Maintain pressure on reforms to protect NHSAromatherapy fails to improve immune system
One of the most comprehensive investigations done on aromatherapy failed to show improvement in immune status, wound healing or pain control among people exposed to two scents – lemon and lavender, say US researchers.
The study was conducted using 56 healthy men and women who were exposed to a purported relaxant (lavender), a stimulant (lemon), and an odourless control (water).
Norepinephrine levels remained elevated in patients exposed to a stress-inducing odour, even if they had been exposed to the lemon or lavender smells, results showed.
‘We failed to find any quantitative indication that these oils provide any physiological effect for people in general,’ authors wrote.
Psychoneuroendocrinology (2008) 33: 328-339
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