Sunday, September 27, 2020
Alex Papp MD
Lavender was first used in ancient Egypt and Greece as a fragrance, and it has been used for its healing properties since the days of the Roman Empire. This knowledge was furthered by the Arabs and then preserved by the monasteries in medieval Europe. Its use as a medicine reemerged during the plagues, and in the Victorian era lavender was used almost indiscriminately, from an aphrodisiac or a furniture polish to an insect repellent or a cure-all.
By the end of the 19th century, its overuse led to a backlash in its popularity, and it became associated with “old ladies” (as one website remarked), and it remained used only as a fragrance into the 20th century.
Later it became increasingly popular in the emerging practices of alternative medicine as an agent in aromatherapy, gaining more mainstream acceptance. It was only during the last few years of the last century, however, when the first reports about the antianxiety effects of lavender oil started to appear in the academic literature.
Two decades of neuropsychiatric research helps us to begin to understand the underpinnings of lavender’s beneficial effects.
The oil extract of lavender contains many chemicals, of which two seem to be psychologically active: Linalool (pronounced either with the “oo” as in “tool”, or as linalo-ol) and linalyl acetate.
Linalool has an effect similar to medications like Prozac or Lexapro. It binds to the same molecule in the nervous system, the serotonin reuptake protein, as do these medications. Both Prozac and Lexapro exert their antidepressant and antianxiety effect by acting on this molecule.
Linalool and linalyl acetate, either alone or in combination, have also been found to bind with an inhibitory effect to the NMDA receptor, the same action on the same molecule that the effect of ketamine depends on.
These findings were demonstrated in precise laboratory experiments. There have been few human studies, but they generally showed lavender oil extract to have a calming effect on the mind.
Silexan is a standardized, pharmaceutical-grade extract of linalool and linalyl acetate, which was developed in Germany in the first decade of this century. It was submitted to several studies, the majority of which yielded favorable results. Silexan is available in the US as an over-the-counter product under the trade name Calm-Aid. It is recommended to be taken once daily, at the time of the day you would find it the most helpful.
If you decide to try lavender, make sure that you talk about it with your doctor first. As discussed above, lavender is a mixture of molecules which affect the same receptors that other medications act on, and it is important not to expose yourself to the risk of interactions.
