Herbal and spice scent Linalool protects the immune system from stress

Herbal and spice scent Linalool protects the immune system from stress

Linalool is a fragrant compound found in several plants including spices, sweet basil, thyme, cinnamon, bay leaf, and fruits such as citrus and mangoes. For many years it has been used extensively in aromatherapy essential oils and as a fragrance for soaps, shampoos and other toiletries.

Linalool

Linalool is known as one of the most important calming scents and until this research was published it was thought to only act on the nervous system. However, write in theJournal of Agricultural and Food ChemistryAkio Nakamura and his colleagues show that its effect extends beyond the brain to the immune system itself.

Research

In a controlled study, researchers exposed a treatment group of stressed rats to linalool fragrances. At the end of the two-hour stress period, they measured the white blood cell counts, hormone levels and gene activation levels of both the treated and control groups.

Post-experiment blood tests showed that stress hormone levels were significantly elevated in both the control and treatment groups at the end of the two-hour stress period.

Under normal circumstances, corticoid stress hormones would be expected to suppress the immune response. While the rats not exposed to linalool showed the expected stress-induced decline in their white blood cells, those exposed to linalool maintained normal leukocyte and lymphocyte leukocyte levels. In addition, far fewer “stress genes” were activated in the rats in the linalool group than in the rats in the control group.

Effects physical and psychological

This study suggests that inhaling an aromatic compound such as linalool has both psychological and physiological effects; and reflects our increasing understanding of the extensive connections and interactions between the nervous and immune systems.

We have known for some time that spices contain many important antioxidants and other bioactive compounds that have extremely positive effects on our health. Now we know that the delicious scent of basil when we bite into this caprese salad will not only enhance our dining experience but will also help protect us from the latest viruses doing the rounds.

Spicy meals to control stress

So next time you're feeling a little stressed, make sure you add some sweet basil, thyme, cinnamon and bay leaf to your meal. These delicious spices will protect your immune system before they even reach your stomach!

Relation:

Stress suppression in restrained rats by linalool inhalation and gene expression profiling of their whole blood cells.J. Agric. Food chemistry., 2009, 57 (12), pp. 5480'5485 Akio Nakamura, Satoshi Fujiwara, Ichiro Matsumoto' Keiko Abe