アロマに関するイギリスと日本の最近の研究
イギリスの「Todays Therapist」などには多くの研究が発表されています。日本にも同じような雑誌があるらしく、知り合いの日本人は有名なフランス人のアロマセラピストの翻訳などをして日本の雑誌にも登場しています。最近のノーベル賞にも香りのメカニズムを解明された方が受賞されるとか。ようやく受賞されたぐらいですから、まだまだ香りの効用に関するデータの蓄積や研究は難しいのかもしれませんね。最近の日本とイギリスの研究で病院で使えそうなものがありました。・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・【一】香りに心機能の改善効果 千葉大研究グループが確認ラベンダーオイルの香りをかいで心身の健康を図るアロマセラピー(芳香療法)に、心機能を改善する効果があることが、千葉大の小室一成教授らの研究で分かった。薬に頼らず、狭心症患者らの症状緩和が期待できるという。13日から京都市で始まる日本心臓病学会で発表する。 運動をした場合、心臓に酸素や栄養を送る「冠動脈」の血流量を増やす必要がある。健康な人は4倍前後に増やせるが、狭心症患者は2倍以下にとどまり、激しい運動をすると心筋梗塞で死に至る恐れもある。 研究では、健康な男性11人(平均34.4歳)を対象に(1)30分間の安静後(2)ラベンダーの花から抽出したオイルを温め香りを拡散させた部屋で30分間安静にするアロマセラピー後―にそれぞれ冠動脈を拡張する薬剤を投与し、運動をした後と同じ状態にして血流量が何倍になるかを比較した。(共同通信)・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・【二】エジンバラにあるナピュアー大学のがん患者へのストレス減少に関する研究結果Oils could ease cancer patients' stress levels JONATHAN LESSWARE CANCER patients awaiting medical test results could soon have their anxieties eased with the use of aromatherapy. Researchers from Napier University in Edinburgh are to study whether a blend of sweet-smelling essential oils can reduce the stress of waiting for news of important tests. The study will examine whether a mix of neroli and sandalwood oils can help calm the patients. It is believed that patients’ stress levels are reduced, they will be in a better condition for surgery. The researchers, who have been awarded a £15,000 grant from the Scottish Executive’s Chief Scientist Office, will focus on patients who have symptoms of lung cancer and are waiting for the results of biopsies at the new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. They will be given the oils to rub into their skin and psychologists will measure their anxiety levels before they leave the hospital, just before they get their results, and 21 days into the observation. They will compare these anxiety levels with those of patients in a control group given vegetable oil and in another group given no oils. Laura Stirling, from the School of Acute and Continuing Care Nursing, will lead the study. The qualified aromatherapist and nurse said: "In the last ten years there has been a real surge in alternative medicine but scientific research has been slow to catch up. "As a nurse I have always had an interest in the plight of patients awaiting results which may lead to surgery. "It’s the awful waiting and not knowing which is where we want to help. The anxiety makes the patients more of an operative risk, can extend wound healing times and the length of time spent in hospital. "If we can find a way to help combat the anxiety it will also prove a great medical benefit." Ms Stirling added: "Our approach is a more scientific one than that of the usual research into complementary medicines. "We have chosen these two oils because they are both believed to help reduce anxiety. We also wanted a blend for both men and women that didn’t smell too feminine." An initial trial hoping to start by Christmas will involve 100 patients over 12 months. If the results are positive, the researchers hope a larger trial will follow. Professor Beth Alder, director of research at the faculty of health and life sciences at Napier University, said they are trying to do more research on alternative and complementary medicines. She said: "There is a real need for research on complementary therapies. They are used more and more by health officials but we still have very little evidence of what they do. Sandalwood oil costs around £9 for 3ml and is normally used in perfumes and cosmetics while Neroli costs £20 and is made from the blossom of orange trees. Aromatherapy is perhaps the most popular of all alternative therapies and dates back to the Roman times, but modern aromatherapy techniques were pioneered by French scientist Rene-Maurice Gattefosse in the 1930s. His research into the healing and therapeutic qualities of essential oils paved the way for aromatherapy as we recognise it today. Derived from a wide array of sources, including plants, fruit, bark, roots and seeds, the oils are either inhaled or applied directly to the skin. They are used to treat a large number of problems, ranging from anxiety and insomnia to asthma and irritable bowel syndrome.・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・病院内の待合室で待っているだけでストレスなものです。何かしてあげること自体が、とても患者さんにとって安心するので、声かけだけでなく、アロマが加わればより気分も少しは穏やかになるかもしれないですね。この研究で15000ポンド(日本円で300万円)も獲得したそうですが、もっと増えていくと良いですね。私も早く大学院でアロマの研究をしたいものです。ちなみにストレスを緩和させたオイルはサンダルウッドとネロリのブレンド。ちょっと高級なオイルですが、高い分だけ良い香りでよく部屋にたいています。でもよく考えると、よく使うと言うことは、ちょっとストレスを感じているのかも知れません。好きなオイルで体調も分かるのが面白いです。Potential Aroma ではサンダルウッドとネロリは文章に出ていた値段よりも若干安くお求めになれますよ。(営業もしないと(笑))詳しくはPotential Aromaへ