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What do modern medical researchers, bees, the Bible and the Queen of England have in common? Well, as you can probably guess from the topic, it is the recognition that lavender possesses exceptional properties for health and wellness. Medical researchers are now investigating the components of lavender oil that have been used for centuries as a stress and anxiety reducer, an insect deterrent and as an antiseptic and an anti-inflammatory. Honey bees have quite an affinity for the pollen of lavender plants; commercial production of lavender honey is well prized. Lavender was one of the herbs used in the biblical Temple to prepare the holy essence and mentioned in the Song of Solomon as an admirable herb. Queen Elizabeth I was known to use lavender as a tea to treat her frequent migraines. It is now recognized by the medical industry that alternatives to conventional treatments are needed and that lavender is a good candidate for safe and effective applications.

A general tem of just lavender oil is a bit misleading, for one could misconstrue that all lavender is the same. This is far from the case. The lavenders (genus Lavendula) are characterized as having 39 species of flowering plants (as well as countless variations within individual species) classified under the mint family Lamiaceae. Traditionally indigenous to mountain zones of the Mediterranean, today lavender is also successfully cultivated in parts of France, Italy, England as well as Australia and the United States. Aromatherapists distinguish Lavendula species based upon their medicinal properties and thus their uses. Most noted are species collectively called true lavender (L. angustifolia, L. vera, L. officinalis) which can be grown and distilled at higher altitudes and thus gained a reputation as being the best quality. Properties of the true lavender include calming, sedative, analgesic (relieves pain), antibacterial, immune-system enhancer as well as good for burns. The other two commonly used groups are spike lavender (L. latifolia, L. spica), a high-yielding essential oil used for respiratory infections, muscular aches and pains and as an insect repellent and Maritime Lavender (L. stoechus), used for its mucolytic (expectorant) and antimicrobial properties and known for being high in ketones (characterized as having wound healing properties; derived from an alcohol).

Reducing Anxiety

Lavender is well established as supporting a reduction in anxiety, mainly due to its high linalool levels. The physiological process of reducing anxiety through the use of essential oils is quite phenomenal. Once the diffused molecules of essential oil enter the nasal cavity, they bind to receptor sites of the olfactory neurons which then trigger a cascade of events. In short, the olfactory neurons send messages to the olfactory nerve and then onto the olfactory bulb (located just three inches from the brain) where messages are initially processed. Within the olfactory bulb are input and output stations, the glomeruli and M/T (mitral and tufted) cells respectively. The olfactory output from the bulb to the brain has several targets, mainly the primary olfactory cortex and the higher olfactory associated areas where olfactory discrimination, perception and memories take place. The other is the limbic system, sometimes referred to the ‘nose’ brain comprising a complex system of 122 regions and associated areas which together is heavily responsible for the expression of emotion. Main structures of the limbic system (LS) are the amygdala, septum, hippocampus, anterior thalamus, and hypothalamus.

True lavender (L. angusifolia) is thought to have a sedative effect on the amygdala, which is considered to plays a role in processing emotion as well as governing emotional response and greatly responsible for the sensation of fear. Recent science studies looking at anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) propensities of lavender are numerous. A University of Central Lancashire, UK study (J Ethnopharmacol. 2007 May 22; 111(3): 517-25) investigated the effects of lavender odor inhalation on the behavior of gerbils (a type of rodent often used in laboratory research) and noted that exposure to lavender may have an anxiolytic effect in gerbils similar to that of the common anti-anxiety medication diazepam. A recent study published in Holistic Nursing Practice (2009 Mar-Apr; 23(2): 88-93) concluded that the use of lavender (as well as rosemary) essential oil sachets reduced stress-taking anxiety for graduate nursing students. Also in 2009, a study published in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology (Nov 23) found that dental patients who were exposed to lavender scent had a reduction in their forthcoming procedure.

Other Noteworthy Uses

Although lavender is mostly known for its calming properties, it has other valuable offerings as well. With the growing resistant strains of bacteria to conventional treatments, lavender is being investigated as a probable candidate for use in antibacterial products. A study by Thames Valley University, Bentford, UK (Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2009 Mar: 15(3): 275-9) looked at the antimicrobial effectiveness of various species of lavender oil on methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant (MRSA) Staphylococcus aureus; all selected oils inhibited growth on MSSA and MRSA strains by direct contact. A preliminary study conducted by Southern Cross University, Australia (Alternative Medicine Review 2009 Dec; 14(4): 380-4) found that Lavender angustifolia was able to discriminate between beneficial intestinal bacteria and potential pathogens of the human gastrointestinal tract, indicating that lavender might be a possible alternative to common antibiotics that are non-discriminatory.

To Remember

Lavender, highly regarded for centuries for its medicinal and sedative properties, is finding its way into modern medical facilities. It is encouraging to read of increased laboratory research that is uncovering the active chemical properties of lavender and their possible uses in human healthcare. Yet, it must be duly noted that clinical research often looks at single constituents of an essential oil rather than the synergistic properties of the plant’s oil as a whole. Also, many research studies are limited to in vitro testing verses looking at the effects of human beings as an entire being (which often is outside the parameters of analytical research analyses). It is recognized here that evidence from promising clinical and laboratory results on uses of lavender is opening doors for modern medicine to look for solutions outside conventional settings. The aromatherapy use of lavender might just be a welcomed addition in many medical facilities in the near future. Centuries-old knowledge and modern laboratory investigations are well to go hand in hand in finding beneficial approaches in supporting health and healing.

Organic, wildcrafted and pure aromatherapy oils, are truly magic gifts from nature. Wholesale premium grade essential oils are available online through Ananda Aromatherapy.