Love lavender?

You go into the health store and see rows and rows of essential oils.  You’ve read the explanations on this website about what aromatherapy is, and what kind of oils to buy.  But there are just so many choices!

When it comes to research, one of the best herbs for headaches seems to be lavender.  Lavender has been used for 200 years to treat various conditions.  Today it’s one of the most common for headache, when it comes to aromatherapy.  It’s used to relax, and to treat insomnia, which is important for most headache sufferers.  Lavender is also used in various forms to treat some skin conditions such as eczema, though one study recently suggested that the therapeutic effect of massage was helpful with the oil or without.

In some countries, such as France and Germany, lavender is eaten or sipped in tea.  As a tea in Germany it has been approved for use for restlessness and stomach irritation, according to a 2002 article at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Side effects and irritations are rare when it comes to lavender, which makes it an excellent herbal choice.  Still, pregnant and nursing mothers should avoid it, and you should always check with your doctor if you’re taking actual doses of it internally.

Ok, so it will help you relax and should ease that headache.  But hold on to your hat.  Research by Dr Alan Hirsch, a neurologist and psychiatrist in Chicago, suggests that the scent of lavender may also be one of the best for male sexual desire.  But not lavender by itself – lavender and pumpkin pie.  Not sure that you’ll see that combination in the health food store any time soon!