Beneficial Essential Oils
Essential oils are effective at mediating human physical responses because they are very similar in structure to human hormones. (5)
- Lavender has relaxing effects and can be used to ease anxiety and depression—better than any pharmaceutical (6)
- Rosemary improves memory and sharpens mental focus (7)
- Marjoram, peppermint, and eucalyptus relieve a headache
- Peppermint relieves nausea and congestion and improves alertness
- Many oils kill cancer, such as cypress, cedarwood, and wintergreen
- Sage and cypress reduce stress and relieves depression (8)
- Citrus oils inhibit cancer growth (9)
- Terpenes in cannabis amplify its medicinal effect in the treatment of cancer, infection, pain, inflammation, epilepsy, depression, and anxiety by virtue of an entourage effect: synergism of active and inactive compounds that bolster the potency of both. (10)
The list is virtually endless.
Many essential oils are anti-inflammatory. Terpenes are a class of substances that give plants their fragrance. They are known to be antibacterial, antioxidant, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory—plants possess these chemicals to protect themselves from predators and disease. (11)
Olfactory (smell) receptors exist not only in the nose but in skin, organs, and many other human tissue and fluids. This is why when you smell something, you feel it throughout your body (12). Terpenes taken in through olfactory receptors are directly applying their own supportive properties in addition to their neural stimulation effects.
Healing your Brain with Frankincense Essential Oil
Inhaling essential oils not only has healing effects in your body, it affects the brain’s healing capacity.
Perhaps the most brain-healing oil is Frankincense. Frankincense essential oil is made from the bark of the tree.
Here’s what it can do:
- Frankincense can distinguish between healthy and cancerous bladder cells and decreases the viability of the abnormal cells. (13)
- Injected frankincense solution provides neuroprotective effects on laboratory animals after stroke. It has the ability to protect neurons, reduce brain cell death, and increase antioxidant activity to promote healing. (14, 15)
- Shows efficacy in the treatment of some autoimmune conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and bronchial asthma due to its potent anti-inflammatory properties. (16)
- Significantly reduces cerebral edema (swelling) in post-radiation brain tumor patients. (17)
- When injected, frankincense improves learning ability and cognitive function after epileptic seizure damage. (18)
- Anti-inflammatories in frankincense effectively heal lesions caused by atherosclerosis, with implications for chronic inflammatory diseases. (19)
There are few studies on the aromatherapy effects of frankincense, as science is just catching up with this ancient wisdom.
A 2015 study found that nasal delivery of frankincense increased its efficacy and impact on the brain. Brain damage suffered after stroke was more effectively treated by the plant’s compounds when inhaled. (