My Alzheimer's Journey

Part 83 - Are Essential Oils Beneficial To People With Alzheimer's Disease?

I never considered the potential benefit of essential oils for Alzheimer’s patients. Frankly, essential oils are not something I think about frequently. Someone recently contacted me to find out if we sold essential oils in my store. I told her we did not currently, but I would be happy to search for a supplier. She explained that she wanted essential oils for her mother who has Alzheimer’s.

As I started researching essential oils, I found an article dated October 25, 2018 in Planta Medica. Authored by Anju Benny and Jaya Thomas (School of Pharmacy, Amrita University, Kochi, India), the study reviewed in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies focused on the potential uses of essential oils in the treatment of Alzheimer disease. Using a variety of scientific databases, they searched for studies from 1998 to 2018.

The search found fifty-five essential oils that had been used in some type of intervention with Alzheimer’s disease. They included eighteen essential oils in their study. These eighteen were selected based on the quality of the original study. Below are fourteen of the eighteen essential oils, with the plant source, study design, and their test results (benefits). The remaining four are slight variations in one of the listed fourteen plants (the study results were the same).

1. C. sativum (cilantro); tested on rats induced with AD; reduced oxidative stress

2. S. aromaticum (clove); tested on rats induced with AD; reversed memory impairment, restored the levels of ACh and antioxidants, reduced neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction

3. Z. multifora (Shirazi thyme); tested on rats induced with AD; reversed Aβ-induced learning deficits, exhibited antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cholinesterase

   activities

4. SuHeXiang Wan (Styrax Pill; traditional Chinese medicine); tested on fruit flies: neuroprotective effects

5. A. nemorosa (wood anemone); tested on scopolamine-induced spatial memory impaired rats; prevented cognitive defects

6. S. officinalis (sage); single blind trial in healthy volunteers; enhanced mood and cognitive performance

7. S. officinalis ssp (Spanish sage); single blind trial in healthy volunteers; no significant effects

8. lavandulifolia (lavender); clinical study in healthy volunteers for mood and cognition; Enhanced mood and cognition

9. M. officinalis (lemon balm); double-blind placebo-controlled trial in AD patients; improved agitation and quality of life indices

10. J. communis (juniper); tested on rats induced with AD; reduced memory impairment, antioxidant and anti-cholinesterase potential

11. C. nucifera (coconut palm); prospective study in AD patients; improved memory status in AD patients

12. P. peregrina (peony); tested on scopolamine-induced memory deficits, depression, and anxiety in a rat model of AD; hindered depression, anxiety, and memory deficits

13. L. angustifolia (English lavender); scopolamine-induced amnesia model in rats; hindered depression, anxiety, and memory deficits

14. R. officinalis (rosemary); scopolamine-induced dementia model in mice; reduced memory impairment

With this scientific information at hand, I wanted to learn what the current practices are. Alzheimers.net lists seven essential oils “that may help those living with dementia”:

1. Lavender

2. Peppermint

3. Rosemary

4. Bergamot

5. Lemon Balm

6. Ylang Ylang

7. Ginger

Several other sources have similar lists. The Alzheimer’s Association has a comprehensive document titled, “Benefits of Aromatherapy” I encourage you to download this informative document.

If you have experience using essential oils and aromatherapy with your loved one, please let me know. I would like to come back in a few months with a list of essential oils that we have first-hand experience with.

As a caregiver, or an overworked physician, aromatherapy has numerous benefits in managing stress, anxiety, depression, etc. Linda used essential oils during her breast cancer recovery to help manage her emotions. Every day, there are a dozen or more caregivers that post on Reddit describing how overwhelmed and stressed they are. I think I will start suggesting they try aromatherapy.

I found two good sources of essential oils and the store is now well stocked!