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Aromatherapy Has Little Health Benefits

Even though lemon and lavender might smell good to some people, they do not improve immune status, wound healing or pain control according to a study on aromatherapy.
According to the study, lemon did appear to enhance moods positively among study subjects, but lavender had no effect on reported mood, based on three half day-long testing sessions.The study, published online in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, looked for evidence that such aromas go beyond increasing pleasure and actually have a positive impact on a person’s health. During the study a group of 56 healthy volunteers were exposed to both scents. Researchers taped cotton balls laced with either lemon oil, lavender oil or distilled water below the volunteers’ noses for the duration of the tests.
Participants were monitored for blood pressure and heart rate during the experiments, and researchers also took series of blood samples from each volunteer.
The researchers tested volunteers’ ability to heal by using a standard test where tape is applied and removed repeatedly on a specific skin site. The scientists also tested volunteers’ reaction to pain by immersing their feet in 32-degree F water. Three psychological tests were given to gauge mood and stress during the study.
The researchers reported that while lemon oil showed a clear mood enhancement, lavender oil did not. Neither smell had any positive impact on any of the biochemical markers for stress, pain control or wound healing.

“We all know that the placebo effect can have a very strong impact on a person’s health but beyond that, we wanted to see if these aromatic essential oils actually improved human health in some measurable way,” explained Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, professor of psychiatry and psychology at Ohio State University and lead author of the study.

Source: Ohio State University

• Do you believe in aromatherapy? Or is it just another way for businesses to make money?
  
• Do you agree with this study’s results? Why? Why not?
  

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