MyDepressionConnection.com posted this article, which I found fascinating:
Incense may calm anxiety, depression
By Amy Norton Thursday, Jun. 12, 2008; 3:26 AM
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - If the scent of burning incense helps you relax, a new animal study may help explain why.
In mice, scientists found, a component of frankincense appears to activate particular brain pathways to calm anxiety- and depression-related behavior.
Frankincense is an aromatic tree resin that has been used in religious ceremonies for millennia in the Middle East and Europe.
Now the new findings suggest a particular frankincense constituent, incensole acetate, could stand as a "novel" antidepressant/anti-anxiety agent, the study's lead researcher told Reuters Health.
"Our results in animal models suggest that incensole acetate and its derivatives can be of value in the treatment of these disorders," said Dr. Arieh Moussaieff, of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel.
What's more, he and his colleagues report in the FASEB Journal, the findings implicate a new brain pathway in the regulation of depression and anxiety. The study showed that, when injected into mice, incensole acetate affects activity in a protein known as TRPV3.
In the skin, TRPV3 helps the body perceive warmth, but its role in the brain is poorly understood. This study suggests that, at least in mice, TRPV3 plays some part in regulating depression and anxiety -- and, Moussaieff said, could serve as a new target for drug therapy.
However, he added, "this claim is based on animal models, and more work should be done before it can be established in humans with certainty."
There are, of course, many antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs out there, Moussaieff and his colleagues note. But new options, with fewer side effects, are still needed, they say. (ya think?)
Moussaieff said his team will continue studying incensole acetate derivatives to try to design new medications with a lower risk of side effects.
SOURCE: The FASEB Journal, online May 20, 2008.
Any incence-burning bloggers out there?
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8 comments:
Coco,
Very interesting, don't you think? Maybe that's why all of us who are my age were so mellow in the sixties! Thanks for posting this!
Susan
This is basically aromatherapy. It has been shown that different smells can cause measurable physiological changes, including vaso-constriction/dilation, increase or decrease in heart rate, raised or lowered energy levels, and plenty more besides. I personally have an aromatherapy kit I use for energising, relaxing, or even seducing ;)
~Shiv
Coco,
I love incense! I often burn a stick when I'm doing journal writing. It's sort of become a little ritual of mine. Have to be careful to only do it in my studio, though...my hubby can't stand the stuff...he walks in the door and announces loudly, "You've been burning weeds again, haven't you?"
my favorite which is very soothing and I wear the oil too is an Indian incense called Nag Champa...
This is not surprise to me either...I'm with Shiv...basic aromatherapy.
I always loved the frankincense too...I was exposed to it in Catholic church as a child..the only thing I think I liked about church.
Whenever I get really stressed I burn patchouli incense. The smell is relaxing to me. I also use a "patchouli, rose/orange and ylang/ylang body wash which relaxes me too. Other than those two things most scented products make me really annoyed.
Susan, good possibility hehe :)
Shiv, aromatherapy! of course! I know about the effectiveness of aromatherapy (in a secondhand kind of way) but never made the connection here. Guess they're finally getting around to studying some of this scientifically. Sounds like you're doing your own studies! ;)
Jazz, so you're a weed burner are you? ;) My older sisters always burned incence in the seventies, but my mom frowned upon it. Funny enough though, my mom had a psychic friend that burned it nonstop. Thus I still identify incence with things older sisterish (not all good) and mysterious. Not sure if I'm willing to revisit it and put my own spin on it. We shall see. I'm intrigued by the whole frankinscence thing though, so I might give it a shot.
Gianna, so frankinscence must still remind you of the church, I'm guessing you don't burn it nowadays? Nag Champa, haven't heard of that.
Aqua, I hear you. I'm extremely sensitive to and picky about scents
I love incense but it really bugs my hubby. When I have the house to myself it's the first thing I do. One day I hope to be self employed and burn it all day long! Thanks for a great post.
Coco,
I'm not an incense burner. Brings up memories from the past and messes with my alergies. My father would never come in my home if he smelled incense and my mother would think I had been smoking dope. Aromatic oils on the other hand, I love. I know sense of smell is very important and brings forth powerful emotions -- for me some are good and some are bad.
Very interesting article and makes sense. I'll have to check into the frankincense factor. Sure could use my anxiety calmed and my depression-related behavior curbed!!
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