Need To Unwind? Try The Proven Benefits Of Lavender Oil

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.

Certainly one of the great features of Lavender essential oil is its ease of use. Need to relieve a little personal stress? Just inhale deeply from the bottle. Need to de-stress the entire room you're in, or maybe your automobile? Just sprinkle a little on the carpet. Need to calm your child? A warm bath with a few drops of oil goes a long way. How about a great night's sleep? Just a couple drops on the bedspread will do the trick, or setting a diffuser on low throughout the night can help with staying asleep through those early morning hours.

For more posts on eating disorder treatments Click the anorexia treatment link

Now, science is finally affirming the positive results of ingesting Lavender essential oil. This is a wonderful confirmation of the efficacy of the medicine that essential oils really are. Inhalation clearly works by interacting with the olfactory sense, which is tied to the limbic system and hippocampus. The result of stress reduction through inhalation has always been thought to be a response from the "emotional center" of our brains, telling the rest of our body that we can calm down, and "all is well". Yet the possibility of our physiology responding to the oil actually floating around in our bloodstream has been casually ignored. In this case however, the oil is not being smelled at all, yet is manifesting all of its reputed anti-stress actions.

The latest research on Lavender essential oil was published by researchers at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria. This was a placebo controlled, randomized, double blind study investigating the effects of a pill containing 80 milligrams of Lavender essential oil. The pill was evaluated primarily for its effects at reducing anxiety and improving sleep. Study participants consumed one of these capsules daily for 10 weeks. In every category examined, the lavender preparation exceeded the efficacy of the placebo. It was able to improve the quality of sleep, reduce anxiety, and actually improve the overall perception of health and well-being for the users. The researchers concluded the Lavender-containing capsule "is both efficacious and safe for the relief of anxiety disorder…It has a clinically meaningful anxiolytic (anxiety-relieving) effect and alleviates anxiety related disturbed sleep."

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).

Other researched features of Lavender essential oil has been that the aroma has reduced the need for painkillers after operations. Smelling the aroma lowers the amount of cortisol being produced in the body. Cortisol is a hormone produced under stressful situations, and high levels of cortisol have been linked to a number of unhealthy conditions, including weight gain. The aroma increases the amount of deep, slow-wave sleep. And all these effects can lead to something greater: lessening stress and improving rest is almost always connected to a greater overall level of health, well-being, and positive mental outlook.

Hopefully this has been a convincing review of the benefits of Lavender essential oil! Particularly in this day and age, with the incredible amount of stress many people are exposed to on a daily basis, this readily available, inexpensive (and great smelling) essential oil may be a worthwhile addition to your lifestyle, and perhaps to your home and work environment as well.

The author is a regular contributor to natural ezines on essential oils and aromatherapy . She may be contacted through www.anandaapothecary.com/essential-oils.html.