The benefits of aromatherapy for the brain

Generally aromatherapy has its unique and basic medicinal characters.

Most fundamental one is sedation effect. Aromatic smells induce usimmediate calming and peaceful state. Typical case is curing insomnia.I will discuss how and why aroma oils work it later The 2th important action of oils are uplifting immunity in our body. All our diseases are occurred by lack of immunity. Aromatic oils have top-down order system from brain to terminal organs in body.

Stimulates neuro-chemical pathway at brain and to immune system of the body and finally cure colds. Other benefits of aromatherapy are rare toxicity or no sides. More than one oils is better potent power is also advantage of aromatherapy(synGrgy effect).

Our doctors like to choose aromatherapy as a complementarymedicine on treatment of infection, inflammation, skin care and atopy. Also stress, depression, anxiety and diabetes, hypertension must beindicated in aromatherapy.

Many highly advanced technology of Brain studies help to find brain pathology and disorders including diagnosis and treatment MRI(Magnetic Resonance Imaging), PET(Positron Emission Tomograpy), CT(Computed Tomograpy), SPECT(single -photon emission computed tomography).

These tools corperate to find out how aromatic essential oils work upon nerve system and what area of brain involved.

For example, PET(Positron Emission Tomograpy) imaginates colorful pictures that lavender oil touches each brain areas includes hypothalamic area of brain via olfactory nerve and limbic system.

Combination of SPECT(single -photon emission computed tomography)and MRI are also tracing aroma oils work by three dimentional imaging.

Now I will explain how aromatic essential oils work at brain andnervous system.First of all, olfactory nerve is only and unique way to inner brain fromoutside. It carries essential oil into deep place of brain

When we smell evaporated aromatic essential oils, it is inhaled into our nose and invisible micro particles attached to cilias of olfactory nerve in mucosal membrane of nasal cavity. These chemical components in olfactory receptor cells are carried through olfactory bulb and olfactory stalk to limbic system in inner part of brain. Then these neurochemicals are distributed over each parts of limbic systems, like hypothalamus, thalamus, pituitary gland, hippocampus and amygdala. Hypothalamus-pituitary gland pathway is the main route of transportation of essential molecular chemicals from central nervous system to peripheral areas, like each organs, heart, liver, stomach and intestine. It stimulates autonomic nervous system, sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, endocrine hormonal system and immune system.

All of internal brain milieu, from prefrontal, frontal to motor and sensory areas, exchanges chemico- neuronal informations as signals to each others.

Signals and informations generated from limbic system to hypothalamus influenced stress, metabolism and sexual function of our body. Sleep cycles is influenced by this mechanism and case of insomnia is recovered.

Also it stimulates cortical brain to make conscious thought and When it reaches to brain stem then it controls heart rate and rhythm, intestinal function, blood pressure and breath.

So limbic system of brain is like a birth place and root of human emotion and behavior. It is a site for living worthy of human dignity hand over from God.