{ }
AGING
with an
Attitude
Making
Sense of
Scents
W
e have all experi-
enced the power
of scents. You
smell your favorite dessert
baking in an oven and a smile
pushes its way out of the cor-
ners of your salivating lips.
The smell may even trigger
memories of special moments
with your grandma.
As soon as you smell
something, the olfactory
neurons in the upper part of
your nose send an electrical
signal to your brain, which
processes the data received.
Of all our senses, the sense
of smell is believed to have
the strongest effect on emo-
tion and memory because the
brain’s olfactory processing
center is close to the regions
in the brain that are in charge
of those two functions.
Essential oils contain
the “essence” of the plant’s
fragrance or aroma; along
with chemical compounds
that are extracted by crush-
ing and distilling the plant,
then combining them with
a “carrier oil.” The most
common way to apply them
72
is by massaging them into
the skin or by inhaling the
vapors—both of which allow
the compound to reach the
bloodstream. In diluted form,
they are also used in soaps,
creams, lotions, etc.
Aromatherapy with essen-
tial oils is just now gaining
popularity in the USA but
we should remember that
ancient cultures in China,
India, Persia and Egypt used
aromatic parts of plants for
medical and religious pur-
poses. French physicians in
the 19 th Century credited
essential oils for positive
results in the treatment of
diseases. In 1937, a French
perfumer and chemist Rene-
Maurice Gattefosse reported
his discovery of the healing
potential of lavender in treat-
ing burns.
Unfortunately research
into aromatherapy has been
limited, involving small
sampling. But the studies
are worth mentioning. The
National Cancer Institute
has reported the following:
1) The results of a trial
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
involving 103 cancer patients
who were massaged with
essential oils compared to
those who just received
massage, showed that those
massaged with essential oils
experienced a decrease in
anxiety and improved symp-
toms; 2) In a study of newly-
diagnosed patients with
acute myeloid leukemia who
were hospitalized to receive
intensive chemotherapy, par-
ticipants were asked to inhale
an essential oil of choice (lav-
ender, peppermint or chamo-
mile) through a diffuser for
three weeks. Participants
reported improvement in
sleep and well being and
a decrease in tiredness,
drowsiness, lack of appetite,
depression, anxiety; and 3)
In a study of cancer patients
having needles inserted into
a catheter, those who inhaled
lavender reported less pain
than those who did not.
While these are encourag-
ing, there have been studies
that were not so supportive
of the benefits of essential
oils. (NCI reported that in
august/september 2019
a randomized controlled
trial involving 313 patients
assigned to using different
essential oils (lavender, ber-
gamot and cedarwood), there
were no differences reported
in depression or anxiety
between the groups.
In the U.S., the jury is still
out on this matter, but we
should stay open for the fol-
lowing reasons:
1) Studies have demonstrated
benefi ts;
2) Hundreds of thousands
of believers all over the
world cannot all be wrong!
Although statistical informa-
tion has not been gathered,
in the UK, more and more
facilities are using essential
oils to help their patients
because the nurses believe
them to be helpful; and
(3) In France, essential oils
are already accepted as an
effective solution to aches,
pains, etc. A very good friend
who I highly respect, used to
experience severe migraines,
and essential oils helped
her so much she came out
gmhtoday.com