The International Journal of Aromatherapy has published a research study showing that a solution of ginger essential oil in grape seed carrier oil can reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). In this study, approximately 80 percent of patients considered at high risk for PONV reported no complaints or symptoms of PONV when treated with ginger essential oil. The use of ginger offered "increased patient satisfaction and less expense to patients and hospital." Read More.

Aromatherapy in Nursing on the Rise

The Nursing Clinics of North America reports that, "Aromatherapy is the fastest growing of all complementary therapies among nurses in the United States." According to the report, the U.S. State Boards of Nursing has recognized aromatherapy as a legitimate part of holistic therapy. The report studies four essential oils and suggests practical methods for nurses to integrate aromatherapy into their care for patients. Read More.

Essential Oils May Ease Menstrual Complaints

A randomized placebo-controlled trial of 67 female college students who rated menstrual cramps to be greater than 6 on a 10-point scale were given a topical essential oil treatment, placebo, or no treatment. One group received two drops of lavender, one drop of clary sage, and one drop of rose in a carrier of almond oil, used in abdominal massage. Another group was given almond oil only, and the third group received no oils whatsoever. The essential oil group reported significantly reduced cramping. Further study on aromatherapy as part of nursing care to women experiencing menstrual cramps or dysmenorrheal would be helpful. Read More.

Aromatherapy Useful in Treating Pain

A study published recently in the journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine showed that increasingly, aromatherapy has been used in integrated approaches to pain management. At minimum, aromatherapy may play a role in relaxation, which is then helpful in pain management. However, essential oils may also have harmacologically active ingredients that contribute to easing pain. The study reports that at least one state board of nursing has recognized aromatherapy as being part of holistic nursing care. Further study in this area is needed to clarify and punctuate the relationship between essential oils and pain management. Read More.

Juniper Berry Essential Oil Antimicrobial, Antifungal

A study published recently in the journal Acta Pharmaceutica showed that essential oil of juniper berry has antimicrobial properties. It also showed strong fungicidal activity against yeasts, yeast-like fungi, and dermatophytes. Dermatophytes are a common label for a group of three types of fungi that commonly cause skin disease of people and animals. Evidence showed juniper berry oil was particularly effective against the Candida yeast infection microbes. The study did not recommend how juniper berry should be used. Essential oils should not be used on bare skin without a messenger oil, nor taken internally. Read More.

Aromatherapy and Essential Oils Have a Modern Role In Healing

According to a commentary in the Journal of the Royal Society of Health, aromatherapy is one of the most actively growing forms of alternative healing. The author of the article states that aromatherapy encourages the healing process largely through relaxation and the relief of stress. Also stated is that the actual mode of action of essential oils in humans is still unknown, although there is in vitro evidence to suggest that essential oils can act as an antimicrobial or antioxidant agent or have a pharma-cological effect on various tissues. Read More.

Sleep Affected by Essential Oils

Aromatherapy may have sedative effects that lead to easier sleep under stressful conditions. A 1991 study used electroencephalogram (EEG) results and psychological scoring to study the effects of inhaled lavender, bitter orange, fennel, linden, marjoram, and valerian on people working under stress conditions. Subjects found it easier to sleep even under stress conditions when bitter orange aromatherapy was used. For further information, see Chemical Senses, 1991, Volume 183, Number 16. Read More.

Aromatherapy Useful During Childbirth

Chamomile, clary sage, eucalyptus, frankincense, jasmine, lavender, lemon, mandarin, peppermint, and rose essential oils were tested during labor at a maternity hospital. Five hundred women were involved in the test. Different methods of use included inhalation, addition to bath water, and massage. A high level of satisfaction was noted by both midwives and mothers during labor and delivery. For more, see Nursing Times, March 2, 1994, Volume 90, Number 9. Read More.

Discover the benefits essential oils provide for the mind, body and spirit.

Discover the benefits essential oils provide for the mind, body and spirit. Read More.

Editorial In Major Medical Journal Cites Numerous Research Studies Pointing To The Benefits Of Aromatherapy For People With Dementia

In an editorial in The British Medical Journal, a group of psychiatrists said that three research trials done in the past year have provided evidence that aromatherapy improves the quality of life for individuals with dementia. Dementia, affecting about 18 million people worldwide, refers to a deterioration of mental faculties often associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The main aroma oils used in the trials were lavender and lemon balm. These oils were delivered by either inhalation or skin application. Explanations given for the efficacy of the oils ranged from the scents triggering a well being response in the brain to a direct biological action. Aroma oils, also know as essential oils, contain constituents that have the ability to stimulate certain biological actions in the body that can be healing. According to the editorial, almost all of the participants in trials completed the entire course of their treatment. This underscores what is seen as an excellent tolerability rate. It is common for 30% or more of trial participants in pharmacological treatment studies to be unable to complete the trial. The positive effects of aromatherapy have been known for thousands of years and it is now becoming one of the fastest growing of all the complementary treatments. Source: British Medical Journal, 2002; 325: 1312-1313. Read More.

Aromatherapy And Essential Oils Have A Modern Role In Healing

Aromatherapy Using Lavender Or Rosemary Has Positive Affects On Mood, Alertness And Math Computations

In a scientific research study conducted at the University of Miami School of Medicine, EEG activity, alertness, and mood were assessed in 40 adults given aromatherapy of either lavender or rosemary. Participants were also given simple math computations before and after the therapy. Results of the assessment showed that both aromas had positive affects. Source: International Journal of Neuroscience, Volume 96, pages 217-24. Read More.

