Our contributor Lorna McCormack is holding a free webinar this Thursday on using essential oils for stress, sleep and digestion. Here she talks about a little bit of the research that has been done in this area.
Stress IS a big deal!
When we get stressed, our adrenal glands produce a hormone known as cortisol. Cortisol can be beneficial in helping the body react to stress, but too much cortisol can be detrimental to the body, causing weight gain, joint discomfort, negative emotions, and other problems. Aside from these bigger issues, stress decreases our quality of life.
So what can you do about it?
Along with making the dietary changes that I talk about here (because 40% of our stress is linked to food) essential oils can also be used to support and supplement your efforts to reduce stress.
I used to think that essentials oils were just nice smelling products that made us feel good just because they smelt nice and that any perceived benefit from using oils was just a placebo effect. How wrong I was!
In fact Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee put essential oils to the test in their ER.
The results were astonishing:
- Before the ER started using the oils, 41% of staff said they were stressed at work. However, after using them, only 3% percent felt stressed.
- Before the ER started using the oils, 60% of the staff said they were frustrated at work, and after, only 6% felt frustrated.
- As a whole, 84% of the staff agreed that using the essential oils helped to create a more positive work environment.
That’s pretty awesome!
But what does the science say? Was this just a placebo effect?
This study on nurses working in an ICU setting demonstrated decreased perception of stress when receiving a topical application of Lavender and Clary Sage essential oils.
People who had Ylang Ylang essential oil applied to their skin had decreased blood pressure, increased skin temperature, and reported feeling more calm and relaxed compared to subjects in a control group.
Subjects with hypertension had reduced psychological stress responses, reduced serum cortisol levels, and reduced blood pressure after inhaling of a blend of Lavender, Ylang Ylang, and Bergamot once daily for 4 weeks.
This summary study on using essential oils for surgical patients with post-operative anxiety found lavender, orange, rose and neroli essential oils to be effective in reducing their stress and anxiety.
Another study found the use of wild orange for women in labour reduced anxiety levels, diastolic blood pressure and pulse rates better than a placebo (distilled water).
Healthy male subjects displayed reduced anxiety after 5 minutes of inhalation of orange essential oil compared to inhalation of melaleuca (tea tree) essential oil or distilled water when submitted to an anxiety-inducing situation.
What now?
Taking the time to reduce your stress each day can dramatically improve your quality of life and long-term health. A stress resilient lifestyle is composed not only of regular exercise and healthy supplementation of essential oils, but also includes a healthy diet and consistent sleep habits.
Lorna is holding a live webinar this Thursday on using essential oils for stress, sleep and digestion.
What exactly will you learn?
- Essential blends for stress, sleeping and digestion.
- The best ways to use oils for each issues.
- The surprising role that diet can play in improving your stress levels, getting a good night’s sleep and improving your digestion.
When is it?
Thursday 29th March at 8pm (GMT Dublin/London).
If you want to join Lorna for this live FREE class just click here to reserve your seat.
