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Effects of plant aromas on stress recovery and brain activity in university students

March 1, 2025

The olfactory environment is an important component of the indoor environment, closely related to health, comfort, and performance. The nervous system, acting as a critical processor for interior and exterior information exchange, regulates the work of other systems. Despite making up just 2 % of all body weight, the human brain uses around 20 % of the circulating oxygen, serving as the primary energy source for maintaining bodily functions and regulating emotions and cognition. Given that aromatic compounds can pass through the blood-brain barrier and engage with receptors in the brain, inhaling aromas has a significant impact on brain function. Electroencephalography (EEG) records the activity of neurons on the covering of the cerebral cortex. Numerous studies have confirmed that EEG usefully reflects how aroma exposure impacts psychophysiological responses.

February 27, 2025

Caregiver burden, in particular for parents of children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities, is associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression as well as increased time spent on caregiving tasks relative to parents of children with typically developing trajectories. Chronic stress can cause surges in pro-inflammatory cytokines and promote inflammation.

Aromatherapy is a holistic healing treatment based on essential oils that contain volatile plant extracts, often distilled or cold-pressed, for healing and improving overall health, mood, and state of mind. Aromatherapy can help to relieve. anxiety, depression, and stress . The smell of essential oils can cause changes in the brain by the nerve cell receptors in the nasal epithelium where it is sent to the brain.

February 24, 2025

Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder that occurs in 60% to 90% of people older than 65 years. The prevalence of osteoarthritis is reported to be between 19.2% and 28.2%, and predictably this disease will be the fourth leading cause of chronic disability in the world by 20202. A consequence of osteoarthritis is the presentation of clinical symptoms including joint pain, decreased range of the joint motion (ROM), inflammation, and swelling of the joint. Treatment of osteoarthritis includes pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches and surgery as a last resort. Due to the wide range of side-effects of drug treatments, including nausea and peptic ulcer, it is very important to consider non-pharmaceutical treatments such as aromatherapy.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is one of the plants used for aromatherapy. It has a fragrant smell and pungent taste and has long been used to treat various diseases such as colds, nausea, gastrointestinal disorders, asthma, and stomach ulcers. Several beneficial characteristics have so far been known for ginger, including anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antioxidant effects.

February 13, 2025

Delayed treatment of insomnia-related symptoms can harm physical health and increase the psychological burden. In addition to oral medications and some physical therapies, aromatherapy can help overcome some treatment-related side effects. Currently, patients with insomnia often receive non-drug treatment options. Aromatherapy is considered a superior strategy to improve sleep quality in people with insomnia. Aromatherapy uses a pure plant essence, which has no drug side effects and is not addictive. In addition, it enters the body easily, and its use is simple and convenient. The effectiveness of aromatherapy has been widely confirmed, for example, psychological rehabilitation of American army members, treatment in children with autism, and strategy to improve the immunity of children with AIDS. Aromatherapy has been widely developed in Chile and Peru. In ancient times, people used natural plants to achieve health care and cure diseases. Gradually, these methods have evolved into the currently available aromatherapy.

January 30, 2025

Multiple sclerosis is a debilitating condition where the myelin sheath that covers nerve cells is damaged disrupting nervous system signals and resulting in numbness, tingling, mood changes, memory problems, pain, fatigue, blindness and/or paralysis. Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects each person differently, with some symptoms being temporary and others long-lasting and more severe. The exact cause of Multiple sclerosis is not known, but, genetic factors and environmental exposures can be introduced as a reason. Currently, there is no definite cure for Multiple sclerosis (MS), therefore, finding a fully effective and safe treatment has been widely considered. Some drugs such as fingolimod are used in clinic. The reason for choosing fingolimod as a standard drug is that it has been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier using radiolabeling, and this drug can prevent demyelination of axon fibers, and inhibit lymphocyte proliferation, and it has anti-inflammatory properties. Similar to the function of fingolomod, the essential oil of ginger was reported to have the properties of the blood-brain barrier action, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and in general its neuroprotective properties.

Effects of plant aromas on stress recovery and brain activity in university students

Efficacy of Lemon and Lemongrass Essential Oils on Stress among Parents of Children with Intellectual Disabilities

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Aromatherapy Massage with Ginger and Sesame Oil on Joint Pain and Stiffness in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis

Potential Therapeutic Use of Aromatherapy for Insomnia

Ginger Essential Oil for Prevention of Multiple Sclerosis

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