Aromatherapy Scientific Challenge in US

[Guest guest]

I purchased a paper published by the Psychoneuroendocrinology Journal at

Ohio State University, titled, " Olfactory influences on mood and autonomic,

endocrine and immune function " , which discounts aromatherapy pretty

completely . . . You can read the first summary of the paper at

http://www.aromaconnection.org We plan to ask several of the

aromaconnection authors to comment in the very near future. The study looks

at lavender and lemon. I will be posting my comments on aromaconnection by

the weekend.

 

This is probably only the beginning of many challenges coming down the pike.

 

 

Be well,

Marcia Elston

Samara Botane/Nature Intelligence, est. 1988

http://www.wingedseed.com Online 3/95

http://www.aromaconnection.org Group Blog 2/07

" Historically, the most terrible things - war, genocide and slavery - have

resulted from obedience, not disobedience. "

Howard Zinn

[Guest guest]

At 09:59 AM 3/6/2008, you wrote:

>I purchased a paper published by the Psychoneuroendocrinology Journal at

>Ohio State University, titled, " Olfactory influences on mood and autonomic,

>endocrine and immune function " , which discounts aromatherapy pretty

>completely . . . You can read the first summary of the paper at

>http://www.aromaconnection.org We plan to ask several of the

>aromaconnection authors to comment in the very near future. The study looks

>at lavender and lemon. I will be posting my comments on aromaconnection by

>the weekend.

 

 

this is the study that's received all the hype on the Today show, Newsweek,

etc.

 

I've already discussed it on our blog a few days ago, and had some input

from others. (It's the blog entry entitled " Bad Science " btw.)

 

the one GOOD thing about the study is that it seems to have proven

" scientifically " that Lemon Oil does have a positive effect on mood.

 

They " prove " that lavender doesn't help wound healing or sooth irritation

by having people inhale it? I wonder if they think that any of the Rx

salves would heal irritated skin if THEY were inhaled. Guess appropriate

topical application would be too much of a stretch.

 

There is a post about it on the Today show blog, where people are free to

enter comments, btw.

 

 

 

Over 12 years online supplying Aromatherapy and Healthcare Professionals

Website: http://www.naturesgift.com

Blog: http://naturesgiftaromatherapy.blogspot.com/

 

 

[Guest guest]

Buffy sent me that link. I was singularily unimpressed. they had a total of

50 people doing the study. So not that serious a study in my opinion. As for

the two oils they chose... Lavender doesn't do a thing for me either.

 

K

 

 

On 3/6/08, Marge Clark <marge wrote:

>

> .

>

>

>

 

 

 

--

Kathleen Petrides

Bead Hussy

http://www.BeadHussy.com

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I couldn't find the actual paper on line anywhere. Has anyone seen the

original paper to know what it actually says? Remember, journalists

will do anything to get people's attention so without reading the paper

itself we don't know what kind of study it was, what they found or what

their conclusions are.

 

Cindy Jones

Sagescript Institute, llc

http://www.sagescript.com

Microbiology, Distillates, Botanicals

 

 

> Buffy sent me that link. I was singularily unimpressed. they had a

total of

> 50 people doing the study. So not that serious a study in my opinion.

As for

> the two oils they chose... Lavender doesn't do a thing for me either.

>

> K

[Guest guest]

Hi Marge,

 

We now have an analysis of the blogosphere flurry of responses to this

newswire service blitz on Aromaconnection. http://www.aroamconnection.org

You may be interested to see how skewed the headlines are (starting with the

newswire article and primary title simply parroted over and over), in spite

of facts in the paper or press release that we (and you) have already

observed to be misleading.

 

The paper itself cost $31.50 and I've passed it on to some of our more

learned authors for further in depth scrutiny. I have already received some

comments from Robert Tisserand and we will be adding to this thread on

Aromaconnection over the weekend.

 

If you have read the complete paper, it is a comprehensive, well done double

blind study, using rigorous protocols. Yes, Marge the press release talked

about 'wound healing', however, the actual study only addressed skin

irritation (intentionally caused by taping) and they saw no significant

improvement with inhalation of lavender. Remember, they were only concerned

with claims of " aromatherapy " as practiced by inhalation. Using the

specific methodology in their protocol, we can't really call this bad

science. There is plenty of room to put forth challenges and questions and

we should continue doing so . . . But this paper is a bit harder to discount

as completely and quickly as the lav/tea tree Gynecomastia blitz because

there are some positive accurate results, and it was definitely a well done

scientific study.

