Aromatherapy Research Guide
Scientists Are Doing Research... on Aromatherapy?
Yes! Contrary to what many skeptics think, there actually is quite a lot of published research on aromatherapy and essential oils. But, like any body of research, some aromatherapy studies are not well designed, some are inconclusive, and some are not necessarily accessible to those who have no science or clinical background. As with any research, it is important to read aromatherapy research with a critical eye.
Aromatherapy Research Database:
Lavender Essential Oil
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Aromatherapy Research Database:
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Aromatherapy Research Database:
Alzheimer's Disease
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Finding Aromatherapy Research
If you need convincing that there really are published aromatherapy research studies, browse some of the entries in the Aromatherapy Research Database. You'll find lists of citations by subject and by essential oil. The database is by no means complete or exhaustive, but it gives examples of some published aromatherapy research.
Aromatherapy Research on the Web:
~ PubMed: A library of published research studies. Try a search such as "essential oil" or "massage AND aromatherapy."
You will get a list of citations, many of which include abstracts. Try
reading an abstract, which is a summary of the study presented
in the research paper.
~ WebMD: A great site that distills and reports clinical studies in
non-technical language.
Try searching for articles using the phrases "essential oil" or "aromatherapy."
~
Internet Health Library's Aromatherapy Research: Summarizes aromatherapy
research on a variety of diseases and health problems, including
arteriosclerosis, cancer, dementia, hypertension, infertility, and more.
Different Types of Aromatherapy Research
There are different types of studies, each with different implications and significance.
Aromatherapy Research Using Tissues and Cells
Some aromatherapy research studies are conducted with tissue samples, or with samples of certain kinds of cells. These tissue or cell samples may come from either animal or human sources. Because these studies are not with whole, living humans and all of the complexities that make up the human organism, the implications of tissue and cell studies can be unclear. The results of a tissue or cell study may or may not apply to the whole, living organism.
Aromatherapy Research Using Animals
Aromatherapy research with animals may provide more information than tissue and cell studies, but since research animals can not describe how they are feeling - physically or psychologically - animal research studies can give information only to a certain extent.
Aromatherapy Research Using Humans
Aromatherapy research studies with large groups of human participants usually provide the most relevant information. However, it is not always possible to do aromatherapy research using human subjects, and even when a human study is possible, there are challenges in designing controlled studies so that the results are highly relevant.
Challenges of Designing Human Aromatherapy Research Studies
Aromatherapy studies typically involve some use of essential oils. By nature, essential oils are strongly fragrant, and many of them are very familiar and recognizable. This makes it difficult to design a controlled study with humans. In a research study to test a medication in pill form, for example, some participants may get a placebo, or a "sugar pill" that has no medicinal value, and other participants will get the real medication. The results of the participants who had the placebo are then compared to the results of those who had the real pill. With aromatherapy research, it is difficult to design a control that is the equivalent of the sugar pill placebo, since essential oils are so volatile and recognizable.
"Gold Standard" in Research Design
"Double blind" controlled studies, in which neither the researchers conducting the experiment, nor the research test participants, know who is getting the "real pill" and who is getting the placebo, is considered the gold standard in clinical research design. When examining aromatherapy research, it is important to keep this standard in mind, and closely examine how the study and its controls were designed.
