Benefits of Lavender

Lavender is a beautiful plant with a lovely smell that is great for the bees and I have some in my garden.  Most people find the scent of it nice and soothing.  But lavender has other uses and some that you may not be aware of.

What are the health benefits of lavender?

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Lavender is an herb native to northern Africa and the mountainous regions of the Mediterranean. The herb is highly regarded for skin and beauty and is commonly used in fragrances and shampoos to help wash and purify the skin.
In fact, the word lavender originally stems from from the Latin word lavare which means "to wash".
However, there are also many medicinal properties associated with lavender.
Lavender is becoming increasingly grown for the production of its essential oil, which comes from the distillation of the flower spikes of certain species of the plant.
Lavender oil is believed to have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties which can be used to help heal minor burns and bug bites.
Research has revealed that the essential oil of lavender may be useful for treating anxiety, insomnia, depression, and restlessness.
Some studies even suggest that lavender can help digestive issues such as vomiting, nausea, intestinal gas, upset stomach, and abdominal swelling.
In addition to helping with digestive issues, lavender is used to help relieve pain from headaches, sprains, toothaches, and sores. It is also used to prevent hair loss and repel insects.

Effectiveness of lavender

Fungal infections

A study published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology found that lavender oil could be very effective in combating the incidence of antifungal-resistant infections.

Wound healing

A study carried out at Celal Bayar University, Turkey, and published in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine compared the effects of several treatments for wound healing on laboratory rats. The researchers compared the effects of TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation), saline solution, povidine-iodine, and lavender oil (Lavandula angustifolia).

Hair loss

The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database (NMCB) currently rates lavender as possibly effective for treating alopecia areata, a condition in which hair is lost from some or all areas of the body. There is evidence that lavender can promote hair growth by up to 44 percent after 7 months of treatment.

Anxiety disorder and related conditions

Dr. Siegfried Kasper, Prof., MD, from the Medical University of Vienna in Austria wrote a Review Article in the International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice, titled "An orally administered lavandula oil preparation (Silexan) for anxiety disorder and related conditions: an evidence based review".

Dental anxiety

Lavender scent may help anxious dental patients, researchers from King's College London found.
Co-researcher, Metaxia Kritsidima said: "A substantial number of people avoid going to dental surgeries because they are 'scared of the dentist', which can have a significant impact on their dental health. The anxiety experienced by these patients once they get to the dentist is stressful not only for them, but also for the dental team. Working under a state of increased tension may potentially compromise their performance, as well as lengthening appointment times. This is why finding a way of reducing dental anxiety is really important."

Post-tonsillectomy pain in children

A team of researchers at the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, carried out a study to determine whether aromatherapy with Lavandula angustifolia essential oil might reduce symptoms of pain in children after tonsillectomy (having their tonsils taken out).

Premenstrual emotional symptoms

Researchers from Shitennoji University, Kyoto University and the Center for Advanced Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, all in Japan, carried out a study to determine whether using lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) aromatherapy treatment might help alleviate premenstrual emotional symptoms.
As background information, Tamaki Matsumoto explained in the journal Biopsychosocial Medicine that a significant proportion of reproductive-age women experience a range of symptoms in the premenstrual phase, commonly known as premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
Even though PMS is common, no single treatment is universally recognized as effective, so many women turn to alternative therapies, including aromatherapy.

Interactions

The U.S National Institutes of Health (NIH) warns people to be cautious when combining lavender with the following:

• Barbiturates - lavender may increase the sedative effects of these drugs and make people feel very sleepy.


• Benzodiazepines - mixing lavender with benzodiazepines can similarly increase the sedative effect of the drugs.


• Chloral hydrate - lavender increases the effects of chloral hydrate - causing extreme drowsiness.

Risks and precautions

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that repeated topical use of lavender oil may cause prepubertal gynecomastia, a condition which causes enlarged breast tissue in boys before puberty. "Topical" means applying onto the skin.
In addition, the safety of taking lavender during pregnancy or while breast-feeding is not completely certain - if you plan to use lavender treatment during pregnancy or breastfeeding tell your doctor.
As lavender is thought to slow down the central nervous system, doctors advise patients to stop using lavender at least 2 weeks before surgery.
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