It is a holistic therapy that employs plant-derived natural substances to enhance the quality of life of the user. Essential oils can be defined as volatile substances derived from plant material through steam distillation, cold pressing and other natural processes from the leaves, stems, flowers, roots, resins, fruits, seeds and barks. These oils are useful when inhaled into the lungs or when applied on the skin as they have numerous benefits which have been scientifically advocated. But how do such aids function in practical terms? It is time to discuss what aromatherapy means and what fundamental principles are used by practitioners.
How are the Essential Oil’s absorbed and incorporated into the Body System?
The primary routes of administration of essential oils are the olfactory system, involving inhalation, and dermal, which involves rubbing on the skin. When we breathe, odour particles have to enter through the nose into an area called the olfactory epithelium. This tissue is equipped with over 50 million olfactory receptor neurons with specialized hair like structures called cilia which possess receptors for odour. When the odor molecules are interacting with these receptors, signals are being sent to the brain – or rather the limbic system – which is responsible for the emotional response, behavior, sense of smell and memory. When applied on the skin, some of the constituents of essential oils are small enough to penetrate through the dermis layer and reach the smallest blood vessels, capillaries and lymphatics. They circulate through the blood and lymphatic fluid reaching most regions of the body and directly affect the system.
What are the characteristics or components that distinguish one essential oil from the other in terms of smell, potency, and therapeutic action? It’s a question of the composition of their bioactive complex of natural chemical compounds that are present in the plants by default. Based on this, the most bioactive substances that offer the healing advantages are usually the volatile aromatic constituents. For instance, it can be terpenes, for example, pinene in pine, limonene in citrus oils; phenol like eugenol in clove oil; aldehydes such as citral in lemongrass; ketones such as camphor in camphor oil. These phytochemicals include esters, aldehydes, ketones, and ethers and their concentrations and proportions dictate the oil’s smell, activity, and toxicity or otherwise. It is because every one of these components is unique because of the way they get involved with our olfactory sense and the body systems.
Mechanisms of Action: How do the Essential Oils Work?
Although ongoing research continues revealing more about essential oil pharmacology, their mechanisms generally fall into three main categories:Although ongoing research continues revealing more about essential oil pharmacology, their mechanisms generally fall into three main categories:
- Pharmacological effects – On the pharmacological effects of essential oil, its constituents interact with tissues, cells, and molecular targets after being absorbed. These includes the subtopics such as anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antioxidant and anti tumor activity.
- Physiological effects – Effects on the physiological processes of an organism, that is, on the bodily systems, including respiration, pulse rate, stress hormones, immunity, metabolism, and digestion due to the olfactory sense or just the mere use of the substance.
- Psychological effects – This is a change in the mind or state of the person which pertains to mood in the case of odor signaling to the brain, relaxation, concentration, and learning.
Thus, in conclusion, all essential oils are able to chemically act through binding to available cellular and molecular receptors, as well as being able to modulate the body’s inherent physiological pathways, in addition to influencing memories and feelings related to scent.
Backed by Science: Adam and colleagues (2003) have found that aroma therapy may have positive effects on health.
A vast body of literature is available on essential oils and aromatherapy that can be traced back to the early research on antiseptic components in the scent of different natural oils. Currently, there are leading medical journals that release new clinical trials annually pointing to aromatherapy impacts for various ailments. Systematic reviews as well as meta-analysis also support the therapeutic efficacy of essential oils for plenty of areas including anxiety and depression, cancer, pain, dementia, women’s health issues, skin infections, asthma, insomnia, nausea and several other symptoms. Although further strictly controlled empirical work is still required, the scientific literature thus far has shown that this approach works – and does so in ways that effectively substantiate what health care professionals, pharmacologists, and other practitioners have discovered over the centuries based on their experiences using these natural plant-based medicines.
Thus, although much still needs to be explored in detail about each of the applications of aromatherapy, we are aware of generalities of how essential oils work with the body and the spirit. Together with the mentioned clinical findings, one might realize these aromatic plant extracts provide numerous scientifically proven therapeutic benefits – thus explaining why they continue to remain the choice of natural healing devices for millennia.