ET Aromatherapy works because you want it to
By David Derbyshire, Science Correspondent

THE ability of aromatherapy to stimulate the brain may be all in the mind, a scientific study shows today.

Researchers found that sniffing essential oils improves mental ability, but only if you believe it will. The findings add to evidence that much alternative and complementary medicine relies on the placebo effect and the power of suggestion.

As well as being a tool for relaxing, aromatherapy is used to stimulate and revitalise tired brains. A team of German and Austrian scientists, led by Dr Josef Ilmberger of the Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, studied the effects of oils used for their "re-energising" properties on 50 volunteers wearing surgical masks.

After water was sprinkled on the masks, their reaction times to a series of mental tasks was assessed. Some of the volunteers then had oils such as peppermint, jasmine and ylang-ylang sprinkled on the masks, while others were sprinkled with water.

Their reactions were tested again, New Scientist magazine reports. The essential oils appeared to make no difference to reaction times. But the volunteers were also asked how stimulating, strong and pleasant they found the oils. Those who rated them highly did show small improvements in their reaction times.

Dr Ilmberger said: "If people thought an oil was stimulating, they got faster. The effects of essential oils or their components on basic forms of attentional behaviour are mainly psychological." Dr Richard Tonkin, president of the Research Council for Complementary Medicine, said the findings did not undermine aromatherapy.

He said: "The power of suggestion is a big factor in all medicine. The problem with the placebo effect is that it is regarded by most people as a nuisance or a fake. But it isn't. It is practical and positive effect that acts by catalysing the self-healing mechanisms within a patient.

"The placebo effect accounts for around a third of the improvements in any condition with any agent." The team now plans to test the rubbing of oils into the skin to see if it makes a difference to their effect.

-- Anonymous, April 18, 2001

Answers

I think there is something to smells...I love the hand lotion I have on right now, it smells like fresh rasberries.......I puts me in a "summertime" mood while I sit here.... I also like vanilla scented lotions, and ess. oils. I have used them for perfumes....as perfumes sometimes make me sick with a heach... the "ding Bong" perfumes....are the worst..if I am even around someone with certain "DING DONG" ....calling, I get sick...and I USED to sell it!

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2001

Lavender sets me off. In the old days (i.e., when I was a nipper), people perfumed their linens with dried lavender to keep moths away. I always have some lavender growing on the garden and I harvest the flowerheads to make sachets for my linen closet.

Sweetie gets off on the smell of sauteed onions but I haven't come across the essential oil yet ;)

-- Anonymous, April 19, 2001