Ayurvedic Importance of Fragrance and Aroma

Fragrance plays an important role in determining your mood and mood swings are often controlled by sweet smelling odors in the field of Aromatherapy, which is an incredible part Ayurveda. A celebrated book on Aromatherapy states that fragrance can aid in alleviating pain and have a significant impact on your behavior and personality. We cannot disagree with the fact that ‘Odors vest deeply within our minds even after many years’. If you ask me about my memorable fragrances I would tell you the fresh, elite and the exquisite fragrance of red roses that reminds me about my favorite time in my aunt’s garden during my childhood days and the relishing smell of fried potatoes make me feel like being with my Mom. At this juncture, let’s have a look at the Ayurvedic importance of fragrance and aroma in healing mankind.

1. Aroma for complete care: Aromatherapy is one of the significant methods of Ayurveda, which is used to treat the individuals according to their Ayurvedic body types like vata, pitta and kapha. For this purpose, Ayurveda suggests the use of essential oils and the natural aroma of herbs. This is trusted to enhance the function of the brain and promote well-being from within.

Most of the times these Ayurvedic essential oils are applied to the skin or used in some form or the other in which the skin comes in contact with the aroma. Human skin is the effective channel through which the benefits of these aromatic oils pass through the bloodstream making the system hale and hearty. Many researchers have proved that the natural aroma augments the functionality, relieves pain, supports mood fluctuations and revives the human body, which is a part of nature.

2. The healing properties of Ayurvedic essential oils: Ayurveda trusts in nature and any form of healing using nature’s gifts falls under Ayurveda. According to this thought, essential oils are extracted from leaves, stem, flowers, roots, bark or from other parts of a plant and essential oils is the backbone of Aromatherapy that is used to boost physical and mental fitness. There have been instances in which Ayurvedic essential oils are used to treat innumerable conditions and the gentle aroma of a handful of essential oils is proven to enhance the function of heart and blood circulation.

3. Ayurvedic Tea: Nothing other than a refreshing cup of tea with an enriching aroma can give the right start to your day. The three types of Ayurvedic tea according to the individual body types are anti-strain tea, stimulating tea and balancing tea. These teas are caffeine-free and grant you the real freshness while maintaining the right metabolism of your body.

4. Expert Ayurvedic Massage therapy: An expert Ayurvedic massage therapy with the right essential oils can offer you plenty of health benefits. These essential oils are chosen in such a way that they are infused with a heartening and soothing aroma, which would help you chase out stress, depression, fear, anxiety, insomnia, nervous disorders and many more. An Ayurvedic massage aids in revitalizing your mind, reducing muscular pains, relaxing your nervous system, improving the texture of your skin and striking a perfect balance between your mind and body.

Ayurveda is a spiritual medicinal system that has been practiced for more than 5,000 years and if this historical healing art states that aroma has a greater impact on our health, how can we refute it?? Try using any of the above mentioned ways to experience the power of a natural fragrance.

Reference Links:

  1. Ayurveda and Aromatherapy: The Earth Essential Guide To Ancient Wisdom and Modern Healing by Dr. Bryan Miller and Dr. Light Miller
  2. Aromatherapy for the heart and Circulation by healthy.net
  3. Ayurvedic Teas by Tea Blossoms

Importance of Ayurveda in Today’s Lifeless Living

None of us can articulate a statement such as, ‘We are healthy, happy, resonate and can bounce back at any worst situation of our life’. This assertion does not exhibit the lack of self-confidence in you but pinpoints the negative environmental force and the turbulent lifestyle that dominates mankind and staying responsible for the decrease in the average life expectancy of human beings. Every man and woman is unique. Just as the lines in our palms, we are distinct and is the way of treating our health as well. Such a unique science of healing is called as Ayurveda, the intense knowledge of life and the right choice for harmonious living.

Why Ayurveda in today’s digital epoch? You may even wonder about choosing Ayurveda, the age old remedial practice for treating your illness and prevent you from forthcoming health discrepancies. This is the world of fast food items, instant cures, on the spot solutions and there’s an app for everything, which makes you even lethargic and reduces your life expectancy. Shocked??? Don’t get panic, I’m not saying that mobile apps are detrimental but they have actually complicated our life in the name of ‘simplifying it’. For example, but for a mobile app for online banking, you would have walked down to your nearby bank and the energetic physical exercise has been deserted. On the other hand, Ayurveda insists on meditation, physical exercises and yoga for hale and hearty living along with the ideal medication.

No more ‘ONE SIZE FITS ALL’: Human life is not a minimalist web design where one-size-fits-all concept triumphs in making excellent websites. This concept is followed in the modern medicinal system, where Ibuprofen is recommended for fever, pain and certain other discomforts for all. This may reduce the pain for time being but according to a 2010 based research, the habitual use of NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs) was coupled with raise in hearing impairments and lead to other adverse effects like dizziness, nausea, constipation, dyspepsia, hypertension, gastrointestinal bleeding and much more. This is because the contemporary system of curing fails to analyze the unique system of an individual.

Ayurveda, in turn traces out the special Ayurvedic body types also known as Dosha, namely Vata, Pitta and Kapha after which it focuses on treating the root cause of the illness. This holistic way of healing grants you the perfect diet, appropriate medication, regular meditation, unfailing physical exercises and pertinent yoga for a healthy, youthful, systematic and a balanced life based on your physical, emotional, social, environmental and mental attributes.

