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Summary of how oils can help

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Oils & Blends most recommended

Oils	Blends	Also consider
lavender marjoram ylang ylang

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Everyday Example by Robert James

 

Diet and Nutrition great complements to essential oils

 

Science and Research what the research is saying

Summary from www.About.com on stress and cortisol.

Cortisol is an important hormone in the body, secreted by the adrenal glands and involved in the following functions and more:

·  Proper glucose metabolism

·  Regulation of blood pressure

·  Insulin release for blood sugar maintenance

·  Immune function

·  Inflammatory response

Normally, it’s present in the body at higher levels in the morning, and at its lowest at night. Although stress isn’t the only reason that cortisol is secreted into the bloodstream, it has been termed “the stress hormone” because it’s also secreted in higher levels during the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response to stress, and is responsible for several stress-related changes in the body. Small increases of cortisol have some positive effects:

·  A quick burst of energy for survival reasons

·  Heightened memory functions

·  A burst of increased immunity

·  Lower sensitivity to pain

·  Helps maintain homeostasis in the body

While cortisol is an important and helpful part of the body’s response to stress, it’s important that the body’s relaxation response to be activated so the body’s functions can return to normal following a stressful event. Unfortunately, in our current high-stress culture, the body’s stress response is activated so often that the body doesn’t always have a chance to return to normal, resulting in a state of chronic stress.

Higher and more prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream (like those associated with chronic stress) have been shown to have negative effects, such as:

·  Impaired cognitive performance

·  Suppressed thyroid function

·  Blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia

·  Decreased bone density

·  Decrease in muscle tissue

·  Higher blood pressure

·  Lowered immunity and inflammatory responses in the body, slowed wound healing, and other health consequences

·  Increased abdominal fat, which is associated with a greater amount of health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body. Some of the health problems associated with increased stomach fat are heart attacks, strokes, the development of , higher levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and lower levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL), which can lead to other health problems!

 

The following research is reported in Psychiatry Research (www.psy-journal.com)
scientifically confirming the benefit of lavender and rosemary essential oils in reducing stress and related health problems.

Smelling lavender and rosemary increases free radical scavenging activity and decreases cortisol level in saliva.

Atsumi T, Tonosaki K.   Department of Oral Physiology, Meikai University, School of Dentistry, 1-1, Keyaki-dai, Sakado-shi, Saitama 350-0283, Japan. tosi@dent.meikai.ac.jp

Free radicals/reactive oxygen species are related to many biological phenomena such as inflammation, aging, and carcinogenesis. The body possesses various antioxidative systems (free radical scavenging activity, FRSA) for preventing oxidative stress, and saliva contains such activity. In the present study, we measured the total salivary FRSA induced after the smelling of lavender and rosemary essential oils that are widely used in aromatherapy. Various physiologically active substances in saliva such as cortisol, secretory IgA, and alpha-amylase activity were found to be correlated with aroma-induced FRSA. The subjects (22 healthy volunteers) sniffed aroma for 5 min, and each subject's saliva was collected immediately. FRSA was measured using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl. The FRSA values were increased by stimulation with low concentrations (1000 times dilution) of lavender or by high-concentrations (10 times dilution) of rosemary. In contrast, both lavender and rosemary stimulations decreased cortisol levels. A significant inverse correlation was observed between the FRSA values and the cortisol levels with each concentration of rosemary stimulation. No significant changes were noted in sIgA or alpha-amylase. These findings clarify that lavender and rosemary enhance FRSA and decrease the stress hormone, cortisol, which protects the body from oxidative stress.