Health Benefits of Lavender Essential Oil

The health benefits of lavender essential oil include its ability to remove nervous tension, relieve pain, disinfect scalp and skin, enhance blood circulation and treat respiratory problems. Lavender has the Latin name Lavare, which means “to wash”, due to its aroma that gives the feeling of a clean aroma.

Lavender oil is extracted mostly from the flowers of lavender plant, primarily through steam distillation. The flowers of lavender are fragrant in nature and have been used for making potpourris since years.

Lavender essential oil has also been traditionally used in making perfumes. The oil is very useful in aromatherapy and many aromatic preparations are made using lavender oil. Lavender oil blends well with many other essential oils including cedarwood, pine, clary sage, geranium, and nutmeg. Today, lavender essential oil is used in various forms including aromatherapy oil, gels, infusion, lotion, and soaps.

The various health benefits of lavender essential oil include:

Nervous System: Lavender essential oil has a calming scent which makes it an excellent tonic for the nerves. Therefore, it helps in treating migraines, headaches, anxiety, depression, nervous tension and emotional stress. The refreshing aroma removes nervous exhaustion and restlessness and increases mental activity.

Sleep: Lavender essential oil induces sleep and hence it is often recommended for insomnia.

Pain Relief: Lavender essential oil is also an excellent remedy for various types of pains including those caused by sore muscles, tense muscles, muscular aches, rheumatism, sprains, backache and lumbago. A regular massage with lavender oil provides relief from pain in the joints.

Urine Flow: Lavender essential oil is good for urinary disorders as it stimulates urine production. It helps in restoring hormonal balance and reduces cystitis or inflammation of the urinary bladder. It also reduces any associated cramps.

Respiratory Disorders: Lavender oil is extensively used for various respiratory problems including throat infections, flu, cough, cold, asthma, sinus congestion, bronchitis, whooping cough, laryngitis, and tonsillitis. The oil is either used in the form of vapour or applied on the skin of neck, chest and back. It is also added in many vaporizers and inhalers used for cold and coughs.

Skin Care: The health benefits of lavender oil for the skin can be attributed to its antiseptic and antifungal properties. It is used to treat various skin disorders such as acne, wrinkles, psoriasis, and other inflammations. It heals wounds, cuts, burns, and sunburns rapidly as it aids in the formation of scar tissues. Lavender oil is added to chamomile to treat eczema.

Hair Care: Lavender essential oil is useful for the hair as it can be very effective on lice and lice eggs or nits.

Blood Circulation: Lavender essential oil is also good for improving blood circulation. It lowers blood pressure and is used for hypertension.

Digestion: Lavender oil is useful for digestion as it increases the mobility of the intestine. The oil also stimulates the production of gastric juices and bile and thus aids in treating indigestion, stomach pain, colic, flatulence, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Immunity: Regular use of lavender essential oil provides resistance to diseases.

Other health benefits of lavender essential oil include its ability to treat leucorrhoea. It is also effective against insect bites. The oil is also used to repel mosquitoes and moths. You will find many mosquito repellents containing lavender oil as one of the ingredients.

As with many other essential oils, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid using lavender essential oil. It is also recommended that diabetics stay away from lavender oil. It may also cause allergic reactions to people having sensitive skin. Some people may also witness nausea, vomiting and headaches due to usage of lavender oil.

Health Benefits of Raisins

The health benefits of raisins include relief from constipation, acidosis, anemia, fever, and sexual weakness. Raisins also help in weight gain, eye care, dental care, and bone health.

Raisins are indispensable when it comes to dry fruits. Those golden, green or black colored delicacies are favorites of almost everybody, especially children. Raisins are widely used worldwide in cuisines (especially in desserts), health tonics, as snacks and also as food for mountaineers, trekkers etc.

Raisins are obtained by drying grapes (green or black), either in sun or in driers, and look like golden, green or black gems. Indeed they are like gems when their nutritional values and health benefits are considered.

Let us watch their brilliance.

• Constipation: When ingested, raisins swell as the fiber present in them in dried form absorbs water. This helps giving relief in constipation.
• Weight Gain: Raisins, like all dry fruits, are very good for gaining weight, as they are full of fructose and glucose and give a lot of energy. Thus, they form an ideal part of the diet for either athletes or body builders who need a lot of energy or those who want to put on weight, without accumulating cholesterol. This is further boosted due to presence of many vitamins, amino acids and minerals (such as selenium, phosphorus etc.) in raisins which facilitate absorption of other nutrients and proteins in the body.
• Acidosis: Acidosis is a state of increased acidity of the blood (also known as toxicity of the blood) or of the gases in our respiratory system, the source of acids for both being our stomach. This is very harmful for the body as it may give rise to a number of problems like boils, skin diseases and damage to the internal organs, arthritis, gout, renal calculi, hair loss, heart diseases, tumors and even cancer. Raisins are good source of potassium and magnesium (two of the most popular constituents of antacids, being basic in nature) both of which are very effective in reducing acidity. They neutralize the acids and thus help check acidosis.
• Anemia: Raisins contain considerable amount of iron which directly helps treating anemia. It also contains many members of vitamin-B complex which are essential for formation of blood. Copper in them also help formation of red blood cells.
• Fever: Phenolic Phytonutrients, well known for their germicidal, anti biotic and anti oxidant properties, are present in abundance in raisins and help cure fever by fighting viral and bacterial infections.
• Sexual Weakness: Raisins are known to stimulate libido and induce arousal, primarily due to presence of an amino acid called Arginine, which is beneficial in treating problems in erection. It has been a common practice in India to make the bride and the groom drink a glass of milk each, boiled with raisins and added with a pinch of saffron. It is also recommended for those suffering from sexual weakness, to consume raisins regularly. This effect is aided with the presence of lot of energy in raisins.
• Bone Health: While Calcium, which is the main constituent of bones, is present in raisins, it is one of the best sources of Boron, a micro nutrient (a nutrient required by the body in very small amount as compared to other nutrients) which is very necessary for proper bone formation and absorption of calcium. Boron is particularly helpful in preventing osteoporosis induced by menopause in women and is very beneficial for bones and joints.
• Eye Care: Raisins contain polyphenolic phytonutrients which have anti oxidant properties which are very good for ocular health, as they protect eyes from damages caused by free radicals (oxidants), such as macular degeneration, age related weakening of vision, cataract etc. In addition, it contains very good amount of vitamin-A, A-Beta Carotene and A-Carotenoid, all of which are essential for a good ocular health.
• Dental Care: Oleanolic Acid, one of the phytochemicals present in raisins, plays crucial role in protecting your teeth against tooth decay, cavities, brittleness of teeth etc. It effectively prevents growth of Streptococcus Mutans and Porphyromonas Gingivalis, two of the species of bacteria which are most responsible for cavities and other dental problems. In addition, it is rich in calcium which is very good for promoting dental health, as it prevents breaking or peeling away of teeth and enamel and makes them strong. One more interesting thing about raisins is that the longer they stick to your teeth, the better, as it ensures longer contact of Oleanolic Acid with the teeth preventing growth of bacteria. In addition to above, boron present in raisins plays a very important role in checking growth of germs in the mouth as well promotes health of bones and teeth.
• Other Benefits: Catechin, a phenolic anti oxidant present in raisins, is very effective for prevention of tumor and cancer of colon. The fibers in it help excretion of bile from the body, burning of cholesterol and thereby ensuring good cardiac health.