Aromatherapy is an approach that uses the olfactory sense to promote healing and wellbeing. The strategy is closely linked to alternative and complementary medicine, and while there are many skeptics, aromatherapy can be effective. Science Daily explores the subject of aromatherapy and health.
Scents and the Brain
The sense of smell is a very powerful component to human experience. Fragrances are deeply associated with memories, making them very influential on mood. Some scents can evoke very strong memories, almost recreating the initial experience.
The brain naturally experiences chemical changes as a reaction to various fragrances. In some instances, the changes in the brain result in emotional responses, such and disgust, fear, and longing. Other times, the changes result in deep relaxation, invigoration or elation. Each response can have significant influence on a person’s health.
Fragrance and the Limbic System
Perhaps the most significant realm of the brain in relation to aromatherapy is the limbic system. This system rests under the cortex at the top of the brainstem. The limbic system includes a number of different components that are responsible for a number of different body functions that include but are not restricted to:
• Memories
• Hormone regulation
• Sensory perception
• Motor skills
• Interpreting emotions
Health Benefits
The connection between mental, emotional, and physical health are readily apparent. A person can literally make herself ill with worry, and people have been known to pine away out of grief. Aromatherapy may be a viable approach to evoking positive chemical responses in the brain—particularly the limbic system—in order to promote overall health.
Common Elements
Elements used in aromatherapy may include:
• Essential oils taken from plant extracts
• Absolutes oils taken from flowers or other fragrant plant tissues
• Volatile organic compounds that can rid the body of some microbes
• Hydrosols that are created when a plant is distilled
• Infusions created by steeping plant material in water
In many cases, aromatherapy may include using carrier oils. The oils help to dilute essential oils while providing a convenient vehicle for applying the fragrance. Aromatherapy may involve other applications as well.
The fragrances may be sprayed into the air, placed in a diffuser, or burned in candle wax. Some approaches require the individual to inhale the scent directly, especially for decongestion.
Effectiveness of Aromatherapy
There is currently no scientific evidence that proves that aromatherapy works to heal. However, people have used this technique for centuries to help relieve congestion, promote relaxation, and improve mood. The effectiveness of the approach is readily apparent to anyone who has ever used it, but it is a subtle intervention as far as complementary and alternative medicine is concerned.
The benefit of using aromatherapy can be as simple as promoting a sense of wellbeing for the person using it. While the scientific jury may still be in debate, there is no denying that scents have a profound effect on the limbic system, making them powerful influences on the brain. Many believe that this is where healing begins.
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