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SOURCE: de Sousa DP, Silva RHN, Silva EFD, Gavioli EC. Essential oils and their constituents: An alternative source for novel antidepressants. Molecules 2017; 22:e1290. doi: 10.3390/molecules22081290.
According to the World Health Organization, depression carries the heaviest burden of disability among mental disorders. Globally, the average prevalence for major depression is 4.7% or one out of 20 people.1 The prevalence is 5.9% in women and 3.8% in men. Depression causes symptoms that affect people of all ages, compromising quality of life and all areas from work to social relationships. The search for effective alternatives to traditional pharmaceuticals is imperative. de Sousa et al studied essential oils, their constituents, mechanism of action, and therapeutic potential for depressive disorders.
Aromatic, medicinal plants have been used for centuries. Essential oils are rich in bioactive compounds. Studies have shown that they enter the blood stream either by inhalation or ingestion to cause psychological effects that complement pharmacological interventions. Examples of studies that have been conducted are in the realm of sleep quality,2,3 anxiety,4,5 nicotine craving,6 and post-traumatic stress disorder.7 This study was conducted to review essential oils and their constituents for the treatment of depression, since there is evidence that isolated compounds of these essential oils have antidepressant actions.
The authors performed a search of English-language PubMed articles from 1995 to December 2015 about plants and essential oils that have antidepressant activity. Plants were identified by chemical name and the name of their bioactive compounds. The reason for selecting certain plant species was to evaluate the antidepressant activity and to identify the mechanism of action of oils or particular components of the oils.
Human Studies
Lavender. The most frequently studied essential oil for mood is lavender, as it has widely recognized anxiolytic effects.5 Using lavender oil capsules from Lavandula angustifolia (Lamiaceae) flowers, Bezerra et al conducted a pilot study as an adjuvant therapy for major depression in eight patients with symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, and psychomotor agitation for three weeks. All three symptoms improved in the participants of this case series.8
Diego et al examined the moods of otherwise healthy adult men after acute inhalation of lavender oil. EEG activity, alertness, and mood were assessed and found to increase/improve in the 40 male...