Nature's Bounty For Your Well Being: Benefits of Aromatherapy

Thanks to nature, man has found various methods for treating diseases and healing ailments.

From the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits of plants come vital compounds that promote healing and provide overall health, which is why essential oils are important in medicinal practices. For centuries, essential oils extracted from plants have been used in many traditional medicinal treatments, one of them being aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy, as included under Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) by the National Institutes of Health, has been widely studied for its beneficial effects to humans and to health. Because conventional medical procedures tend to be complicated as well as costly, medical authorities are exploring other methods of providing healing treatments, which is why many forms of CAM, ancient as they may be, are becoming popular again.

On a general note, aromatherapy is used in many treatments today to help relax and soothe the body. For example, lavender and chamomile essential oils have been proven to treat patients with sleep disorders like insomnia. There are now many products made from essential oils that are used in cosmetics and at home. You can find essential oils in the form of candles, bath oils, skin lotions, facial tonics, herbal teas and many more. For skin care, many plant extracts or essential oils from eucalyptus, tea tree, sandalwood, and geranium have been included in cosmetics. Most of these have been known to work as tonic for the skin, as well being anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial. There are essential oils that help prevent pimples and blackheads, as well as provide anti-oxidants for the skin.

Noted below are some studies that examined the benefits of essential oils, as published in medical and scientific journals over the past decade:

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine in 2007 published a paper by a Japanese research group from Kyoto. They examined the anti-anxiety effects of aromatherapy massage to patients who have breast cancer. It is known that cancer can truly stress out a patient, driving them into depression and causing anxiety. From this research, it was found that patients were less prone to anxiety after regular treatments of massage with essential oils and after a series or qualitative assessments.

In relation to behavior, other journals like the American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias as well as the Journal of Clinical Oncology, published many studies on the effects of aromatherapy to patients with mental illnesses. Some studies attempted to qualify if dementia, depression, and stress may be relieved through essential oils. Nursing Times Research in 2004 also printed a paper on how pain from multiple sclerosis can be relieved by aromatherapy massage. Though not all have been conclusive, most of the past researches encouraged further examination of the potential of aromatherapy massage for the relief of other serious conditions.

According to the journal Chemical Senses in 2001, essential oils have shown to improve the alertness in respondents to a study from Austria. It is possible that essential oils can energize a person and motivate him or her to do work more effectively. Most sources claim that the effect is mainly psychological rather than physical, but either way, aromatherapy is beneficial in this aspect.

Looking for information on specific essential oils?

EnvyMyHealth.com is giving away a FREE Guide to Essential Oils PDF over at the EnvyMyHealth.com Forum. This free PDF is available nowhere else and contains an exhaustive list of essential oils, their potential uses, and some precautionary warnings. No essential oil enthusiast should be without it! Click here to get your Free Guide to Essential Oils!

To learn more about essential oils and their therapeutic properties, visit the EnvyMyHealth.com Aromatherapy Channel!

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