It’s very satisfying when the simple things can give remarkable results. Just as a bowl of soup can turn around a cold, so a hit of aromatherapy can help you in a time of need. I went to a talk given by Nick Singer, one of the founders of Aromasticks and I came away enthused. An Aromastick is like the old school Vick’s nasal stick but this time filled with 100% wonderful organic essential oils. Take a sniff and be relieved of whatever it is you need to be relieved of.
Our olfactory system (starting at the nose) has a direct link to the brain. So what comes in through the nose delivers its message to the brain. Very fast. The fact that the olfactory system is also close in proximity to the limbic system which controls our hormones and emotions means this area will give a rapid response.
What about the aromatherapy diffusers, room scents and candles? This is scent in ambient air and is greatly diluted. Only 5-10% will reach the nose. Moreover, if you stay close to this ambient scent, you become used to it so the effect of the scent on the brain becomes all the more weaker the longer you are exposed to it. If you are looking to get a response on the brain, you need both a high concentration of odour molecules to reach the nose and secondly, it needs to be delivered in brief and intense bursts.
Can the nasal inhaler reduce stress? In a clinical study of 90 people comparing the nasal inhaler with ambient room scents, the nasal inhaler was up to 3 times more successful at reducing stress. Markers used were cardiovascular stress, blood pressure and heart rate.
Another study tested the ability of the Aromasticks to help improve sleep quality where the inhaler was used just before going to sleep and during the night when the subject could not sleep. Overall, it helped give 44% better sleep.
Independent studies of Aromasticks have been conducted for parameters such as stress, weight loss and pain. One of these studies was carried out on 160 oncology patients in acute cancer to help them manage anxiety, stress and nausea. 65% of patients reported feeling more relaxed and 51% less stressed. 47% said it had reduced their nausea and 55% that it had helped them sleep better.
It is fast working as well, with the ability to reduce psychological stress in 10 minutes. How is that? Here are some interesting statistics.
- A scent inhaled orally takes 30-90 seconds to reach the brain.
- Trans dermally, as in dropped on the skin, takes hours.
- Intravenously takes 60 seconds.
- But a scent directly inhaled through the nose takes a mere 150-220 milliseconds. (Useful for traffic jams.)
Aromasticks is a small company with research backed up by 15 clinical studies with the inhaler being used in hospitals and clinics across Switzerland and Europe. Solid credentials then.
For clinical studies see https://www.aromastick.co.uk/pages/the-research
Aromastick.co.uk
Aromastick.net