Inhalation of Essential Oils May Soften The Memory Of Pain

A small study involving 13 men and 13 women suggests that the inhalation of lavender or rosemary oil may make a person's memory of physical pain less intense. These findings suggest that aromatherapy may not elicit a direct analgesic effect but instead may alter affective appraisal of the experience and consequent retrospective evaluation of treatment-related pain. Source: Psychosomatic Medicine, 2004, Volume 66, pages 599-606. Read More.

Tea Tree Oil Shampoo May Help Dandruff

Researchers recently conducted a randomized, single-blind, parallel-group study to evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of 5% tea tree oil and placebo in patients with mild to moderate dandruff. Tea tree oil was chosen for this study because it has antifungal properties with activity against Pityrosporum ovale, yeast that appears to be related to the development of dandruff. The results of the study showed that five percent tea tree oil appears to be effective and well tolerated in the treatment of dandruff. In addition to that, researchers determined that there were no significant adverse effects related to the tea tree oil shampoo. In fact, the placebo group had recorded more adverse events. These, however, were mild. More research in this area would help to confirm these findings. Source: The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2002.

Subjects Receiving Massage with Essential Oils Reported Positive Effects for Depression and Anxiety

An evaluation of an aromatherapy service offered at a day hospital in the United Kingdom determined that there were marked improvements in depression and anxiety in a test group that was massaged with essential oils diluted in a carrier oil verses a control group receiving massage with carrier oil alone. This determination was based on feedback given by test participants who filled out three questionnaires. More and varied research in this area is needed to confirm these findings. Source: The International Journal of Aromatherapy, Volume 14, 2004.

Lavender Oil Enhances Effects of Acupressure

According to a recent study conducted by the School of Nursing at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, acupressure done with lavender oil increases neck pain relief more than acupressure alone. The study conducted eight sessions of manual acupressure with lavender on subjects with neck pain. At the end of three weeks of treatment, the subjects were compared with a control group who received acupressure alone. The subjects treated with lavender oil reported a 23% higher reduction in pain intensity and neck stiffness and a 39% higher reduction in stress levels than those who were not treated with lavender oil. The study concluded that acupressure with lavender oil has an increased effect on short-term neck pain relief. More research in this area will help to confirm these findings. For more details, go to Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, February 2006. Source: Clinical Therapies in Clinical Practice, February 2006. Read More.

Lavender Oil Has Positive Effect on Sleep

A 2005 study, conducted by the Department of Psychology at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, showed that lavender oil has a positive effect on sleep. As part of the study, thirty-one healthy male and female subjects were studied during three consecutive nights of sleep. The sleepers who were intermittently subjected to lavender oil showed an increase in deep sleep, a decrease in rapid-eye (REM) sleep, and reported that they felt more energized upon waking. Additional studies are needed to confirm the conclusion of this study. For more information on this study, go to Chronobiology International, Volume 22, 2005. Source: Chronobiology International, Volume 22, 2005. Read More.

Cinnamon Oil Shown to Have Anti-Inflammatory Properties

The Department of Biological Science and Technology at Chung Hwa College of Medical Technology in Taiwan recently studied the anti-inflammatory effects of cinnamon oil. They conclude that, at certain dosage levels, cinnamon oil inhibits the production of certain inflammatory agents. Fore more information, visit the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, September 2005. Source: Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, September 2005. Read More.

Orange and Lavender Oil Shown to Have Anti-Inflammatory Properties

A recent study showed that odors of orange and lavender reduce anxiety and improve mood. The study, conducted by the University Clinic of Neurology in Vienna, Austria, observed two hundred patients as they awaited dental treatment. The patients who were subjected to the ambient orange and lavender odors showed decreased anxiety and improved moods supporting the opinion that odors are capable of altering emotional states. More research in this area will help to confirm these findings. Fore more information, go to the Journal of Physiology and Behavior, September 2005. Source: Journal of Physiology and Behavior, September 2005. Read More.

Study Reveals that Peppermint Oil Reduces Daytime Sleepiness

The Psychology Department of Coventry University in England recently conducted a study on the relationship between peppermint oil and daytime sleepiness. The study placed subjects in a dark room for eleven minutes and measured their level of sleepiness. The subjects who were not exposed to peppermint aroma had a significantly higher increase in sleepiness than those who were exposed to the aroma. The study concluded that peppermint oil can indeed reduce daytime sleepiness. Additional research will help to confirm the findings of this study. For more information, visit the International Journal of Psychophysiology, March 2005. Source: International Journal of Psychophysiology, March 2005. Read More.

Lavender Oil Good Antifungal

A new study out of Rome, Italy studied the affects of lavender oil on the growth of Candida albicans yeast. The study observed the results of various concentrations of the oil on both vaginal and oral strains of the fungus. The study concluded that a concentration of 2 percent lavender oil kills 100 percent of Candida albicans cells within 15 minutes and is thus an effective antifungal. Source: Medical Mycology, August 2005. Read More.

Essential Oils Protect Against E. Coli and Salmonella

A recent study conducted by the US Department of Agriculture found that certain plant essential oils are effective against food borne pathogens such as E. Coli and Salmonella. The oils and oil compounds found to be most active against E. Coli were carvacrol, geraniol, eugenol, cinnamon leaf oil, citral, clove bud oil, lemongrass oil, cinnamon bark oil, lemon oil, and oregano oil. Those found to be most effective against Salmonella were Melissa oil, carvacrol, oregano oil, terpeineol, geraniol, lemon oil, citral, lemongrass oil, cinnamon leaf oil, and linalool. Source: The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Volume 52, September 2004. Read More.