Feeling blue? The purple hued lavender plant can help!
Research and clinical trials continue to prove that lavender, or rather the oil we can extract from the plant, has potential to change how we treat anxiety and depression. For over 2,500 years lavender has been used as a beauty product as well as for its medicinal benefits. Ongoing clinical trials are now pointing to anti-depressive effects of lavender, opening a whole new avenue of development for this amazing plant.
Studies and clinical trials with both animals and humans indicate lavender has some very interesting properties that could be effective for anxiety and mood swings (brought on by a number of factors); as a sedative, for pain relief, and for convulsive disorders. The studies show significant potential for number neurological disorders, without addictive issues associated with many anti-anxiety and anti-depressant drugs.
What is lavender essential oil and how is it used?
Lavender’s essential oil is found throughout the entire plant; in the flowers, seeds, stock, and roots. They produce these essential oils for functionality such defense against fungal microbes and as well for the plants own metabolic activities. These oils are powerful! Just the smell of lavender has measurable relaxing effects.
This works because the ‘olfactory bulb’, which gives us our sense of smell, is an extension of the brain’s limbic system. The processes and mechanisms of the limbic system are complicated but put simply it regulates autonomic or endocrine function in response to emotional stimuli.
Even more simple, smelling lavender makes you feel better. Lavender plants do not have super high concentration of essential oil in fact it takes over 200 Lbs. of lavender flower just to produce one pound of lavender oil which means its concentrated – you don’t need much. Lavender’s long-standing reputation to calm nerves and as providing one with a good night’s sleep has lead scientists to continue to study and examine the potential benefits of lavender oils as a possible replacement for drugs like Prozac and Valium in the fight against anxiety and depression, without side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, sexual dysfunction, and addiction.
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