Benefits of Lavender

Lavender, whose botanical name is “Lavandula”, is known by other common synonyms like Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula officinalis. Lavender is a genus of 39 other known species of flowering plants found in the mint family “Lamiaceae”.

The herbal plant is widely appreciated for its many uses, including to treat medical conditions, to make skin and beauty products, during baking among other important things.

The ability to use numerous parts of the plant, including the flowers, stem and leaves makes the lavender herb have numerous possibilities.

The origin of the name “lavender” is derived from both the Latin word “lavare” which means to wash and also the Old French term “lavandre.” The herb is native to the mountainous regions of the Mediterranean and the northern Africa parts. Lavender herb consists of elements like flavonoids, tannins, rosmarinic acid, triterpenoids, volatile oil, camphor, cineole among others.

HOW TO USE LAVENDER

An individual can soak their body in a lavender-scented bath in order to relax, ingest in order to use the herbal product internally, apply the lavender oil to various body parts, use it alone as a dry herb to make herbal tea, combine it with chamomile or valerian to make a relaxing herbal drink, use the oil alongside other massage oils among other unique methods that are highly dependent on the individual.

USE OF THE LAVENDER HERB

It is almost difficult to accurately identify and exclusively describe all the potential uses of lavender. However, in this article we are going to try to look at the main health benefits of lavender while also touching on other general uses the herbal product is put into.

Benefits of lavender on Skin and beauty:

The lavender oil which is commonly used in fragrance and shampoo products is highly regarded when it comes to skin and beauty care. The lavender herb which is used in such products can play an important role in purifying and washing the skin completely getting rid of germs and infections. Most of the lavender based fragrances produce a nice sweet smell that can quickly transform an unpleasant odor filled environment into a pleasant one.

This is the main reason as to why lavender flavored air fresheners are highly preferred in both home and commercial settings.

Lavender is highly regarded for its skin healing properties in which skin burn treatment is one of them. Lavender effectively treats burns in no time without resulting in scarring hence retaining the skin’s normal appearance and allure. Acne which is a serious skin condition is known to respond well to gentle herbal oil treatments like lavender that are not only lighter, but also less harsh as compared to over the counter drug products.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF AROMATIC LAVENDER.

Other non-medical health benefits of lavender are the ability to use it to protect clothes against insects like moths and repelling flies and mosquitoes through its unique smell that scares the insects away.

Treating fungal infections

A research study that has been published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology found out that lavender oil can be used to combat incidences of anti-fungal resistant infections effectively. This indicates that the herbal plant has unique, natural antibiotic properties that can be used to treat fungal infections as opposed to over the counter drugs that are laced with chemicals.

Another research theory that was tested by scientists from the University of Coimbra, Portugal against a wide range of pathogenic fungi came to the conclusion that the essential oils distilled from the Lavandula genus of the lavender herbal plant actively work to destroy the fungal sell’s membrane.

Hair loss treatment

The common condition alopecia areata that makes people lose a great percentage of their hair from some selected areas of the body can be treated and controlled using the lavender herb. Lavender has been rated by the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database as a possible effective treatment for hair loss. This is due to the fact that the herbal remedy can be used to significantly promote hair growth by up to 44 percent after just 7 months of quality medication and treatment.

Treatment and management of painful conditions

Some people are known to use lavender to treat and manage painful conditions, including toothaches, migraines, headaches, sprains, joint pains and sores. This can be effectively achieved through reducing anxiety levels as a calm mental state is able to reduce the pain impact through making it a lot more bearable.

The herbal remedy which is done through relaxation can significantly reduce pain by putting the patients in a proper state of mind that does make them not to focus on the pain. When faced with headaches individuals can apply a few drops of lavender oil near the temples to make the condition become better with time. Lavender can also combine with the analgesic power of rosemary to relieve all types of pain.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is the medical practice of using scents, fragrances and aroma to treat certain medical conditions. Aromatherapy which is among other health benefits of lavender can be achieved through inhaling the unique scent produced by the herbal product in order to treat insomnia, pain and other dementia-related agitations.

Dental anxiety

This is a common condition in which people avoid going to the dentist as they are scared of them. This should not be the case anymore as research carried out in King’s College London found out that lavender scent may help anxious patients by making them more comfortable and relaxed during the dental sessions. This is not only advantageous to them, but also to dentists who may find it stressful to deal with most patients with dental anxiety.

To restore proper blood circulation

Lavender may be used by individuals to restore proper blood circulation through adding it to bath water in order to treat circulatory disorders while improving the overall mental well-being. Lavender oil may be applied to the feet in order to restore blood circulation in areas around it.

Diabetes treatment

A 2014 research carried out by scientists from Tunisia to test the effects of lavender essential oil on blood sugar levels managed to identify that the herb played a critical role in protecting the body against various diabetes symptoms. Some of the symptoms include metabolic disorders; increase in blood glucose, weight gain, and in liver and kidney dysfunction. Another amazing finding was that the radical-scavenging antioxidant activity of the herbal remedy surpassed that of ascorbic acid, which is also referred to as vitamin C.

Sleep and insomnia

A medical study on random college students discovered that using lavender oil could improve significantly the overall quality of sleep by up to almost 60%. This was after considering factors like the length of sleep, the average time taken to fall asleep, restfulness and reduction in insomnia symptoms.

PRECAUTIONS OF USING THE LAVENDER HERB

As much as there are various research-backed health benefits of lavender, it is also important to take into account the following precautions. Research indicates that long-term internal use of concentrated lavender can greatly cause hormone imbalance in men.

Pregnant mothers are also advised against using the herbal product without consulting their doctors. This is because the safety of taking the drug during pregnancy and while breastfeeding is not guaranteed. Due to the fact that lavender can cause the central nervous systems to slow down, it should be avoided at least 2 weeks before surgery.

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