Lavender

Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia

Lavender has such a peaceful aroma.  Its delightful scent is known throughout the world for encouraging a sense of harmony and wellbeing.  With such a wonderful smell there is no question why people love including it into their wellness routine.  However, this incredible essential oil is known for more than its beautiful aroma.  For centuries this essential oil has been used to address a variety of ailments (7).  It is traditionally used in massage oil due to its anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties and for providing relief for conditions such as psoriasis, dermatitis and eczema (6).

  • Lavender oil has estrogenic and antiandrogenic activity, so topical application around the breast should be avoided (2).
  • Lavender essential oil increased quality of sleep and reduced level of anxiety (3).
  • Studies indicate that Lavender has been beneficial in the management of anxiety (4).
  • Posses potential therapeutic benefit in wound healing (5).
  • Study has shown that the topical application of Lavender has been effective in the treatment of  psoriasis and other skin inflammations (6).
  • Folk and traditional therapeutic use of the essential oil of English lavender for pain, infection, relaxation, and sedation dates back centuries (8).

Anxiety disorders are some of the most common psychiatric disorders, with potentially debilitating consequences on individual function. Existing pharmacotherapies for anxiety disorders are limited by delay to therapeutic effect, dependence, tolerance, withdrawal, and abuse potential. Therefore, safe and evidence-based complementary or alternative therapies may be important allies in the care of patients with anxiety disorders. Essential oils are lipophilic and concentrated botanical extracts that exhibit many properties of drugs, although they are not Food and Drug Administration approved and have limitations characteristic of herbal preparations. Lavender essential oil has an extensive anecdotal history of anxiolytic benefit that has recently been supported by clinical efficacy studies. The 2 primary terpenoid constituents of lavender essential oil, linalool and linalyl acetate, may produce an anxiolytic effect in combination via inhibition of voltage-gated calcium channels, reduction of 5HT1A receptor activity, and increased parasympathetic tone. The objectives of this article are to provide a brief overview of lavender oil in aromatherapy, explore variability in the constituents of lavender oil, summarize its pharmacology and safety profile, as well as describe its body of research that has been conducted for anxiety. –Source

Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia) flowers, leaves and oil contain linaloyl acetate, linalool, perillyl alcohol, 1,8 cineole (eucalyptol), and at least 100 other known compounds. Lavender has no specific lactation-related uses. Lavender preparations have traditionally been used for anxiety and other neurologic conditions, infections, pain and a variety of other conditions, often as aromatherapy. None of these uses have good scientific evidence to support their use. Lavender is “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) as a food by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In general, lavender is well tolerated, but no data exist on the excretion of any components of lavender into breastmilk or on the safety and efficacy of lavender in nursing mothers or infants. Lavender oil has estrogenic and antiandrogenic activity, so topical application around the breast should be avoided.

Dietary supplements do not require extensive pre-marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Manufacturers are responsible to ensure the safety, but do not need to prove the safety and effectiveness of dietary supplements before they are marketed. Dietary supplements may contain multiple ingredients, and differences are often found between labeled and actual ingredients or their amounts. A manufacturer may contract with an independent organization to verify the quality of a product or its ingredients, but that does not certify the safety or effectiveness of a product. Because of the above issues, clinical testing results on one product may not be applicable to other products. More detailed information about dietary supplements is available elsewhere on the LactMed Web site. –Source

Background: In intensive care units (ICUs), patients cannot sleep well. Aromatherapy is used for depression, anxiety, relaxation and disorders related with sleep and stress.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effect of lavender essential oil on the sleep quality and anxiety level of patients in coronary ICU.

Participants: A total of 60 patients in coronary ICU participated in this study.

Design: A randomized controlled study was conducted with 60 patients in a province located in the southeast of Turkey.

Methods: After informing the patients in both groups about the study, they were administered a questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) scale. The patients in the intervention group were given 2% lavender essential oil via inhalation for 15 days after which they were administered the same scales again to evaluate the sleep quality and anxiety. As for the control group, they were administered the same scales again after 15 days without the inhalation of lavender essential oil.

Results: Comparison of the PSQI and BAI scores of the patients in the control and intervention groups before and after the intervention showed statistically significant differences in the change in favour of the intervention group (p < 0·05).

Conclusion: Lavender essential oil increased quality of sleep and reduced level of anxiety in patients with coronary artery disease.

Relevance to clinical practice: As a non-invasive, cheap, easily applicable, cost-effective, independent nursing intervention and appropriate for cardiac patients, lavender essential oil could be applied in ICUs. –Source

Background: A cancer diagnosis is a serious stressor that is associated with anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and inability to fulfill daily routines. Many pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic options are available to help patients with cancer manage anxiety.

Objectives: This randomized, controlled trial examined the effects of lavender oil aromatherapy on anxiety and sleep quality in patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Methods: 70 patients were randomly assigned to a lavender oil group, a tea tree oil group, and a control group with no oil. A patient identification form, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Pittsburgh Quality Sleep Index (PSQI) were used to measure anxiety and sleep quality before and after chemotherapy.

