Anti-depressant
Depression is the plague of our time, but more and more we are discovering that pharmaceutical anti-depressants carry dangerous—sometimes fatal—side effects. Subjective perceptions of aromas from essential oils have long been very positive, and many have found mood improvement through smelling these pleasant aromas. Science is beginning to emerge that confirms there truly is an antidepressant effect from inhaling the volatile aromas of essential oils.
Research done in 2002 at the University of Northumbria in England showed that the administration of Melissa essential oil resulted in a “sustained improvement in accuracy of attention . . . self-rated calmness . . .and alertness.” 1 More recent studies at the same university in 2005 showed similar results after the administration of sage lavender essential oil: “Mood was consistently enhanced, with increases in self-rated ‘alertness,’ ‘calmness’ and ‘contentedness.’ “ Researchers concluded that essential oils from the sage (Salvia) family were capable of positive “modulation of mood and cognition in healthy young adults.”2
Scientists at the Keimyun University in Korea tested essential oils with hand massage on 58 patients with terminal cancer. A test group received hand massage with a blend of Bergamot, Lavender and Frankincense in a ratio of 1:1:1, while the control group received hand massage with no aromatic essential oil. Hand massage was administered to all subjects for 5 minutes on each of 7 consecutive days. At the end of the 7-day test period, “the aroma hand massage experimental group showed more significant differences in the changes of pain and depression than the control group.”3
- Kennedy DO, et al. “Modulation 0of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm).” Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2002 Jul;72(4):953-64.
- Tildesley NT, et al. “Positive modulation of mood and cognitive performance following administration of acute doses of Savlia Lavandulaefolia essential oil to healthy young volunteers.” Physiol Behav 2005 Jan 17;83(5):699-709.
- Chang, SY. “[Effects of aroma hand massage on pain, state anxiety and depression in hospice patients with terminal cancer]”, Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi 2008 Aug;38(4):493-502
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