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The Incredible Benefits of Lemon Essential Oil Aroma
Simple Lemon essential oil is often overlooked for it’s aroma-therapeutic effects, mostly as it’s not very exotic. Lemon…”ho-hum, I’ve got lemons in the ‘fridge”…but the idea of Frankincense or Helichrysum sounds like it might do us more good ~ in a mysterious sort of way. But all essential oils have their use, and lemon is [...]
April 15 2009
Simple Lemon essential oil is often overlooked for it’s aroma-therapeutic effects, mostly as it’s not very exotic. Lemon…”ho-hum, I’ve got lemons in the ‘fridge”…but the idea of Frankincense or Helichrysum sounds like it might do us more good ~ in a mysterious sort of way. But all essential oils have their use, and lemon is at the front of the pack in terms of supporting mental and emotional health.
Lemon essential oil has long been used as a mental stimulant and brightener of the mind. Now scientific investigators have demonstrated some of the mechanisms for this effect. In Japan, a study has shown that lemon oil vapor (as produced by a nebulizing diffuser) has anti-stress effects by modulating both the Serotonin and Dopamine neurotransmitter systems. The conclusion was that lemon oil aroma has both anti-anxiety and anti-depressant effects. Other research performed in Japan years ago showed a significant improvement in mental accuracy for office workers inhaling the aroma.
Also recently published by other Japanese researchers shows that lemon oil actually limits the toxicity of scopolamine ~ a natural plant alkaloid with medicinal effects at low dosages, that shows neurotoxicity at higher dosages. Scoploamine overdose can cause dementia and memory loss. Lemon oil prevented these effects from occuring.
Lemon oil is easy to use, and very safe. It’s aroma can be enjoyed from any diffuser, though it would be best to use in a cold-air unit due to the delicate nature of citrus essential oils in general. One can simply just enjoy the aroma as frequently as you like. Here are the studies:
Study: Components of lemon essential oil attenuate dementia induced by scopolamine.
Zhou W, Fukumoto S, Yokogoshi H.Laboratory of Nutritional Biochemistry and G-COE Program in the 21st Century, Graduate School of Nutritional and Environmental Science, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan.
The anti-dementia effects of s-limonene and s-perillyl alcohol were observed using the passive avoidance test (PA) and the open field habituation test (OFH). These lemon essential oils showed strong ability to improve memory impaired by scopolamine; however, s-perillyl alcohol relieved the deficit of associative memory in PA only, and did not improve non-associative memory significantly in OFH. Analysis of neurotransmitter concentration in some brain regions on the test day showed that dopamine concentration of the vehicle/scopolamine group was significantly lower than that of the vehicle/vehicle group, but this phenomenon was reversed when s-limonene or s-perillyl alcohol were administered before the injection of scopolamine. Simultaneously, we found that these two lemon essential oil components could inhibit acetylcholinesterase activity in vitro using the Ellman method.
Study: Lemon oil vapor causes an anti-stress effect via modulating the 5-HT and DA activities in mice.
Komiya M, Takeuchi T, Harada E.Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi 753-8515, Japan.
We examined the anti-stress action of the essential oils of lavender, rose, and lemon using an elevated plus-maze task (EPM), a forced swimming task (FST), and an open field task (OFT) in mice. Lemon oil had the strongest anti-stress effect in all three behavioral tasks. We further investigated a regulatory mechanism of the lemon oil by pre-treatments with agonists or antagonists to benzodiazepine, 5-HT, DA, and adrenaline receptors by the EPM and the FST. The anti-stress effect of lemon oil was significantly blocked by pre-treatment with frumazenil, benzodiazepine receptor antagonist, or apomorphine, a nonselective DA receptor agonist. In contrast, agonists or antagonists to the 5-HT receptor and the alpha-2 adrenaline receptor did not affect the anti-stress effect of lemon oil. Buspirone, DOI, and mianserine blocked the antidepressant-like effect of lemon oil in the FST, but WAY100,635 did not. These findings suggest that the antidepressant-like effect of lemon oil is closely related with the 5-HTnergic pathway, especially via 5-HT(1A) receptor. Moreover, the lemon oil significantly accelerated the metabolic turnover of DA in the hippocampus and of 5-HT in the prefrontal cortex and striatum. These results suggest that lemon oil possesses anxiolytic, antidepressant-like effects via the suppression of DA activity related to enhanced 5-HTnergic neurons.
ANANDA CONTINUES JUST DIFFERENTLY You will soon see a slight change to our website. We have decided to transition the online store to a resource and information site.So while you can not purchase products, you can still have access to the incredible depth of information!We have 16 years of research, and useful tidbits about Essentials oils, CO2 extracts, Carrier Oils and […]
In Eternal Memory of Eric Cech, Ananda’s Founder “The best business model I can hope for is one that will run out of business.” – Eric Cech Eric’s business mindset was otherworldly. He admitted in casual conversation to his wife Anita one day: “The best business model I can hope for is one that […]
We Want You To Know – We Have Heard You. Your sentiments are important to us. We are considering our next steps with YOU in mind. Dearest Ananda Customers~ Many of you have asked us if this closure is permanent, or if there is any way we may be able to remain open, or make […]
It Comes with the Greatest Pleasure To let You Know… that…Because of YOU Ananda has Managed to Survive one of the Most Uncertain Times of its Tenure ~ We can not thank you enough for your enormous patience, understanding and support. From your incoming calls, comments on social media, direct messages across various channels, emails […]
Here are a small fraction of the heartfelt responses we have received following the notice of our business closure and liquidation sale. We offer all of you a deserved shout out for being the improbable, most essential, significant, factor in creating the Dream you are voicing to us: Hope for a Sustainable Future and Provider […]
Thank You For your Support Since 2004 The Ananda Apothecary is Closing Business SAD BUT TRUE As previously disclosed, The Ananda Apothecary has been greatly affected by to the global health situation. Bottom line is, we were increasing growing slim on product with no resupply any time soon. We are unable to get goods […]
* SPRING CLEANING SPECIAL * *OFFERS VALID APRIL 24 – MAY 2, OR UNTIL SUPPLIES LAST. SOME RESTRICTIONS APPLY. WE’RE GIVING OILS AWAY Get Yours Today! WITH ANY PURCHASE THAT FITS YOUR BUDGET GET UP TO THREE OF YOUR ALL TIME FAVORITE OILS FREE *We have limited supplies due to overseas shipping restrictions. Order now while supplies last. ALSO […]
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