Findings: State anxiety before and after chemotherapy did not vary among groups. The authors compared trait anxiety values before and after chemotherapy and found a significant difference in the lavender group. In addition, a significant change in PSQI measurements before and after chemotherapy was observed. –Source

Background: The commercialization of essential oils has expanded their presence in the United States, and emerging studies demonstrate that they may have a place in Western medicine. One oil with a significant body of evidence is lavender essential oil, which may have benefits in wound healing. Objectives: This review aims to present the scientific literature on therapeutic lavender essential oil with the goal of expanding the current repertoire of cost-effective wound healing options available to physicians and patients. Methods: A review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase from June 2018 through March 2019 to identify articles related to lavender essential oil in the context of wound healing. Results: This search yielded 36 unique studies, 20 of which remained after screening. This review utilizes human clinical trials (n = 7), animal trials (n = 5), in vitro studies (n = 2), and previously conducted reviews (n = 6). Overall, these studies demonstrated a faster rate of wound healing, increased expression of collagen, and enhanced activity of proteins involved in the tissue remodeling process in wounds treated with lavender essential oil. Conclusions: The current body of literature suggests a potential therapeutic benefit of lavender essential oil in wound healing. However, standardization of the chemical composition and additional high-quality human clinical trials are needed to further evaluate the safety and efficacy of lavender essential oil in clinical practice. –Source

Ethno-pharmacological relevance: Lavender oil (LO) is an aromatic/essential oil extracted from Lavandula angustifolia and traditionally used as an aromatherapy massage oil due to its anti-inflammatory and wound healing property and also for providing the relief in other skin conditions such as psoriasis, dermatitis and eczema. However, LO has not been evaluated scientifically for psoriasis like skin inflammation.

Aim of the study: This study was aimed to investigate the LO and its major components linalool (L) and linalyl acetate (LA) against psoriasis like skin inflammation.

Materials and methods: Anti-psoriatic activity was done using Imiquimod (IMQ) induced psoriasis like skin inflammation in BALB/c mice. Assessment of anti-psoriatic effect of LO, L and LA was done on the basis of change in ear thickness, psoriasis area severity index (PASI) scoring at alternative day, CosCam scoring using skin analyzer equipped with SkinSys software, biochemical, immunohistochemical and histological investigations. Level of effectiveness against psoriasis was investigated by percent reduction in PASI scores, CosCam scores and level of Th-1 and Th-17 cell expressing cytokines, as compared to the diseased mice.

Results: Topical application of LO 10% showed 73.67% recovery in PASI and 87% in Th-17 cell-specific cytokines towards normal as compared to disease group. L and LA were identified as the major components of LO and favoured ligands for selected psoriasis targets. At 2% topical dose, L and LA showed 64% and 47.61% recovery in PASI scores, respectively. Both, L and LA showed significant recovery in Th-1 specific TNF-α and IL-1β however, only L showed significant recovery of Th-17 cytokines (IL-17 and IL-22). In contrast to LA (which restored granulosis), L restored epidermal hyperplasia and parakeratosis toward the normal condition. On the other hand, L also reduced the expression of NF-κβ, ccr6 and IL-17, while LA reduced the expression of NF-κβ only. At 10% topical dose, LO was observed to be slight irritant while at 2% topical dose, L and LA were found non-irritant to the skin.

Conclusion: This study proves the effectiveness of LO and its major phytoconstituents linalool and linalyl acetate against IMQ induced psoriasis like skin inflammation and provides the scientific evidence for topical use of lavender oil. –Source

Lavenders and their essential oils have been used in alternative medicine for several centuries. The volatile compounds that comprise lavender essential oils, including linalool and linalyl acetate, have demonstrative therapeutic properties, and the relative abundance of these metabolites is greatly influenced by the genetics and environment of the developing plants. With the rapid progress of molecular biology and the genomic sciences, our understanding of essential oil biosynthesis has greatly improved over the past few decades. At the same time, there is a recent surge of interest in the use of natural remedies, including lavender essential oils, in alternative medicine and aromatherapy. This article provides a review of recent developments related to the biosynthesis and medicinal properties of lavender essential oils. –Source

Folk and traditional therapeutic use of the essential oil of English lavender for pain, infection, relaxation, and sedation dates back centuries. Current research focusing on the inherent synergism of Lavandula angustifolia Miller demonstrates great potential for future applications. Today’s investigations may provide the key to eradicating degenerative inflammatory disease, infectious disease, and carcinogenesis. –Source

Disclaimer

Please consult with your medical doctor before taking any supplements or making alterations to your wellness routine.

This article and its contents in no way seeks to represent the ability to treat, alleviate, or cure any disease; or treat, alleviate, or cure disease and other health conditions as effectively as most over-the-counter medications, or is an effective alternative to prescription medications.  We strongly suggest all of our readers, customers, and clientele to first consult with their medical doctor before taking any supplements or making changes to their wellness routine.

We encourage you to seek  out competent and reliable scientific evidence consisting of human clinical testing of the supplement or of an Essentially Equivalent Product, that is sufficient in quality and quantity based on standards generally accepted by experts in the relevant disease, condition, or function to which the representation relates, in light of the entire body of relevant and reliable scientific evidence, to determine if the supplement’s representation is true.  Such testing should be: (1) randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled; and (2) conducted by researchers qualified by training and experience to conduct such testing.

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