Essential Oils in the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia in mid to late life and is estimated to affect approximately 20 million people worldwide. There are considerable financial, social, and emotional costs associated with the burden of caring for patients with this disease.
Recently, the importance of non-pharmacological therapies for dementia has come to the fore. One of them is Aromatherapy which used in complementally alternative medicine. Its intervention has been based on the viewpoint of brain rehabilitation and the possible prevention of senile dementia.
The action of Aromatherapy:
The action of aromatherapy begins from a smell molecule combined with an acceptor peculiar to each specific odor. The smell molecule passes along the nasal cavity and adheres to the olfactory epithelium. Odors take a direct route to the limbic system, including the amygdala and the hippocampus, the regions related to emotion and memory. Thereby, using essential oils, aromatherapy recreates the environment of mesmerizing essence and fragrance that reflect on psychological state of mind.
Scientists believe that smell and memory are so closely linked because the anatomy of the brain allows olfactory signals get to the limbic system very quickly. Experts say the memories associated with smells tend to be older and thought about less often, meaning the recollection is very vivid when it happens.
How to use essential oils for treatment?
There are several methods suggested for using essential oils in the aromatherapy treatment including:
A few drops are placed on the areas of the pulse such as behind the ear, neck, and wrist.
Add few drops of concentrated essential oils to a warm bath water.
Add drops of essential oils to a container with hot water to be placed in the room until the steam is inhaled.
Add a few essential oil drops to cotton and inhaled through the nose.
Aromatherapy has provided the most effective proof, together with psychological treatment, for the management of agitation in Alzheimer disease.That, there are some smells that seem to trigger specific feelings and are more likely to have a beneficial effect on Alzheimer’s patients such as:
1, Lavender:
Lavender essential oil is obtained from steam distillation processing of the flowering tops, the healing effects of lavender oil are generated from more than 160 components, the main active components are linalool, linalyl acetate, and camphor.
that both the extract and the essential oil of different lavender species have positive influences on memory formation, as well as on the improvement of cognitive function.
Neurodegenerative diseases affect the grey matter of the brain and secondarily the functions related to the white matter, with aging being one of the main responsible for their development.
Lavender plant has traditionally been used to treat memory dysfunction. Study (Nedelet al., 2020) indicated that both the extract and the essential oil of different lavender species have positive influences on memory formation, as well as on the improvement of cognitive function.
Making Lavender Essential Oil by Steam Distillation with LETIME LT3000 Distiller
2. Lemon Balm:
Lemon balm essential oil, obtained from fresh or dried flower, leaf, and branches of this plant by water steam distillation or chemical extraction, the main constituent of the essential oil are citral (geranial and neral), citronellal, geraniol, β-pinene, α-pinene, β–caryophyllene, comprising 96% of the oil ingredients.
A placebo-controlled trial with seventy-two people, who had clinically significant agitation in the context of severe dementia were randomly assigned to aromatherapy with Melissa essential oil (N = 36) or placebo (sunflower oil) (N = 36) over a 4-week period of treatment. It was found that aromatherapy with essential balm oil is a safe and effective treatment for clinically significant agitation in people with severe dementia, with additional benefits for key quality of life parameters.
Extract Lemon Balm by Steam Distillation with LETIME LT3000 Distiller
3. Bergamot:
Bergamot oil is extracted from the rinds of citrus fruit (Citrus bergamia) that grow on bergamot orange trees. The oil was characterized by high content of limonene, linalool and linalyl acetate
Bergamot Essential Oil (BEO) exerts antinociceptive activity through several pharmacological mechanisms: in particular, it is able to enhance autophagy, a process undergoing derangement in chronic pain. Thus, the sound pharmacological basis for clinical translation of aromatherapy with BEO in the treatment of the associated Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia from occurring (Scuteriet al., 2019).
Extract Lemon Essential Oil from Lemon Peel by Steam Distillation with LETIME LT3000 Distiller
4. Rosemary:
The essential oil from rosemary is commonly gained by hydro distillation (HD) or steam distillation. The colorless or slightly yellow oil contains 1,8-cineole, camphor, α-pinene, and borneol.
Rosemary proves to play an important role in maintaining cognitive functions such as concentration, memory, and attention. A clinical study (Mark and Lorraine, 2012) suggests that Rosmarinic acid enhances short and long-term memory that inhaling Rosemary essential oils promotes cognitive functions.
DIY Organic Rosemary Essential Oil by Steam Distillation with LETIME LT3000 Distiller
5. Wild Mint
Menthalongifolia is an herbaceous plant and it is a type of mint which is bigger than other mints. Its essential oil is commonly gained by hydro distillation (HD), menthol is the most important component which is responsible for the pharmacological effects of the plant
In in-vivo study done (Ibrahim et al., 2016), the essential oil significantly decreased production of hydrogen peroxide, nitric oxide and malondialdehyde in brain tissue as compared to AL-intoxicated group. Mint extract and oil increased glutathione concentration, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities as well as total antioxidant capacity in brain tissue. It was found that M. longifolia extract and essential oil may have anti Alzheimer effect through their effect as antioxidant agents, anti-inflammatory agents and as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.
Benefits of Peppermint Extract Distilled by LETIME LT3000 Distiller
References:
§ Clive G Ballard , John T O'Brien, Katharina Reichelt, Elaine K Perry, 2002. Aromatherapy as a safe and effective treatment for the management of agitation in severe dementia: the results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with Melissa. J ClinPsychiatry ;63(7):553-558.
§ Ibrahim AY, Youness ER, Shalaby AS, El-Din MM, Anti-acetylcholinesterase, Anti-inflammatory and Anti-oxidant Activities ofMenthalongifolia for Treating Alzheimer Disease, Pharm Lett,2016;8(7):34-9.
§ Mark Moss and Lorraine Oliver , 2012. Plasma 1,8-cineole correlates with cognitive performance following exposure to rosemary essential oil aroma.TherAdvPsychopharmacol.; 2(3): 103–113.
§ Nedel, S., Branco, J., Boeck, C., & Ferreira Ourique, A. (2020). Lavender as treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: literature review. International Journal for Innovation Education and Research, 8(12), 481–491. https://doi.org/10.31686/ijier.vol8.iss12.2863
§ Scuteri D, Rombolá L, Tridico L, Mizoguchi H, Watanabe C, Sakurada T, Sakurada S, Corasaniti MT, Bagetta G, Morrone LA. Neuropharmacological Properties of the Essential Oil of Bergamot for the Clinical Management of Pain-Related BPSDs. Curr Med Chem. 2019;26(20):3764-3774. doi: 10.2174/0929867325666180307115546. PMID: 29521195.
