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ADHD Natural Remedies - Essential Oils
Friday, August 20, 2010
There are many natural approaches to treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Aside from making dietary adjustments, going through a detoxification protocol, and taking supplements, you can also restore balance to your child's mental and emotional state through aromatherapy.
Although no medical doctor would recommend the use of essential oils to help treat ADHD, you'd be surprised at the amount of scientific research that shows how effective this method is.
Essential oils are distilled from flower petals and plant leaves to obtain their natural therapeutic properties. The chemicals contained in plant essences can stimulate healing because they are readily absorbed into the bloodstream and lungs.
When diffused in a vaporizer, inhaled from a tissue, or added to bathwater, essential oil droplets send signals to the brain's limbic system, the command center for memory and emotions, and the cerebral cortex, the processing center for higher functions like thought and logic. This is why aromatherapy can bring balance to our moods and a sense of well-being.
Aromatherapy is used mainly to relieve stress and induce sleep, and for skin care, but researchers have been exploring the use of essential oils as a potent natural remedy for ADHD. In 2001, a pioneer in holistic medicine named Dr. Terry Friedman designed a clinical trial to see which essential oil is most effective in treating the symptoms of ADHD in children.
For two years, Dr. Friedman observed a small group of ADHD children aged six to fourteen, dividing them into three groups. Each group received a different kind of essential oil: lavender, vetiver, or cedarwood. Each child also received regular EEG scans and TOVA screening for the period of two years. At the end of the study, Dr. Friedman was able to obtain an objective measure of how much the children had improved.
The EEG scans showed that vetiver was able to improve brain wave activity by 100%. Children from the vetiver group also had noticeable improvement in behavior and school performance. The EEG scans also revealed that cedarwood was 83% effective, and that lavender improved brain wave activity by only 60%.
Although there is a need for more research to explore the efficacy of aromatherapy in ADHD management, there is no harm in using plant essences to supplement other natural therapies. They are readily available and inexpensive, and have no harmful side effects (unless your child is allergic to a particular aroma). The vetiver essential oil Dr. Friedman used in his study can be purchased from his website. Aside from vetiver, other essential oils that can calm your child's
ADHD include:
Lavender - A popular essence with a sweet floral fragrance, lavender is used primarily for its sedative and relaxing effects.
Cedarwood - This essence has the highest amount of sesquiterpenes, a chemical constituent that increases the flow of blood to the nervous system, stimulating and nourishing the brain at the same time.
Frankincense - This essential oil is known to alleviate anxiety, depression, and some cases of emotional trauma and brain injury.
To make sure your child receives the therapeutic benefits of aromatherapy, purchase only 100% pure essential oils. Most aromatherapy products on the market are inferior to therapeutic-grade essential oils, because they have been contaminated by solvents through poor pressing. And like all natural remedies, aromatherapy alone will not treat your child's disorder; it should be a component of a holistic treatment plan for ADHD.
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Although no medical doctor would recommend the use of essential oils to help treat ADHD, you'd be surprised at the amount of scientific research that shows how effective this method is.
Essential oils are distilled from flower petals and plant leaves to obtain their natural therapeutic properties. The chemicals contained in plant essences can stimulate healing because they are readily absorbed into the bloodstream and lungs.
When diffused in a vaporizer, inhaled from a tissue, or added to bathwater, essential oil droplets send signals to the brain's limbic system, the command center for memory and emotions, and the cerebral cortex, the processing center for higher functions like thought and logic. This is why aromatherapy can bring balance to our moods and a sense of well-being.
Aromatherapy is used mainly to relieve stress and induce sleep, and for skin care, but researchers have been exploring the use of essential oils as a potent natural remedy for ADHD. In 2001, a pioneer in holistic medicine named Dr. Terry Friedman designed a clinical trial to see which essential oil is most effective in treating the symptoms of ADHD in children.
For two years, Dr. Friedman observed a small group of ADHD children aged six to fourteen, dividing them into three groups. Each group received a different kind of essential oil: lavender, vetiver, or cedarwood. Each child also received regular EEG scans and TOVA screening for the period of two years. At the end of the study, Dr. Friedman was able to obtain an objective measure of how much the children had improved.
The EEG scans showed that vetiver was able to improve brain wave activity by 100%. Children from the vetiver group also had noticeable improvement in behavior and school performance. The EEG scans also revealed that cedarwood was 83% effective, and that lavender improved brain wave activity by only 60%.
Although there is a need for more research to explore the efficacy of aromatherapy in ADHD management, there is no harm in using plant essences to supplement other natural therapies. They are readily available and inexpensive, and have no harmful side effects (unless your child is allergic to a particular aroma). The vetiver essential oil Dr. Friedman used in his study can be purchased from his website. Aside from vetiver, other essential oils that can calm your child's
ADHD include:
Lavender - A popular essence with a sweet floral fragrance, lavender is used primarily for its sedative and relaxing effects.
Cedarwood - This essence has the highest amount of sesquiterpenes, a chemical constituent that increases the flow of blood to the nervous system, stimulating and nourishing the brain at the same time.
Frankincense - This essential oil is known to alleviate anxiety, depression, and some cases of emotional trauma and brain injury.
To make sure your child receives the therapeutic benefits of aromatherapy, purchase only 100% pure essential oils. Most aromatherapy products on the market are inferior to therapeutic-grade essential oils, because they have been contaminated by solvents through poor pressing. And like all natural remedies, aromatherapy alone will not treat your child's disorder; it should be a component of a holistic treatment plan for ADHD.
