Lavender

Lavender is a gorgeous plant with a handful of benefits to the human body. There are varvarieties of this plant, which makes it always abundant. Many varieties of lavender species have bunches of buds that are a shade of delicate purple at the tip of their thin stem. Other species are yellow, thin and sparce looking - not as asthetically pleasing. The ones that are used most commonly in medicinal purposes are English lavender, as seen on the left. To help recognize it in person, notice the stems are thick, and the upper portion is triangular from all the small flowers blooming. But enough about appearances, what is the English lavender plant good for?

(Image taken from ebfarm.com)

It is used mostly as an oil. I believe they do this so you can directly apply it and make that wonderful smell a bit more potent. In my book, Solve it with Supplements, they discuss lavender as relieving anxiety and depression, promoting better sleep, deterioration of concentration, treating IBS, insomnia and acne, may reduce agitation in people with severe dimentia, and eliminating harmful pathogens and yeasts. The website I primarily used in research corrolates with my book on many of the positive aspects of lavender. They add on to this list by saying it is a pain reliever, lowers high blood pressure, and benefits muscle relaxation. Not to mention, lavender can even be used as a disinfectant!

Random Fact: Lavender was used to scrub the floors of the hospitals in World War 1 to get rid of the harmful bacteria that came from blood.

Chemical Components in Lavender that help it DO WORK:

Linalyl Acetate: This chemical component helps lavender relieve anxiety and promote muscle relaxation in the body. It does this by reducing levels of a neurotransmitter that excites the brain, simultaneously boosting the neurotransmitter that does the exact opposite - a calming sensation brought to the brain. In muscle relaxation, linalyl acetate activates the nitric oxide pathway which will bring more oxygen to the muscles, allowing them to "breathe" easier.

Limonene: Limonene is a terpene found in many citrus fruits, and is commonly used as an additive of flavor in fruit juices, icecream and pudding. It's found naturally in lavender and it has a gastric acid neutralizing affect, meaning it will aid in intestinal discomfort (specifically IBS - Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

Coumarin: Coumarin is where lavender's pleasant odor comes from. It is a compound that helps the body's blood vessels open more efficiently and help control spasms (because you are more relaxed). The odor of lavender in studies has corrolated to better sleep, relief of insomnia and an over-all more relaxed state of the body.

Tannins/Rosmarinic Acid: Tannin is a derivative of Rosmarinic Acid, which means it gets all of its benefits from rosmarinic acid. This acid has a higher antioxidant agent than that of Vitman E. It prevents cell damage caused by free radicals, which means it helps prevent cancers and diseases from forming. Rosmaric Acid also has anti-inflammatory agents that can help relieve asthma and arthritis. One nutrient-making company, Vitiva, claims that addition of this acid to foods will improve its shelf life.

Perillyl Alcohol: "A variety of mechanisms are proposed to explain perillyl alcohol's chemopreventative and chemotherapeutic effects. One such mechanism is that it promotes "apoptosis," a self-destructing ability the cell has when its DNA is severely damaged. In cancer, these cells lack this self-destructing ability, resulting in abnormal cell growth. 10 In one report, liver tumor formation was not promoted by perillyl alcohol, but its growth was inhibited by this apoptosis mechanism by enhancing tumor cell loss.38 In another report, the rate of apoptosis was more than 6-fold higher with perillyl alcohol treated pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells than in untreated cells (Somara Botane)."

As I said earlier, lavender is most commonly used as an oil, but of course that's not the only way you can take it. They have capsules in nutrition stores, bath salts, soaps, teas, candies and even chewing gums. Two years ago, I went to Italy, and spent a night in Assisi. When I was there, I bought lavender candies because I had never seen them before. They were so delicious! It tasted just like the smell with a tint of sugary sweetness.

If you'd like to cook with lavender, which I suggest you try, you can add a pinch of dried lavender to your dish. It goes great with lamb, roasted chicken, mash potatoes, among others. Be creative! You can also buy honey-lavender, which is made by the bees of the Mediterranean. It holds all the healthy benefits while being sweet and savory. You can drizzle this on your fruit or yogurt. Sometimes, I like grabbing whole wheat pita pockets, and drizzling honey inside. It's a perfect snack!