Research finds Aromatherapy improves alertness and concentration

Research continues to validate the use of aromatherapy in a number of ways. Keep watching these pages for more information as we will be up dating them regularly. If there are areas you are particularly interested in let me know. I will research it and post it here. (along with an email to you)

A study on brain activity and math task found that aromatherapy using either lavender essential oil or rosemary essential oil had significant effect on brain activity and task completion. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Miami School of Medicine.

Forty adults were given just three minutes of aromatherapy using two aromas, lavender (considered a relaxing odor) or rosemary (considered a stimulating odor).

The participants were given simple math computations before and after the therapy. The people in the lavender group showed increased beta power, suggesting increased drowsiness, they had less depressed moods, reported feeling more relaxed and performed the math computations faster and more accurately following aromatherapy.

The rosemary group, on the other hand, showed decreased frontal alpha and beta power, suggesting increased alertness. They also had lower state anxiety scores, reported feeling more relaxed and alert, and they were faster (although not more accurate) at completing the math computations after the aromatherapy session.