School of Chemistry.
“We believe that the interaction of essential oils with the naturally high ascorbate content (e.g. vitamin C) in the brain can have either antioxidant or pro-oxidative effects. It is the antioxidant, but not the pro-oxidative effects that lead to the mood advantage. “
The study measured the “anxiolytic” effects of these oils on the body, which refers to a drug or other intervention that reduces anxiety.
Lavender in particular has consistently been shown to be relaxing and mood-enhancing, and researchers now believe this is due to the powerful antioxidant effects in the brain. The same goes for rosemary.
On the flip side, oils that promote pro-oxidative effects, such as juniper berry, are better used for possible antimicrobial reasons – than for anxiety or mood.
“This work paves the way for the first time to select and classify EOs according to their mechanistic properties and to develop potentially inexpensive but effective therapies for the brain,” said Professor Bennett.
“We are working on developing EOs for a number of uses including: treating depression and anxiety, infection, inflammation and possibly even cancer,” said Professor Bennett.
Researchers continue to delve deeper into the science behind essential oils, hoping to pinpoint the dosage as well as which oils should be used for what purposes – so stay tuned.
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