Best Essential Oils To Reduce Stress By: Dr. Diane Fulton for Natural Blaze
When stress hits, what natural essential oils can relieve the pressure and help you to relax more?
Stress is a natural reaction to changes that occur in your life.[i] When you become overwhelmed by stress, this chronic long-term stress can affect you physically (headaches, sleep problems, muscle pain, high blood pressure, stomach issues), mentally (excessive worrying, panic attacks, depression) and emotionally (anxiety, moodiness, sadness, lack of motivation, restlessness)[ii],[iii] and increase your risk for disease (heart, lungs, immune system, cancer, cognition, liver, gut, mental health).[iv]
The essential oils that follow — lavender, rose, citrus family and mint family — are most effective in managing stress. Aromatherapy essential oil (EO) blends also help to de-stress and restore your health.
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Lavender
Lavender is the most highly researched stress-reducing essential oil. In a human study of stress from performing math tests, compared to a control group lavender aromatherapy lowered two stress markers (cortisol — the stress hormone — and chromogranin A, or CgA).[v]
In 60 coronary artery patients in the ICU, inhaling lavender EO (2%) for 15 days increased sleep quality and reduced anxiety.[vi] Results showed a nearly 11% variance in anxiety and 70% decrease in blood cortisol from lavender oil inhalation in a study of 90 open-heart surgery patients.[vii]
A hot foot-bath with lavender EO produced a significant increase in blood flow and relaxation.[viii] Three stress-related symptoms (pain, anxiety and satisfaction) were significantly improved by lavender aromatherapy with patients who had an IV catheter inserted before surgery, compared to a non-lavender control group.[ix]
Lavender aromatherapy in 15 pre-surgery volunteers significantly decreased stress levels, bispectral index score (lower score indicates anesthesia is working) and pain intensity of needle insertion,[x] and reduced stress and increased relaxation in 20 healthy adults.[xi]
Rose
In a study of 40 healthy adults, rose oil significantly decreased breathing rate, blood oxygen saturation and systolic blood pressure compared to the placebo group and subjects felt more calm, relaxed and likely to sleep than in the control group.[xii] In a labor/delivery study of 110 women, the use of rose oil aromatherapy reduced the severity of pain and anxiety in the first stage of labor.[xiii] In animal studies, there is evidence of rose oil’s anti-stress effects.[xiv]