Ayurvedic therapy does not insist on swallowing pills blindly but proffers various remedies in the form of natural herbs, decoction, powder, tonic, medicated oils and Ayurvedic essential oils for curative massage and other treatment measures. It also trusts in the popular adage which says, ‘Food is medicine’ depicting that a balanced diet with all the essential nutrients can prevent you from health calamities and that is why Hippocrates rightly said ‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’.

Reference Links:

  1. Ibuprofen by Wikipedia
  2. Principles of Minimalist Web Design By Smashing Magazine
  3. Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) by MedicineNet.Com

Limonene

Limonene is a neutral liquid hydrocarbon classified as a cyclic terpene. Limonene is the name that has been derived from the word lemon as it’s one of the major constituents seen in the rind of citrus fruits.

It is the Limonene in the rind that contributes to their odor. The more common d-isomer possesses a strong smell of oranges. The chief element of most citrus odor is (+)-limonene which can be up to 97% of the oil. It is in charge for the base sensory character of the citrus oils.

Limonene is a chiral molecule, and biological sources produce one enantiomer: the most important developed source, citrus fruit, contains D-limonene ((+)-limonene), which is the (R)-enantiomer. Racemic limonene is known as dipentene.

D-Limonene is retrieved for commercial purposes from citrus fruits through two primary procedures: steam distillation and centrifugal separation.  It is commonly used as base in producing cleaning product as a solvent; and is also used in chemical synthesis as a precursor to carvone.

Essential Oils with Limonene:

The few essential oils that contain Limonene are, Wild Orange (90% D-Limonene), Bergamot (30% D-Limonene), Lemon (70% D-Limonene), Grapefruit (92% D-Limonene) and Lime (65% D-Limonene)

Medicinal uses of Limonene:

The most important therapeutic uses of Limonene are:

Metabolism and Weight loss:

Appetite Control:

Limonene acts as a mild appetite suppressant, which can be used by individuals who are looking to curtail their appetite in case of diet plans or in nutritional requirements.

According to a study in 2002, limonene was seen to exhibit characteristics of  probiotics such as adjuvants , digestive enzyme inhibitors such as hibiscus tea,  marine algae, L-arabinose, Nomame Herba, inhibit glucose intake like phlorizin, and anorexics like monoterpenes such as perillyl alcohol, d-limonene.

This makes things a lot safer and easier for individuals looking to execute appetite control, as they can opt for the more natural, healthy option rather than to go in for lethal procedures.

Fatty Liver:

Limonene helps combat a fatty liver.  Limonene was included in the diet of animals that were regularly fed a high fat diet. The D-Limonene helped prevent the fat buildup resulting in a non- fatty liver seen in animals. It even showed signs of preventing insulin resistance.

According to a study in 2012, regular supplementation of D-limonene caused a reverse action on HFD and L-NAME-induced changes, and retuned pathologically damaged liver and pancreas to normal.  The study showed that it eased out insulin resistance and the effects of oxidative stress-induced liver injury in conditions of a fatty diet.

Anti- Inflammatory:

Limonene is a naturally found nutrient that helps manage inflammation. Limonene has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and can be used on a daily basis as a routine health program. A study in 2010 suggests that “D-limonene may be considered a potential anti-inflammatory candidate.”

Antifungal & Antibacterial Properties:

Citrus oils are composed of monoterpenes, in particular D-limonene, which exhibit antibacterial and antifungal characteristics, and even inhibit the growth of certain parasites as well.

The 2016 study concluded that, “The mixture of oils containing limonene like most citrus oils, along with MgCl could be used as a natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent”

Cytotoxic Properties:

Limonene is good for the body in general and should be a part of daily diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle program toward the goal of reducing breast cancer risk.  The mechanism of benefit is not limited to breast cancer; researchers have proved that Limonene has anti-cancer properties for liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer, and prostate cancer.

D-Limonene Chemoprevention of Breast Cancer, a study conducted in the year 1994 suggested, “Usage of limonene was seen to decrease the development of mammary carcinoma, and also increased the dormancy period or carcinogenic cells. However the usage of Limonene did make much of a difference in the percentage of carcinomas with activated rats.”

Non- Medicinal uses of Limonene:

It is used as a botanical insecticide, the element d enantiomer is most active as an insecticide.

D-limonene is an alternative medicine that is marketed to relieve gastro esophageal problems and heartburn.

It is used as a fragrant alternative to turpentine, and also as a paint stripper.

Philatelists use air propellants, containing limonene to remove self-adhesive postage stamps from envelope paper.

It is also seen in all-natural commercial air fresheners.

Its ability to dissolve oils and its lemony fragrance makes it an important ingredient in cleaning products such as hand cleansers.

Limonene is obtained from a renewable source such as citrus oil and as a byproduct of orange juice manufacturing. It is extremely strong and hence it’s increasingly being used as a cleaning solvent to remove oil from machine parts, and in household cleaning as well.

Limonene is also frequently seen in cosmetic products such as aftershave lotions, masks, bath products, perfumery, and many other products as a flavoring agent.

Reference Links:

  1. Limonene by Aromatic Plant Project
  2. Limonene by Wikipedia
  3. Dietary d-limonene alleviates insulin resistance and oxidative stress-induced liver injury in high-fat diet and L-NAME-treated rats, published in the European Journal of Nutrition and PubMed