Scent Diffusers Improve Memory in Seniors

[NJCher]

Study shows nightly use of scent diffusers improves memory 226 percent.

Updated January 1, 2024

snip

--Study participants were aged 60 to 85 and had no prior diagnosis of dementia or memory impairment.
--Diffuser users performed better than control subjects on a test of verbal and recognition memory.
--A product for at-home use based on the trial is expected to be available in fall 2024.

When seniors used fragrance diffusers in their bedrooms for two hours every night over six months, their cognitive performance jumped a stunning 226 percent.

Link to article in Psychology Today.

snip

This sounds like a fun way to work on memory. I love scents and I have these essential oils: Lime, orange, anise, oregano, lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint, spearmint, and one called "Breathe In (don't know what that is, but it might be a eucalyptus-mint combo)"

Now I will just need an essential oil diffuser. They are not expensive; only around $20 I think.

[PSPS]

1. Use with caution. Aspirating or swallowing even a small amount can cause seizures and kill you.

https://www.poison.org/articles/essential-oils

[Warpy]

16. You're not supposed to eat them

unless they're labeled "food/culinary grade."

Stay away from getting concentrated sweet almond on your hands. It can be high in cyanide. Wash it off before you touch anything pink on gour person. Culinary grade sweet almond oil is dilute enough to be safe. Bitter almond oil is what you want in a diffuser.

The scents in the above study that had the most potency are orange, lemon, eucalyptus and lavender. Don't eat them, either, unless they're specufically labeled as food flavorings.

[marybourg]

2. Some kind of scratch and sniff pad would probably be safer and have more diversity of scents.

I would never fall asleep with one of those diffusers operating. They are very cheaply made.

[NJCher]

23. study says 2 hours

not to leave it going all night.

[tanyev]

3. Wow! That's fascinating.

[Ilsa]

4. I try to wear perfume to bed.

I change fragrances night-to-night, use men's fragrances, too. I like certain floral and woody fragrances. I don't like anything that smells like sweet food.

Most of my colognes are samples.

[Sanity Claws]

30. That's an idea.

I have all these samples and don't use them. Even if the occasion is appropriate to wear a fragrance, I don't want to take a chance on applying one that I end up not liking. This is a way to test drive a fragrance and just wash it off in the morning shower.

[diane in sf]

5. I find quite a few scents toxic and migraine inducing.

[Hope22]

12. I have some of the same problems.

Frankincense is an amazing oil. So many good qualities including including anti anxiety. For me it helps with asthma symptoms. One to keep in mind if you can tolerate it. If I had to pick only one oil this would be it!

[pnwmom]

6. Would Scent of Labradoodles work as well?

[JoseBalow]

7. My old pitbull definitely qualifies

as a "Scent Diffuser"

[Hermit-The-Prog]

8. Just add bacon.

[JoseBalow]

9. She loves broccoli

[getagrip_already]

27. Wet, definitely.....

Skunked, even better......

[pnwmom]

31. lol

[wackadoo wabbit]

10. Those with cats might want to reconsider using an essential oil diffuser

In general, it is not recommended to use essential oils on or near your cat.

Cats are highly susceptible to getting sick from breathing in essential oils via your home diffuser, and vapor from the oils can get onto their skin as well.

https://www.petmd.com/cat/are-essential-oils-safe-cats

Inhalation of strong odors or fragrances can cause some cats to develop a watery nose or eyes, a burning sensation in the nose/throat, nausea leading to drooling and/or vomiting, and difficulty breathing. Difficulty breathing in a cat is evidenced by labored breathing, fast breathing, panting, coughing, or wheezing. NONE of these signs are normal in cats. A coughing episode in a cat can be mistaken by owners for the cat trying to vomit up a hairball. However, in this case the cat crouches low to the ground, with little to no abdominal movement that is more typical of vomiting. No hairball is produced.

[snip]

Drooling, vomiting, tremors, ataxia (wobbliness), respiratory distress, low heart rate, low body temperature, and liver failure can potentially develop depending on the type of essential oil that was used and the dose that the cat was exposed to.

The droplets dispersed by these new diffusers may be small, but they still pose a risk to cats. Depending on how close the cat is to the dispenser, the essential oil microdroplets may collect on the cat’s fur if it is the same room as the active diffuser. The oil can be either absorbed directly through the skin, or ingested when the cat grooms itself.

Like oil and water, essential oils and cats really do not mix. Owners should be cautious using essential oils and diffusers in their homes in order to protect their cat(s) from a toxic risk. Most importantly, concentrated essential oils should never be directly applied to cats.

https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/blog/essential-oils-cats/

[niyad]

14. Thank you! I gave away a number of diffusers and oils that, fortunately, I had

never gotten around to using when I read of the potential danger to my baby, especially the lavender! I stick to candle warmers.

[mucifer]

19. That's weird I got a faramone diffuser for my cat when I

got a second cat. It was by the suggestion of the cat shelter because the first one didn't like the new one. It seems to be working well . They have been slowly becoming friends.

I got it from Petco. So I would assume the stuff is ok for cats.

[NJCher]

34. there are all kinds of pheronome diffusers for cats!