 

I'm seeing a pattern, however, and perhaps a collaboration (maybe

unwittingly, giving the benefit of the doubt) of the use of the mass media

to get across " talking points " in a possible attempt to sway the general

public. Certainly the headline for this story (if you didn't read any

further) would insure that you would discount aromatherapy.

 

Long ago, I pressed NAHA to undertake and document the kinds of solid

research to build a good body of evidence to support aromatherapy as an

alternative therapy. Now, here we are some 15 years later facing tremendous

challenge from the medical and pharmaceutical establishment. To add insult

to injury, this study was funded by the NCCAM at NIH, specifically

established during the Clinton administration to research alternative

therapies . . . Because we (aromatherapy) are so far behind the 8-ball, the

only studies being widely publicized in the mass media are those that hinder

our progress or damage us outright. Because most of us want solid research

and are aware that we need to separate myth from reality in aromatherapy, we

are also hindered by the aromatherapy novels and already parroted

misinformation across the web and blogosphere.

 

We will be spending as much time as we can to do solid research and

reporting on Aromaconnection on this as well as a wide variety of issues

that confront us . . . Please add a link to your websites or blogs for this

nonprofit blog http://www.aromaconnection.org to help counter the adverse

effects of widespread derogatory information such as this and to better

inform. And, feel free to link to any of the articles there in responses to

things like Marge suggests, i.e., the Today Show blog. We should have some

comprehensive and solidly annotated/referenced information to question some

of this study's findings by the weekend. Thanks.

 

Be well,

Marcia Elston

Samara Botane/Nature Intelligence, est. 1988

http://www.wingedseed.com Online 3/95

http://www.aromaconnection.org Group Blog 2/07

" Historically, the most terrible things - war, genocide and slavery - have

resulted from obedience, not disobedience. "

Howard Zinn

 

 

>

>

> On Behalf Of Marge Clark

> Thursday, March 06, 2008 8:05 AM

>

> Re: Aromatherapy Scientific Challenge in US

>

> At 09:59 AM 3/6/2008, you wrote:

> >I purchased a paper published by the

> Psychoneuroendocrinology Journal

> >at Ohio State University, titled, " Olfactory influences on mood and

> >autonomic, endocrine and immune function " , which discounts

> aromatherapy

> >pretty completely . . . You can read the first summary of

> the paper at

> >http://www.aromaconnection.org We plan to ask several of the

> >aromaconnection authors to comment in the very near future.

> The study

> >looks at lavender and lemon. I will be posting my comments on

> >aromaconnection by the weekend.

>

>

> this is the study that's received all the hype on the Today

> show, Newsweek, etc.

>

> I've already discussed it on our blog a few days ago, and had

> some input from others. (It's the blog entry entitled " Bad

> Science " btw.)

>

> the one GOOD thing about the study is that it seems to have

> proven " scientifically " that Lemon Oil does have a positive

> effect on mood.

>

> They " prove " that lavender doesn't help wound healing or

> sooth irritation by having people inhale it? I wonder if

> they think that any of the Rx

> salves would heal irritated skin if THEY were inhaled.

> Guess appropriate

> topical application would be too much of a stretch.

>

> There is a post about it on the Today show blog, where people

> are free to enter comments, btw.

>

>

>

> Over 12 years online supplying Aromatherapy and Healthcare

> Professionals

> Website: http://www.naturesgift.com

> Blog: http://naturesgiftaromatherapy.blogspot.com/

[Guest guest]

Hi Marge,

 

We now have an analysis of the blogosphere flurry of responses to this

newswire service blitz on Aromaconnection. http://www.aroamconnection.org

You may be interested to see how skewed the headlines are (starting with the

newswire article and primary title simply parroted over and over), in spite

of facts in the paper or press release that we (and you) have already

observed to be misleading.

 

The paper itself cost $31.50 and I've passed it on to some of our more

learned authors for further in depth scrutiny. I have already received some

comments from Robert Tisserand and we will be adding to this thread on

Aromaconnection over the weekend.

