Everybody that uses essential oils has some experience with Lavender. Often, its the first essential oil you might come in contact with. It was the the oil, in fact, that began the modern practice of aroma-medicine. It has so many excellent properties, it's even been called "a medicine chest in a bottle". And it's been the subject of a significant amount of laboratory research, which has validated most of the actions which alternative medicine practitioners have associated with it. Now, the latest published data has made some remarkable claims about the oil, which has the potential to help many people who may not yet have any experience with aromatherapy.
Lavender's key actions are calming and regenerating; it imparts these actions on our physical body as well as our psyche, leading to a variety of useful applications. The synergy of these effects is important, as both our physical bodies and our minds need stress relief before healing can occur. Bumps and bruises need the swelling to go down, scrapes or burns need the inflammation to clear, and our psyche has to let go of tension for us to live happy and healthy lives. Lavender's sweet aroma brings calm to nearly everyone -- it's anxiety-relieving effects have been proven in several university studies, and this is perhaps the easiest medicinal action to utilize.
The wonderful aspect of the stress-relieving action of Lavender is that it's so easy to make use of the oil this way. For personal use, you only need to inhale deeply from a bottle, or dab a couple drops on your wrists to get a little whiff of the scent now and then. For the home, family, or workplace, there are several styles of essential oil diffusers available which release aroma into the air. Any diffuser style will work for stress reduction; it just takes a hint of the aroma in the air to have its effect.
The latest research is even suggesting that ingesting Lavender has essentially the same effects as inhaling it. And despite the widespread belief in the United States that one should never, ever ingest essential oils, this is simply not true. Lavender is very safe: it is listed by the FDA as "Generally Recognized As Safe" for ingestion as a food additive, and some companies even have their bottles labeled as dietary supplements. While its important to keep in mind that the protocols for ingesting any essential oil are always on the order of 1-3 drops a couple times per day -- and almost never more than this -- its also great to see research of such a large scale telling us ingestion of certain oils is not only acceptable, but can result in a dramatic improvement in one's health.
Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria have published their data resulting from a ten week trial of a eighty-milligram capsule of Lavender essential oil. The double-blind, placebo-controlled study investigated the anti-stress effects of this encapsulated Lavender, by evaluating the physical and emotional condition of the participants on a number of criteria. The results were quite profound -- the Lavender capsule was found to have statistically significant effects for the relief of mild to moderate anxiety disorder, as well as improving the quality of rest. Further, perhaps as a direct result of the improvement of participant's mental condition and their improved sleep, their physical condition was markedly improved as well.
In a study by the same group of researchers, Lavender oil was compared not to a placebo, but to Lorazepam, a "high potency benzodiazepine drug." The conclusion noted: "our results demonstrate that (the Lavender capsule) is as effective as lorazepam in adults with GAD (general anxiety disorder)." It was also noted that one of the wonderful features of the natural substance is that it has no potential for abuse, unlike the benzodiazepines (Valium is a well-known variety of this class of drugs). Lavender has actually been favorably compared to these anxiety-relieving drugs in many studies over the last decade, showing again and again the oil's excellent stress-deducing ability. It has even been noted to reduce aggression and conflict -- if only the whole world could be smelling this flower's oil!
There have been a variety of other studies investigating the anti-anxiety properties of Lavender in different situations. One was the delivery of the aroma to a group of nursing students before a major exam, to see whether it helped their pre-exam jitters, and it did! Another placebo-controlled experiment exposed individuals in the waiting room at the dentist office to diffused Lavender essential oil. The patients experienced a significant reduction in their pre-appointment anxiety (though funny enough that the aroma didn't reduce their perceived fear of the dentist, only the amount of stress they felt while waiting for their visit).
In other medical scenarios, 54 patients undergoing surgery receiving gastric bands (a device to assist dangerously obese individuals to reduce their caloric intake by making the entrance to their stomach smaller) were divided into groups to receive post operative exposure to either Lavender or unscented baby oil. During post-operative recovery, fewer patients receiving the flower's aroma required analgesics, and those that did required significantly less to achieve a comfortable state.
So clearly Lavender essential oil can really be of help to folks that are stressed out, or sleep poorly, or both. And the great thing about the oil is that is so easy to use for this purpose. No need to figure out dilution ratios for topical application -- just inhale it! Open a little bottle and inhale straight from that, or sprinkle a little on your carpet, or go so far as to use in in an aromatherapy diffuser. You can even ingest a couple of drops a day, either in a capsule, cup of water, or "neat" if you like. Lavender essential oil is such a versatile, safe and effective stress reliever, its worth a try by nearly everyone in these fast-paced times.