I was unaware of this. Just search pheronome diffusers and see how many come up.

[Dem2theMax]

11. Dementia, here I come.

Just reading the names of the scents made my nose start to stuff up! Big time allergies. Eucalyptus and lavender are the absolute worst. 😝😝😝

I think the pharmaceutical companies that sell allergy meds are in cahoots with the companies that put scent into every single product they make. If it doesn't say 'fragrance free,' it doesn't come into my house.

[jmbar2]

13. On the other hand...

About 30% of the population cannot tolerate exposure to scents (http://nebula.wsimg.com/5c1f15f64e19deb82cffa6ff6f9844ea?AccessKeyId=5D08F679D61730E5CF3A&disposition=0&alloworigin=1)

I am one of them. I was driven out of my last home by an elderly neighbor who used aromatherapy 24/7. It wafted up into my apartment, much like living next to a smoking neighbor, causing asthma, high blood pressure and migraines. After awhile, these symptoms morphed into a more serious hypersensitivity to all nearly all scents and chemicals.

Scents are transported by volatile organic compounds that are extremely reactive with oxygen, causing them to disperse rapidly into the air, including into the lungs. With repeated exposure, sensitive individuals can develop long-lasting chemical sensitivities, ruining your life. That's why perfumes are banned from many schools, clinic, courthouses, libraries and performing venues.

I had to sleep in my car in the parking lot for a few months, and finally bought a van to sleep in until I could save up enough money to move again. In all, it cost me the better part of my small life savings to find places to sleep until I was able to move into a new place without constant chemical exposure to scents. It has taken me three years to recover from the hypersensitivity somewhat.

Like the tobacco industry, there is a lot of pseudoscience around aromatherapy, paid for by the marketers of such products. Selling aromatherapy is big business in Mormon communities, where stay-at-home wives are lured into multilevel marketing schemes pushing the stuff. Producers of aromatherapy have ended up in courts, and have been ordered to stop making medical claims by the FDA. https://www.consumerreports.org/consumerist/5-things-weve-learned-about-the-booming-essential-oils-business/

The scents are also extremely bad for pets.

The Psychology Today article is extremely irresponsible to encourage subjecting persons with cognitive impairments to such chemicals. No one should be able to alter the air that another breathes, but especially those who many not be able to advocate for themselves.

Here is some research that explains in detail the harmful effects of long-term low level exposure to chemicals such as those in aromatherapy.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/074823379901500317

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11869-017-0536-2

Sorry to react so harshly, but the lying scammers marketing aromatherapy and related scent products, and those that push their sponsored pseudoscience literally ruined my life.

[Elessar Zappa]

24. How do you know the article posted is based on pseudoscience?

The article links to a legitimate study. Of course we can’t come to a conclusion over one study but that doesn’t make it pseudoscience.

[jmbar2]

25. For one, the research was funded by Proctor and Gamble, who market aromatherapy

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1200448/full

That's a big red flag for me.

Industry has long hired researchers to conduct research supporting marketing claims to sell products such as tobacco and vape products.

Interesting points about the study
- Participants self-selected, and answered a questionnaire regarding fragrance use. The questionnaire is not posted, but one could assume that they selected people who already use and believe in aromatherapy. This could bias the study if participants expect or believe that they will achieve benefits from the treatment conditions due to placebo effect.

- The sample size was very small - 43 participants.

- They eliminated from consideration anyone who who has

asthma, allergies, or an odor response, which produces symptoms similar to those of an allergy, including runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, or skin rash

that might be negatively affected by scents. Other conditions that they used to screen out were anxiety, ADHD, diabetes, high blood pressure and a whole host of ailments common among older folks. So the sample was extremely cherry-picked and not representative of the general population of older folks.

Since 30% of of the general population does have sensitivities to the chemicals in scents, their findings don't generalize to all - just those who self-selected, presumably already use and believe in the benefits of scents, and report no negative reactions to them.

- There are no peer reviews of the research. Perhaps it is too recent, but it has all the hallmarks of industry-sponsored research that is often dubious and self-serving.

Here is a study about the dangers of even "organic" scents to health
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653523018374?via%3Dihub

[NJCher]

36. I found my post, or at least part of it!

It was in another browser.

First here is the page which tells the substances that PG does not put in their products:

https://us.pg.com/fragrance-ingredients-list/

Second, here is the story about my experience with a smoking neighbor:

I was so sorry to read your story about having to find another place to live when you didn't have the money to do so. I know what you went through because I once had a condo where my new next door neighbor was a smoker.

My story turned out a little differently, though. When this neighbor learned that I was having to breath her cigarette smoke, she quit! And something even more wonderful happened after that: the woman, an attorney, had three adult kids. One day while their mother was in court, they came knocking on my door with some beautifully wrapped gifts. They said the gifts were for me because their mom quit smoking due to my telling her about the smoke reaching my condo. They did not want her to know about their visit, though, so I happily accepted the gifts and said I'd keep my mouth shut.

For the next five years I was given presents on that date with notes that said something like "thank you for saving our mom's life!"

Was I really the impetus for their mother's quitting? Who knows. I could have been the straw that broke the camel's back. I'm guessing the kids were on her case because who quits for a stranger-new neighbor and not for their own kids?

