Lavender

Origin and history

Lavender ( Lavandula officinalis ) probably originated in Persia and from there spread throughout the Mediterranean region. The bluish-purple flowering shrub grows primarily in southern France, Italy and Greece, but can also be found on the Canary Islands and North Africa. In addition to true lavender (Lavandula officinalis), there are numerous other species such as Lavandula angustifolia and lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia). Lavandula stoechas, also known as lavender, is characterized by its characteristic flower heads. Each type has its own scent and active ingredient profiles that make it ideal for different applications  

Lavender was already used in ancient Egypt for its disinfecting and healing effects, for example in religious ceremonies. The Romans also used lavender to cleanse the body and clothing. So it is not surprising that lavender is derived from the Latin word “lavare”, which means “to wash”. In the Middle Ages, monks brought lavender from Italy across the Alps, where it was widely planted in monastery and farm gardens. Nowadays, cultivated lavender grows in almost all climate zones, but only grows wild in the Mediterranean region.  

Lavender is probably the best-known natural remedy for restlessness, anxiety and stress due to its relaxing and calming effect. The active substances in lavender are found in the flowers, which contain essential oil and flavonoids. Lavender oil (especially the linalool and linalyl acetate it contains) can have a calming and sleep-inducing effect. Since, in addition to its calming properties, it is also said to be anti-flatulent and a cholagogue, it is also used to alleviate complaints such as inner restlessness, nervous exhaustion, difficulty falling asleep, migraines as well as nervous gastrointestinal and biliary problems. It has been found that lavender can be effective not only for stress-related sleep problems but also for cases of sleep disorders caused by caffeine.  

In aromatherapy, inhaling lavender oil causes calming, increases relaxation, improves sleep and also improves mood. This can be particularly helpful for depressive moods. The antioxidant and pain-relieving effects of the oil have been proven in studies on migraine headaches. For people with sleep disorders, the use of lavender improves well-being, supports mental clarity and suppresses aggression and anxiety. Even with needle injections, lavender not only reduced the fear of the needle, but also slightly reduced the pain.  

In addition, the plant's ingredients are considered anti-oxidant, which means they also have a neuroprotective function, and antibacterial.  

Caution 

Although lavender is generally considered safe, lavender oil should not be applied undiluted to the skin or taken internally 

Other applications 

Lavender is used in many ways, for example as a herb in the kitchen, tea, aromatic oil or in the form of nutritional supplements and medicines. In addition to its use as a medicinal plant, lavender is also often used as a moth repellent because the aroma is considered to repel insects. The dried flowers help against annoying moths in the wardrobe, for example.  

Which AgilNature® products contain lavender?  

*Nutrient Reference Value = Percentage of the reference value according to Appendix XIII of the Food Information Regulation (EC) No. 1169/2011.  

** No recommendation available.  

Literature:  

1. "Lavender”. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, US National Institutes of Health. August 2020. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/lavender (Accessed January 21, 2024)
2. Etheridge CJ, Mason P (2021) A Scientific Review of Selected Essential Oils and their Botanical Ingredients. Focus on Essential Oils used for Respiratory and Calming Indications. Arch Environ Sci Environ Toxicol 4:133.
3. Harada H, Kashiwadani H, Kanmura Y, Kuwaki T. Linalool Odor-Induced Anxiolytic Effects in Mice. Front Behavior Neurosci. 2018 Oct 23;12:241.
4. Ogata K, Ataka K, Suzuki H, Yagi T, Okawa A, Fukumoto T, Zhang B, Nakata M, Yada T, Asakawa A. Lavender Oil Reduces Depressive Mood in Healthy Individuals and Enhances the Activity of Single Oxytocin Neurons of the Hypothalamus Isolated from Mice: A Preliminary Study. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Jul 14;2020:5418586.
5. Meneses C, Valdes-Gonzalez M, Garrido-Suárez BB, Garrido G. Systematic review on the anxiolytic and hypnotic effects of flower extracts in in vivo pre-clinical studies published from 2010 to 2020. Phytother Res. 2023 May;37(5) :2144-2167.
6. Diass K, Merzouki M, Elfazazi K, Azzouzi H, Challioui A, Azzaoui K, Hammouti B, Touzani R, Depeint F, Ayerdi Gotor A, Rhazi L. Essential Oil of Lavandula officinalis: Chemical Composition and Antibacterial Activities. Plants (Basel). 2023 Apr 6;12(7):1571.
7. Babar Ali, Naser Ali Al-Wabel, Saiba Shams, Aftab Ahamad, Shah Alam Khan, Firoz Anwar, Essential oils used in aromatherapy: A review, Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, Volume 5, Issue 8, 2015, Pages 601- 611, ISSN 2221-1691.
8. Kim S, Kim HJ, Yeo JS, Hong SJ, Lee JM, Jeon Y. The effect of lavender oil on stress, bispectral index values, and needle insertion pain in volunteers. J Altern Complement Med. 2011;17:823–6.
9. Xu Y, Ma L, Liu F, Yao L, Wang W, Yang S, Han T. Lavender essential oil fractions alleviate sleep disorders induced by the combination of anxiety and caffeine in mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2023 Feb 10;302(Pt A):115868.
10. Batiha, GE, Teibo, JO, Wasef, L., Shaheen, HM, Akomolafe, AP, Teibo, TKA, Al-Kuraishy, ​​HM, Al-Garbeeb, AI, Alexiou, A., & Papadakis, M. (2023) . A review of the bioactive components and pharmacological properties of Lavandula species. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology, 396(5), 877–900.