Lavender's key actions are calming and regenerating; it imparts these actions on our physical body as well as our psyche, leading to a variety of useful applications. The synergy of these effects is important, as both our physical bodies and our minds need stress relief before healing can occur. Bumps and bruises need the swelling to go down, scrapes or burns need the inflammation to clear, and our psyche has to let go of tension for us to live happy and healthy lives. Lavender's sweet aroma brings calm to nearly everyone -- it's anxiety-relieving effects have been proven in several university studies, and this is perhaps the easiest medicinal action to utilize.
The wonderful aspect of the stress-relieving action of Lavender is that it's so easy to make use of the oil this way. For personal use, you only need to inhale deeply from a bottle, or dab a couple drops on your wrists to get a little whiff of the scent now and then. For the home, family, or workplace, there are several styles of essential oil diffusers available which release aroma into the air. Any diffuser style will work for stress reduction; it just takes a hint of the aroma in the air to have its effect.
The latest research is even suggesting that ingesting Lavender has essentially the same effects as inhaling it. And despite the widespread belief in the United States that one should never, ever ingest essential oils, this is simply not true. Lavender is very safe: it is listed by the FDA as "Generally Recognized As Safe" for ingestion as a food additive, and some companies even have their bottles labeled as dietary supplements. While its important to keep in mind that the protocols for ingesting any essential oil are always on the order of 1-3 drops a couple times per day -- and almost never more than this -- its also great to see research of such a large scale telling us ingestion of certain oils is not only acceptable, but can result in a dramatic improvement in one's health.
Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna, Austria have published their data resulting from a ten week trial of a eighty-milligram capsule of Lavender essential oil. The double-blind, placebo-controlled study investigated the anti-stress effects of this encapsulated Lavender, by evaluating the physical and emotional condition of the participants on a number of criteria. The results were quite profound -- the Lavender capsule was found to have statistically significant effects for the relief of mild to moderate anxiety disorder, as well as improving the quality of rest. Further, perhaps as a direct result of the improvement of participant's mental condition and their improved sleep, their physical condition was markedly improved as well.
In a study by the same group of researchers, Lavender oil was compared not to a placebo, but to Lorazepam, a "high potency benzodiazepine drug." The conclusion noted: "our results demonstrate that (the Lavender capsule) is as effective as lorazepam in adults with GAD (general anxiety disorder)." It was also noted that one of the wonderful features of the natural substance is that it has no potential for abuse, unlike the benzodiazepines (Valium is a well-known variety of this class of drugs). Lavender has actually been favorably compared to these anxiety-relieving drugs in many studies over the last decade, showing again and again the oil's excellent stress-deducing ability. It has even been noted to reduce aggression and conflict -- if only the whole world could be smelling this flower's oil!
There have been a variety of other studies investigating the anti-anxiety properties of Lavender in different situations. One was the delivery of the aroma to a group of nursing students before a major exam, to see whether it helped their pre-exam jitters, and it did! Another placebo-controlled experiment exposed individuals in the waiting room at the dentist office to diffused Lavender essential oil. The patients experienced a significant reduction in their pre-appointment anxiety (though funny enough that the aroma didn't reduce their perceived fear of the dentist, only the amount of stress they felt while waiting for their visit).
In other medical scenarios, 54 patients undergoing surgery receiving gastric bands (a device to assist dangerously obese individuals to reduce their caloric intake by making the entrance to their stomach smaller) were divided into groups to receive post operative exposure to either Lavender or unscented baby oil. During post-operative recovery, fewer patients receiving the flower's aroma required analgesics, and those that did required significantly less to achieve a comfortable state.
So clearly Lavender essential oil can really be of help to folks that are stressed out, or sleep poorly, or both. And the great thing about the oil is that is so easy to use for this purpose. No need to figure out dilution ratios for topical application -- just inhale it! Open a little bottle and inhale straight from that, or sprinkle a little on your carpet, or go so far as to use in in an aromatherapy diffuser. You can even ingest a couple of drops a day, either in a capsule, cup of water, or "neat" if you like. Lavender essential oil is such a versatile, safe and effective stress reliever, its worth a try by nearly everyone in these fast-paced times.
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