I do know back at that time that I loved my home and I sure didn't want to have to move over cigarette smoke, so I can imagine how you felt.

[NJCher]

37. oh and regarding this link

It is a very important link and here's why. This link does not deal strictly with scents per se, but it deals with household cleaning products, some with fragrance added. I posted a story here quite a long time ago when news came out about household cleaning products causing health effects the equivalent of smoking a pack or two a day. I wanted to elaborate a bit on the link because this always comes as a surprise when I tell people about it.

(re above link in jmbar2's post) Here is a study about the dangers of even "organic" scents to health
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653523018374?via%3Dihub

[NJCher]

35. Lost my post but

Sorry to react so harshly, but the lying scammers marketing aromatherapy and related scent products, and those that push their sponsored pseudoscience literally ruined my life.

I had done some reading on your links and also re the lying scammers marketing aromatherapy and found that this research actually may be for the purpose of eliminating more additives to the scents. It may have been the additives that caused your issue with it. I found that P & G has a page with all the substances they do not put in their products.

Wish I hadn't lost the post and maybe two days from now I will have time to do it over. Too many meetings to do it tomorrow.

I also wrote an experience I had with a smoker next door. I am very sympathetic to your plight with the elderly woman who caused you so much difficulty with her scents. My situation ended differently, but it certainly made me appreciate what you went through.

[jmbar2]

38. Thanks for your response and patience with my rant

My experience was so traumatic that I tend to get on a high horse in my opposition to scents. I always appreciate your posts.

[PlutosHeart]

15. Some people with health conditions

should most times not have diffusers around them.
It can actually do more harm than good. Like with my dad who had blood cancer.

[Old Crank]

17. Once again,

This proves what you dislike is good for you....

Now eat your veggies, kid!

[Hekate]

18. I also like scents, but since I don't use diffusers I don't know exactly what's involved...

I stayed in a friend’s guest room for a week, and she had those plug-in air fresheners right next to the head of the bed. What I could sense was how oily it was — and as I use a Bi-Pap I didn’t want oil clogging up the machinery. I also have asthma, so likewise for my airways. It turned out to be awkward to unplug, and spilled its contents … argh. Not the most successful visit.

I’m fine with the occasional scented candle. I can’t stand Febreze room “freshener” spray.

Funny the article should mention forgetfulness as a reason to not assign an oldster to unscrew 80 vials of scent per day — geez, people, haven’t you ever heard about arthritis of the hands?!

Anyway, depending on the delivery method, I’d love to try this out.

[Silver Gaia]

20. I love this, but there are alternative ways to do this.

Last edited Tue Jan 2, 2024, 03:38 PM - Edit history (1)

I don't see why it has to be diffusers and oils. I have all but one of these plants mentioned growing in my yard: rose, orange, eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, rosemary, and lavender. The one I don't have is eucalyptus, but I know where they grow nearby. I read another article recently about this that just mentioned rosemary as the primary herb to help improve memory, and it did not try to sell me expensive oils or diffusers.

If you have a sunny window in your bedroom, why not try growing some of these? Rosemary, lavender, mint, and miniature roses can be grown in pots. That should serve the same purpose without causing harm.

For myself, I have a rosemary plant in my backyard that is actually a shrub about 6 ft high and 10 ft wide. I think it can easily handle providing me with cuttings I can hang to dry in the bedroom. I already do this in my kitchen. I can bring in cuttings from my lavender and the other plants when they are in bloom, or for some, just open the windows at night.

If it might help, I figure it's worth trying, and it will smell great anyway

[NJCher]

21. I tried the rosemary with my classes

anyone who didn't want to try it could take the exam at another time, but since students were just given a cutting of rosemary to sniff, no one did. Students were excited to try it. At that age, I guess you're more open-minded.

Interestingly enough, it did increase test scores.

I did the rosemary sniffing numerous times, but I always wondered--was it the fact that the students were so open-minded that caused the increase in their scores or was it the rosemary? Or maybe it was a little of both.

My rosemary bush needed to be the size of yours because students kept asking me for another clipping for their other tests!

[viva la]

22. I was trying this with scented wax

But woke up every day with congestion. I wonder if a diffuser would be better.

[bucolic_frolic]

26. I will try this tonight

I have an old Olbas inhaler, and several essential oils. Peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus, tea tree, clove, camphor.

Couple drops of one or two should last weeks.

[getagrip_already]

28. When we make cannabis suaves, we add essential oils

Like lavender and eucalyptus. It makes it smell nice but has other properties also.

Guess this is an added benefit.

Maybe those old geezers using Ben gay weren't so crazy after all?

[Picaro]

29. Going to give this a shot

226% improvement.

Makes me want to give this a whirl. My memory has its' lapses.

Thanks for posting.

[Gore1FL]

32. Just make sure the oils chosen are pet friendly where applicable. nt

[58Sunliner]

33. Sounds very interesting but I do wonder about respiratory issues from breathing this every day.

Especially in a closed environment. Several oils are known to irritate mucous membranes. Some are toxic. Some are bad for asthma and COPD.