Article: Smell of success

November 8, 2004

Another interesting article ...

*Smile*

Chris (list mom)

Turkish Rose Absolute Co-op

Last Days! Through Friday

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Smell of success

12:01 08 November 00

Aromatherapy may really work, says a scientist from Italy. Anna Maria

Aloisi of the Universita degli Studi in Siena found that sniffing lemon

essence appeared to reduce pain and stress.

There is anecdotal evidence that plants and their oils affect the mind

and body but few data on how they affect pain perception.

So Aloisi tested rats and found that those exposed to a lemon smell were

less bothered by a chemical irritant that usually makes the animals

flinch and lick themselves. They also had lower levels of a stress

hormone.

" The results clearly indicate the ability of lemon odour to modulate

persistent pain, " she reports.

Aromatic relief

Aloisi put male rats in two types of cages. Under the floors of half was

a petri dish with water. Under the other rats' floors was water spiked

with 10 drops of lemon essence. All the floors had small holes for the

rats to sniff through.

Then she further divided the rats. Half received an injection in the

foot of formalin, an irritant that makes the rodent flinch and lick. The

other half got a simple saline injection.

Aloisi observed the rats' behaviour, noting how often they flinched,

flexed and licked the affected paw. She also measured blood levels of

corticosterone, a stress hormone.

Smelling lemon essence significantly reduced the formalin-treated

animals' flinching and licking, she says. It also reduced levels of

corticosterone, indicating lower levels of stress and anxiety

It is not clear which brain circuits are involved in the pain relief.

However, Aloisi suspects that the opioid system is being activated.

Alison Motluk, New Orleans

Recommended Posts