According to a Japanese study, inhaled lavender has anti-anxiety power

the linalool, chemical substance present in the lavender, has the power to relax as if it 's been an anxiolytic, but only in case of inhalation. In fact, it has a targeted action on centers that control anxiety but must be mediated by the neurons of the sense of smell. Its anxiolytic action is less intense than benzodiazepines, or the most common anxiolytics, but has no side effects. A team of Japanese researchers discovered [VIDEO]of the University ofthe kagoshima who published the results in the journal "Frontiers in Neuroscience Behavioral Neuroscience".

L & # 39; study

Many experiments were conducted on mice to show the effects of lavender inhalation and to study the mechanism of action, presenting a very great scientific scientific interest.

One of the authors of the research, Dr. Hideki Kashiwadani, remember that already the folk medicine has been using odorous compounds of plant origin for millennia to alleviate disturbances, including anxiety, but the modern pharmacopoeia often ignores the tradition. Other scientists have identified the relaxing power of lavender inhalation without discovering how this could occur.

The mechanism of action

Previous studies had hypothesized that the mechanisms were never completely clarified. It was known that linalool targeted certain brain receptors, called del GABA, the same ones who react to benzodiazepines and among the most important human neuroreceptors: administration by blood absorption did not, however, show signs of relaxation. Indeed, motor disorders similar to those of the "hangover" or after an injection of benzodiazepines had occurred.

Japanese researchers tried to breathe the substance, observing considerable relaxation and no motor problems. If the GABA receptors are blocked, the effect disappears. To further confirm, the researchers exposed the lavender vapors to mice lacking olfactory neurons and observed the absence of relaxation.

The role of olfactory neurons

The discovery therefore concerns the role of olfactory neurons in nasal mucosa, which allow the linalool to interact with GABA. Now, linalool will be considered in clinical cases where benzodiazepines are banned, for example in pre-anesthesia or in patients [VIDEO] when it is not possible to administer oral medications, that is to say babies, elderly or people in a state of confusion.