Aromatherapy and stress: It really is helpful to take time to smell the flowers

Taking time to smell the flowers may prove very helpful to lowering your stress levels. New research reports that certain fragrances, such as lemon, mango, and lavender, can alter gene activity and blood chemistry in ways that lower your stress levels. Japanese researchers studied rats who were given linalool, reporting that it returned stress-elevated levels of neutrophils and lymphocytes — key parts of the immune system — to near-normal levels. Inhaling linalool also reduced the activity of more than 100 genes that go into overdrive in stressful situations. The findings of this study could aid in the development of new blood tests for identifying fragrances that can soothe stress, the researchers say.