When the way we understand the world around us begins to shift, it can be confusing and frustrating to say the least. Dementia can affect some of the most fundamental aspects of human cognition. memory, language,Furthermore Ability to make simple decisions What do you want to eat for breakfast?
Currently, there is still no cure for the disease, but some prescription medications can help reduce symptoms. Another, more controversial treatment is aromatherapy. Some studies have found that essential oils can help calm dementia patients, and there is also evidence that certain oils may improve cognition. Research on these treatments is still growing, but early findings suggest that aromatherapy may be a non-invasive way to provide some relief to patients.
“They’ve been used for a very long time,” says Snezana Agatnovich-Kustrin, a chemist at Russia’s First Moscow State Medical University who has studied essential oils and dementia, “but no one had looked into them in detail.”
Which essential oils are good for dementia?
The essential oils most studied for dementia treatment are lemon balm and lavender, and earlier this year a Taiwanese research group published the results of a study looking at how they could benefit patients in a dementia day care center. Dementia responded to daily aromatherapy Scientists found that patients who received aromatherapy experienced significantly less agitation.
New research also supports these benefits. Another study from Japan was published in the journal Neurology. Geriatric psychiatry, I found that Aromatherapy with lavenderLemon, orange, and rosemary essential oils significantly improved cognitive function in dementia patients. Pilot trial of Spanish sage oil A study of 11 people with dementia in the UK also found significant improvements in cognitive function.
Other oils have been tested In vitro It has been studied in cells and rodents but has not yet progressed to clinical trials in humans. Bergamot, Rosemaryand Oil extracted from Middle Eastern shrubs Ferlago Angular All of these experiments have shown promise.
Other essential oils have yet to be tested at all, but they have properties that researchers hope may be beneficial for dementia patients. These include: Eucalyptus, Cypress, Thyme.
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What scientists don’t know about aromatherapy and dementia
Aromatherapy as a dementia treatment has not yet been widely tested. A 2020 research review found: Aromatherapy for Dementia “Future trials will need to be better designed, better reported, and more consistent in measuring outcomes before any clear conclusions can be drawn,” they said.
The evidence is not clear, but Have The studies that have been conducted so far are certainly promising, and researchers can now say with confidence that some patients, under certain circumstances, have experienced the soothing effects of aromatherapy.
“It doesn’t cure the patient, but it helps,” says Snezana Agatnovic Kustrin.
read more: The best dementia treatments for every age of life
How can essential oils help people with dementia and Alzheimer’s?
To some, essential oils may sound like a hippie-esque unorthodox treatment, but the way they work in the brain is actually similar to medications such as donepezil, a prescription drug for Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia.
How exactly does aromatherapy benefit the brain? The story begins with acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that controls memory. Alzheimer’s disease is thought to result from a decline in the function of neurons that produce acetylcholine. To combat this, drugs like donezapir increase acetylcholine levels by inhibiting an enzyme called acetylcholinesterase, which breaks down the neurotransmitter.
There is evidence that essential oils may have essentially the same effect. Lemon Balm and lavender It reduces the ability of acetylcholinesterase to break down acetylcholine. Other essential oils, such as key lime and stinkwort, have similar effects. These may be promising candidates for future clinical trials.
Of course, this is just one theory about how essential oils work in the brains of dementia patients. Another theory is based on the fact that many essential oils are antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances that help fight harmful “oxidants.”Free radicals” is produced by exposure to cigarette smoke, x-rays, and air pollution. Yet another theory is that essential oils “Enhanced sense of smell.”
read more: Is Alzheimer’s disease hereditary? Can it run in families?
How do essential oils get from the air to your brain?
For an essential oil to have a chemical effect on the human brain, it first needs to reach the brain. Luckily, most essential oils pass through the human body very easily. This comes down to two factors. First, the molecules that make up essential oils are incredibly small. Additionally, essential oils are what chemists call “lipophilic,” meaning they adhere well to the fats that make up cell membranes throughout the human body.
Agatnovich-Kustrin explains that these properties allow essential oil molecules to enter the bloodstream through the tissues inside the nose when inhaled. However, applying essential oils directly to the skin is probably even more effective. Essentially, exposing the oil to a larger surface area increases its concentration in the blood.
“Once they get into the bloodstream, they can penetrate into the brain,” Agatonovic-Kustrin says, “and some of them penetrate passively because they’re small and lipid-soluble, and some of them penetrate by active transport.”
read more: What Science Says About the Healing Potential of Essential Oils
Can essential oils be used to treat other conditions?
These properties have made essential oils proven to be extremely effective in treating neurological disorders, in addition to their other medical uses. Research has also shown that essential oils can: Enhances the effectiveness of topical medications.
Still, research on essential oils is hard to find, and Agatnovich-Kustrin believes that’s partly down to a prejudice against traditional medicine in the research community. “It’s really hard to find funding. It’s always a struggle,” she says. “Most of the research I’ve done has been just out of curiosity.”
Agatnovich-Kustrin hopes that the findings from her and her colleagues’ work will spark interest in further research into essential oils. Though we know very little about these ancient molecules, they’ll surely open the door to future research questions. Perhaps one day lavender and lemon balm will find their way onto shelves in hospital supply rooms next to medicines.
read more: Essential oils may affect memory and reaction time