 

If you have read the complete paper, it is a comprehensive, well done double

blind study, using rigorous protocols. Yes, Marge the press release talked

about 'wound healing', however, the actual study only addressed skin

irritation (intentionally caused by taping) and they saw no significant

improvement with inhalation of lavender. Remember, they were only concerned

with claims of " aromatherapy " as practiced by inhalation. Using the

specific methodology in their protocol, we can't really call this bad

science. There is plenty of room to put forth challenges and questions and

we should continue doing so . . . But this paper is a bit harder to discount

as completely and quickly as the lav/tea tree Gynecomastia blitz because

there are some positive accurate results, and it was definitely a well done

scientific study.

 

I'm seeing a pattern, however, and perhaps a collaboration (maybe

unwittingly, giving the benefit of the doubt) of the use of the mass media

to get across " talking points " in a possible attempt to sway the general

public. Certainly the headline for this story (if you didn't read any

further) would insure that you would discount aromatherapy.

 

Long ago, I pressed NAHA to undertake and document the kinds of solid

research to build a good body of evidence to support aromatherapy as an

alternative therapy. Now, here we are some 15 years later facing tremendous

challenge from the medical and pharmaceutical establishment. To add insult

to injury, this study was funded by the NCCAM at NIH, specifically

established during the Clinton administration to research alternative

therapies . . . Because we (aromatherapy) are so far behind the 8-ball, the

only studies being widely publicized in the mass media are those that hinder

our progress or damage us outright. Because most of us want solid research

and are aware that we need to separate myth from reality in aromatherapy, we

are also hindered by the aromatherapy novels and already parroted

misinformation across the web and blogosphere.

 

We will be spending as much time as we can to do solid research and

reporting on Aromaconnection on this as well as a wide variety of issues

that confront us . . . Please add a link to your websites or blogs for this

nonprofit blog http://www.aromaconnection.org to help counter the adverse

effects of widespread derogatory information such as this and to better

inform. And, feel free to link to any of the articles there in responses to

things like Marge suggests, i.e., the Today Show blog. We should have some

comprehensive and solidly annotated/referenced information to question some

of this study's findings by the weekend. Thanks.

 

Be well,

Marcia Elston

Samara Botane/Nature Intelligence, est. 1988

http://www.wingedseed.com Online 3/95

http://www.aromaconnection.org Group Blog 2/07

" Historically, the most terrible things - war, genocide and slavery - have

resulted from obedience, not disobedience. "

Howard Zinn

 

 

>

>

> On Behalf Of Marge Clark

> Thursday, March 06, 2008 8:05 AM

>

> Re: Aromatherapy Scientific Challenge in US

>

> At 09:59 AM 3/6/2008, you wrote:

> >I purchased a paper published by the

> Psychoneuroendocrinology Journal

> >at Ohio State University, titled, " Olfactory influences on mood and

> >autonomic, endocrine and immune function " , which discounts

> aromatherapy

> >pretty completely . . . You can read the first summary of

> the paper at

> >http://www.aromaconnection.org We plan to ask several of the

> >aromaconnection authors to comment in the very near future.

> The study

> >looks at lavender and lemon. I will be posting my comments on

> >aromaconnection by the weekend.

>

>

> this is the study that's received all the hype on the Today

> show, Newsweek, etc.

>

> I've already discussed it on our blog a few days ago, and had

> some input from others. (It's the blog entry entitled " Bad

> Science " btw.)

>

> the one GOOD thing about the study is that it seems to have

> proven " scientifically " that Lemon Oil does have a positive

> effect on mood.

>

> They " prove " that lavender doesn't help wound healing or

> sooth irritation by having people inhale it? I wonder if

> they think that any of the Rx

> salves would heal irritated skin if THEY were inhaled.

> Guess appropriate

> topical application would be too much of a stretch.

>

> There is a post about it on the Today show blog, where people

> are free to enter comments, btw.

>

>

>

> Over 12 years online supplying Aromatherapy and Healthcare

> Professionals

> Website: http://www.naturesgift.com

> Blog: http://naturesgiftaromatherapy.blogspot.com/