Essential Oils, Aromatherapy and Science: An Alliance is Forming

It Should Be "Aroma-Medicine": Aromatherapy's Struggle for Recognition Supported By Science

For years, aromatherapy had a bad rap as complete New Age balderdash. Still does, really, but now scientific inquiry is validating the medicinal effects of essential oils.

Historical Aromatherapy Use

In simple terms, aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of essential oils, otherwise known as volatile oils, extracted from plants to assist with physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Records indicate that essential oils were used to support the body and the mind in ancient cultures. Traditional uses of these botanicals have carried on in many parts of the world. Rising recognition and usage is evident in the modern era.

Wellness Approach Using Aromatherapy

The application of aromatherapy is most widely known through inhalation, yet topical applications as well as ingestion are also part of this practice. When inhaled, the various aromatic molecules pass through the olfactory centers, infiltrating the bloodstream via the lungs causing physiologic changes. Molecules of essential oils also stimulate nerve centers that in turn affect the limbic system, which controls our emotions and memories. It is known that aromatic compounds can influence mood, perceived health, and states of alertness.

Validation of Aromatherapy through Modern Science

In western culture, validation of medical therapies comes through empirical research. Rising popularity of aromatherapy with main-stream society has prompted researchers to take a closer look at this ancient therapy. Although still largely unproven by a wide breadth of research, preliminary studies, both in vitro and clinical, show positive effects using this medicinal therapy.

Cancer: Aromatherapy is used as mainly a supportive care for people with cancer, specifically for increased sense of well-being and to offset nausea associated with standard cancer treatments. According to the National Cancer Institute, few peer-reviewed studies show a significant difference helping patients with cancer despite an increase in its use by patients. Reviewed studies call for more in-depth research to be conducted.

Dementia: The standard treatment for dementia in conventional medicine is to use neuroleptics or antipsychotic drugs. In elderly people such drugs are poorly tolerated, especially for patients with severe dementia. Researchers from the Wolfson Research Center, UK (2002) conducted a double-blind, placebo controlled study on using aromatherapy (combined with the antipsychotic) as a treatment for agitation in people with severe dementia. After 4 weeks of treatment, results indicated that there was a 35% improvement in agitation and that the active treatment (using Melissa officinalis) was well-tolerated by the patients. Researchers support further studies to investigate using aromatherapy as an adjunct or alternative to conventional treatments.

Anxiety: Laboratory results (using animals) indicate statistically significant differences when aromatherapy was applied. Clinical trials are few. Yet, one joint review by the University of Newcastle and Northumbria, United Kingdom (2006), looked at the pharmacology of essential oils and found evidence that essential oils exert measurable psychological effects in humans. Researchers concluded that aromatherapy provides a potentially effective treatment for a range of psychiatric disorders, especially since the side effects are minimal (if non-existent) compared to conventional psychotropic drugs.

Travel Anxiety in Pets: Response to therapeutic treatments administered to animals is often much quicker than in humans. At the Queen’s University of Belfast Canine Behavior Center (2006), researchers looked at the effects of aromatherapy (diffused lavender essential oil) to manage travel excitement in dogs. Researchers found that dogs spent significantly more time at rest than moving around and recommended the use of aromatherapy as a practical alternative to expensive and sometimes adverse responses of traditional treatments.

In Review

It is clear that there is a need for incorporation of aromatherapy into conventional medical practices, especially with rising concern over adverse effects from modern pharmaceuticals. Yet, to date, there are few scientific studies of magnitude that validate the effectiveness of aromatherapy. However, a few recent studies have shown promising results for alleviating conditions such as anxiety and depression as well as serving as a potent antimicrobial and immune booster. More in-depth research studies are certain to uncover what traditional practitioners have known for centuries.

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