The Scent That Soothes Stress
Take some time to smell the roses -- and a whole horde of other lovely flowers, plants, and fruits that seem to zap stress.
Roses -- as well as lavender, basil, orange, grape, mango, and lemon -- all contain a special compound called linalool, the smell of which apparently reduces anxiety.
Loosen Up with Linalool
In animal studies, the vapors of linalool helped induce calm. Blood cells called neutrophils and lymphocytes, which change in response to stress, were brought into equilibrium by the aroma. In fact, the scent of linalool even appeared to favorably affect the way the body is programmed to handle stress on a genetic level.
More Ways to Destress
Don't have a rose garden? Here are some other ways to feel centered fast:
- Take a chill pill. Discover how a magnesium supplement can do wonders for your stress level.
- Go with the flow. Ax anxiety with this chi-gong workout.
RealAge Benefit:
Managing your stress level can make your RealAge up to 1.1 years younger if you're a woman and 2.4 years younger if you're a man.Stress repression in restrained rats by (R)-(-)-linalool inhalation and gene expression profiling of their whole blood cells. Nakamura, A. et al., Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2009 Jun 24;57(12):5480-5485.
