Linalool is a fragrant compound found in various plants, including spices, sweet basil, thyme, cinnamon, bay leaves, and fruits such as citrus and mangoes. For many years it has been widely used in aromatherapy essential oils and as a fragrance for soaps, shampoos and other toiletries.

Linalool

Linalool is well known as one of the most important calming fragrances and, until this research was published, it was thought to only act on the nervous system. However, write to Journal of Food and Agricultural Chemistry Akio Nakamura and his colleagues show that its action extends beyond the brain to the immune system itself.

Research

In a controlled study, researchers exposed a treatment group of stressed rats to the fragrance of linalool. At the end of the two-hour stress period, they measured the white blood cell counts, hormone levels, and gene activation levels of the treated and control groups.

Post-experiment blood tests showed that stress hormone levels in both the control and treatment groups increased significantly at the end of the two-hour stress period.

Under ordinary circumstances, corticosteroid stress hormones would be expected to suppress the immune response. However, while the rats that were not exposed to linalool showed the expected stress-related decline in their white blood cell counts, those that were exposed to the fragrance of linalool maintained normal levels of leukocytes and lymphocytes. In addition, the rats in the linalool group had far fewer “stress genes” activated than those in the control group.

Physical and psychological effects

This study indicates that inhalation of an aromatic compound such as linalool has both psychological and physiological effects; and reflects our growing understanding of the extensive links and interactions between the nervous and immune systems.

We have been well aware for some time that spices contain many important antioxidants and other bioactive compounds that have an exceptionally positive impact on our health. We now know that when we bite into that Caprese salad, the delicious basil fragrance will not only enhance our dining experience, but also help protect us from the latest viruses out there.

Spicy foods to control stress

So, the next time you’re feeling a little stressed, be sure to add some sweet basil, thyme, cinnamon, and bay leaf to your meal. These tasty spices will start defending your immune system before they even reach your stomach!

Reference:

Stress repression in linalool inhalation-restricted rats and gene expression profiling of their whole blood cells. J. Agric. food chemistry., 2009, 57 (12), pgs. 5480’5485 Akio Nakamura, Satoshi Fujiwara, Ichiro Matsumoto’ Keiko Abe