The Sense Behind Scents

We’ve talked about how sounds can influence our brain and therefore our nervous system, but let’s not forget about how our other senses are also busy influencing our body. Smell is a powerful sense and just like listening to a certain tune can trigger our memory, so too can sniffing out a certain smell. Our nervous system will then respond accordingly, depending on what emotions these memories evoke.The smell of fresh baked cookies can take you back to your grandmother’s kitchen, the perfume of a past partner can transport you back to that relationship. In addition to triggering memories, smell also has powerful influences on our brain and nervous systems. Hence, the use and healing “powers” of aromatherapy. In aromatherapy, it’s often essential oils that are used (a note: there are other ways to use them besides smelling them, but in this way, they are being used as “aromatic compounds”). These oils can be mixed with a “carrier oil” and applied to the skin, put in a bath, or released into the air with a diffuser. As we inhale the tiny molecules when we smell the scent of the oils, these molecules bind to certain receptors and trigger a cascade of other chemical and neural reactions which can result in some powerful changes in our body - far more than just enjoying a pleasant scent. In fact, our olfactory nerve (the one that carries smell information to the brain), has direct implications on the release of serotonin and dopamine. You may have heard of serotonin. It’s a neurotransmitter (aka a chemical messenger) that is involved in feelings of calm and well being. Dopamine, as we discussed previously, is often known as the “feel good” transmitter. We have recognized the importance of these chemicals as they are often a bit low in people who suffer from anxiety and depression. In fact, we have a whole class of medications for these conditions that are designed to prevent their reabsorption so that they hang around longer. Some essential oils like lavender seem to also increase serotonin - hence the use of lavender in calming creams and at spas -  it helps us feel peaceful and relax. The smell of some other essential oils can also impact our experience with pain and inflammation. Eucalyptus, Frankincense and Peppermint (to name just a few!) can help decrease our perception of pain, reduce inflammation and have a similar effect as some pain control medications. 

I must admit, there was a time when I was pretty skeptical and thought this business of essential oils was nice, but not reallllly science nor could it be an effective and respected healing modality. But on the other hand, I also knew many of our most powerful medications mimic the chemical compounds in certain plants, so maybe there was something to it. I looked into it a bit more and watched an interview with an orthopaedic surgeon who used essential oils for his patients before and after surgeries. He went on to describe how he found he needed to prescribe much less “real medications” for his patients compared to his colleagues who didn’t use the oils. This was incredibly impressive to me as I believe even needing one less morphine after surgery would be a great step forward for all patients in the healthcare system. I then heard of the oils being used for pain management during child birth - now that is not just a little scratch on the knee -that’s serious pain business - so perhaps these “aromatic compounds” do carry a punch after all. I then experimented with them myself of course and have found them to be quite beneficial a lot of the time. 

There are many different ways to use essential oils and many different uses for them. However, the purity and “grade” of the oil makes all the difference so do your research about what brands are best and don’t get the cheap stuff. Smelling “fake” chemically produced lavender-flavoured room spray for example is not going to have the same impacts on your brain as the real deal extracted oil would. As far as which will be best for you, the answer, as always, is that it depends. How each aromatic compound interacts with your body and chemical composition will be unique to you. As many oils have overlapping effects, it’s best to pay attention to what you like best rather than what “should” be best. Pay attention to how you feel and respond to the different smells. If you open the testers and are drawn to some and repulsed by others - use that as your guide. Then tread carefully, as the real oils can be quite powerful and should be respected as such. The effects are not generally long lasting, as these compounds are metabolized by the body fairly quickly, but hey if putting a diffuser on in the room helps enhance your mood, helps you meditate, or speeds up your healing then why not? If inhaling a few deep breaths from an open bottle of the oil helps reduce your pain and need for medication - it kinda sounds to me like it just might be something that’s worth your time researching and experimenting with. What about you?