Each month our editorial team sifts through hundreds of papers and curates notable findings—for practitioners and informed readers who want to stay current with the evidence. Subscribe to the monthly Research Digest for expert analysis and concise summaries of key papers.
This 2022 review looks at the safety and harms of monoterpenes, a large group of plant chemicals used for their antioxidant, antibacterial, sedative and anti-inflammatory effects and for their smells in food and cosmetics. The paper summarizes lab and animal (in vitro and in vivo) studies on six selected monoterpenes—α-terpinene,…
This 2020 review looks at terpenoids in essential oils and how they might help with anxiety and depression. Animal studies reported that some essential oils and components like linalool reduce anxiety-like behavior. The authors suggest these effects likely come from changes in glutamate and GABA brain signaling. They also note…
This scoping review looked at research from 2012–2022 on how essential oils affect the nervous system. The authors included about 70 studies in humans, animals, and cell models. Across these studies, different oils (especially lavender and citrus) and mostly inhalation methods were linked to effects on stress, sleep, mood, pain,…
