HEALTHY LIVING
Boost Memory With Aromatherapy
Scents can help cognition, mood, attention, and more. :: BY VERA TWEED
A
romatherapy is an age-old practice of using specific scents to enhance well-
being and treat ailments. Now, research has found
a new way to use scents to improve memory and mental function in older people and, perhaps, help to prevent or reverse dementia and other neurological diseases in the future. This new approach is described
as olfactory (smell) enrichment or stimulation. It’s done by repeatedly smelling different pleasant scents, one at a time, while awake or sleeping. One of the most striking new
studies, conducted at the University of California Irvine, tested this approach on 43 healthy men and women between the ages of 60 and 85. Participants were exposed to
either a scent of one essential oil or no scent during the first two hours of their sleep each night. The scents were rose, orange, eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, rosemary, and lavender. Each night before going to bed, participants put a cartridge of one
extraordinary, close match between the improvement in the memory and the improvement in the brain.” This was surprising because,
he explains, “It’s rare that you see that there’s such a close correlation between brain and behavior.” An earlier study in South Korea tested a scent protocol on 65 people with moderate dementia. Compared to participants who were not exposed to scents, those who smelled 40 different scents, one at a time, twice daily for 15 days experienced significant improvements in mood, memory, attention, and ability to use language. Our sense of smell —
“olfaction” in technical terms — is directly connected to the
essential oil into a diffuser, rotating through the list day by day. The diffuser automatically turned itself off after two hours. Compared to a placebo, participants exposed to scents achieved a 266% improvement in memory and cognition in six months, as measured by a word list test. “We found the largest
improvement in memory for healthy older adults that’s ever been reported,” lead study author Michael Leon, Ph.D., tells Newsmax. To assess any changes in the brain
during the study period, researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. And Leon says there was “an
A
These Are Some of the Benefits Eucalyptus
popular form of folk medicine, aromatherapy means inhaling the scent of a specific natural essential oil for a desired benefit. It’s been used for at least
6,000 years and is being scientifically validated. These are some traditional and studied benefits of popular
Rosemary Mandarin
cough, cold, pain, and stress; enhances mental function. One study found that it reduced pain and improved sleep after open-heart surgery. Lavender: Relaxes,
Green Tea 90 NEWSMAX MAXLIFE | DECEMBER 2023
brain. “In fact,” Leon says, “the first symptom of Alzheimer’s disease, and in fact for every kind of dementia, is the loss of olfaction.” Smelling a variety of pleasant
odors, one at a time, stimulates the brain and helps to preserve its function, much like exercise builds and strengthens muscles. This should be done with natural essential oils, not toxic, chemical fragrances found in many household products. To give your sense of smell a
workout, Leon suggests using a wine aroma kit: a collection of aromas found in wines (not the actual wines), which are used to train wine experts. Kits come with instructions on how to enhance your sense of smell.
essential oils: Peppermint oil: Relieves
Ylang-ylang
calms anxiety and stress, decreases heart rate and blood pressure, and increases blood flow. Rose: Relaxes and
Lavender
calms. One study found that it lowered levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in students during exam time. Hinoki: Improves
mood, relaxes, lowers heart rate and blood pressure. Rosemary: Improves
attention and memory. Lemon: Enhances mood and may enhance concentration and memory. Choose pure essential oils with scents that you enjoy. Aromas can be inhaled from the bottle or by using a diffuser.
MARSBARS©ISTOCK
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