In fact, not only does lavender help you relax but it could even treat anxiety. In 2018, scientists and researchers at Kagoshima University in Japan came to this conclusion after analysing whether the smell of linalool, a fragrant alcohol found in lavender extracts, helps mice relax. They were able to prove that the linalool odour has an anxiolytic [anti-anxiety] effect. More studies are underway to establish the safety and efficacy of linalool administered via different routes before it is moved to human trials.
— Read more in Can Lavender-Scented Products Really Help Us Unwind At Bedtime? at Elle.
Somewhere I read ( and I recall I thought the source reputable but not what the source is) that being exposed to the scent of lavender slows down the rate of firing of auditory sensory receptors, and this is the physiological basis is the anti- anxiety effect. Slower rate of stimulation received leads to slower rate of response…I just like the lavender repels scorpions! I keep trying to grow lavender, but have not been successful yet. I see there are some newer cold tolerant varieties visible, so I will try again this spring…
A belated thank you, that is interesting! I wonder if frankincense does the same thing.
I didn’t find any research on how smelling frankincense impacts physiology. Taking 500 mg a day, before training on some task that benefits from muscle memory, like playing a musical instrument or practicing a golf swing, will speed up the rate of perceived improvement in older adults, compared to a control group doing the same training, but not consuming the substance. Increased development of new nerve connections in the brain can be seen and documented, compared to controls, although the number of new connections varies. I hadn’t heard of taking frankincense orally.