Lavender is an evergreen plant native to the Mediterranean, and its flower and oil have a popular scent and are also used as medicine. Lavender contains an oil that seems to have calming effects and might relax certain muscles. It also seems to have antibacterial and antifungal effects. People commonly use lavender for anxiety, stress, insomnia, depression, dementia, pain, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support many of these uses.
Positive effects:
- Lavender can help relieve stress, chronic pain, high blood pressure, and asthma.
- Lavender oil aromatherapy seems to reduce symptoms of depression and help reduce menstrual pain.
- Lavender is known for its ability to calm the nervous system, lift the mood, and even lower blood pressure.
Negative effects:
- When taken by mouth, lavender is possibly safe, but side effects might include constipation, diarrhea, and headache.
- When applied to the skin, lavender is possibly safe, but it can sometimes cause skin irritation.
Ingredients or materials:
- Lavender contains an oil that seems to have calming effects and might relax certain muscles. It also seems to have antibacterial and antifungal effects.
- Major constituents found in lavender are linalool, linalyl acetate, camphor, cineol, and endo-borneol.
- Some 100 individual phytochemicals have been identified in lavender oil, including major contents of linalyl acetate (30–55%), linalool (20–35%), tannins (5–10%), and caryophyllene (8%), with lesser amounts of sesquiterpenoids, perillyl alcohols, esters, oxides, ketones, cineole, camphor, beta-ocimene, limonene, caproic acid, and caryophyllene oxide.
In summary, lavender is a plant that has been used for various purposes, including medicine and aromatherapy. While it has some positive effects, there is no good scientific evidence to support many of its uses. Lavender contains an oil that seems to have calming effects and might relax certain muscles, and it also seems to have antibacterial and antifungal effects. Major constituents found in lavender are linalool, linalyl acetate, camphor, cineol, and endo-borneol. When taken by mouth or applied to the skin, lavender is possibly safe, but it can sometimes cause side effects such as constipation, diarrhea, headache, and skin irritation.
