Lavandula angustifolia “Lavender”: Lavender oil is best known for its pleasant scent and antimicrobial properties, but in recent years has been an emerging treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) that rivals standard synthetic anxiolytic medications. The two main components in lavender are linalyl acetate and linalool, which together can make up to 70% of the oil. Linalool is a terpene alcohol and linalyl acetate is its ester derivative. Other components found in lavender oil include cineol, pinene, limonene, geraniol, borneol and some tannin. The exact composition of the oil can vary depending on the lavender species and how it’s cultivated and processed. For example, Lavandula angustifolia oil is high in linalyl acetate and linalool, while Lavandula stoechas oil is high in camphor. Despite the variations, all the common lavender species share the presence of rosmarinic acid, an antioxidant (4). Lavender essential oil has been studied under the name “Silexan” as a anti anxiety treatment that rivals medications like lorazapram. Silexan is a special active substance with an essential oil produced from Lavandula angustifolia flowers by steam distillation. In Germany, the drug is registered as a medicinal product for the treatment of restlessness accompanying anxious mood. The product is available as immediate release soft capsules containing 80 mg of lavender oil but is used in doses up to 160 mg(1). Lavender essential oil has been also found to be a a potent inhibitor of the synthesis of four pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8, IL-β and TNFα of THP-1 cells (2). This may be by virtue of lavender’s high content of linalool and linalyl acetate. Lavender and linalool are also able to bind the serotonin transporter SERT. It seems that lavender essential oil anxiolytic effects is due to the fact that its main monoterpenes, linalool and linalyl acetate, interact with the NMDA receptor, which regulates the reception of glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter that in excess can lead to neurotoxicity (3). Silexan specifically non-selectively reduces the calcium influx through several different types of voltage-operated calcium channels (VOCCs e.g. N-type, P/Q-type and T-type). It has been speculated that under pathological conditions, such as anxiety or stress disorders, an enhanced Ca2+ influx through N-type and P/Q-type VOCCs may increase the release of neurotransmitters such as glutamate and norepinephrine, which are involved in the pathogenesis of these diseases. By inhibiting VOCCs, Silexan may have a normalising effect on hyperactive nerve cells and counteract the symptomatic expressions such as spinning thoughts and anxious moods (1). No contraindications have been found and the only side effects noted were some mild gastric distress and allergic skin reactions in those with allergies to Lavender. Studies were done to asses drug interactions, oral contraceptive interactions, and withdrawal symptoms and none were observed (1).
Try this recipe: Calming Honey1/4 cup dried organic lavender flowers
1/4 cup dried organic lemon balm
1/4 cup dried organic chamomile
1/4 cup dried organic passionflower
1 1/2 cups of viscous honey of your choice
1 pint jar with lid
Fill the jar with your dried herbs, they should fill the jar up about halfway. Pour the honey over your herbs and use a chopstick to help the honey distribute evenly in the jar. Set the jar on a warm windowsill and flip once a day. You can leave the herbs in the honey for 1-3 weeks, you can taste it periodically and when the flavor is to your liking, strain the herbs out of the honey. If the honey is too thick you can warm up the jar gently in a pot of water. Drizzle on cakes, add to tea, or just take a spoonful whenever you need it!