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	Search Quick Order Form» Departments Vitamins Minerals Supplements Herbs Home & Grocery Diet & Fitness Body & Bath More Ways to Shop Brands A-Z Natural Remedies Children & Infants Women's Health Men's Health Seniors Free Catalog MotherNature.com's Catalog Is Here! Click Here to Get Your Free Copy Today. Newsletter Sign Up Weekly health news, sale announcements and coupons!		Library Home > Herbal Remedies > Lavender LAVENDER Botanical names Botany Helpful for Traditional use How it works Amount to take Safety check References Visit The Healthy Living Bookshelf: 21 Online Health Books From Rodale View Our Related Product Sections: Lavender Botanical name: Lavandula officinalis Parts used and where grown: Eastern European countries, particularly Bulgaria, as well as France, Britain, Australia, and Russia grow large quantities of lavender. The fragrant flowers of lavender are used in the preparation of herbal medicines. Lavender has been used in connection with the following conditions (refer to the individual health concern for complete information): Rating Health Concerns Pregnancy (in bath, for perineal pain after childbirth) Indigestion and heartburn Insomnia Reliable and relatively consistent scientific data showing a substantial health benefit. Contradictory, insufficient, or preliminary studies suggesting a health benefit or minimal health benefit. An herb is primarily supported by traditional use, or the herb or supplement has little scientific support and/or minimal health benefit. Historical or traditional use (may or may not be supported by scientific studies): Traditionally, herbalists used lavender for a variety of conditions of the nervous system, including depression and fatigue.1 It has also been used for headache and rheumatism. Due to its delightful odor, lavender has found wide application in perfumes and cosmetics throughout history. Active constituents: The volatile oil (also called essential oil) of lavender contains many constituents, including perillyl alcohol and linalool. The oil is thought to be calming2 and thus can be helpful in some cases of insomnia. One trial of elderly people with sleeping troubles found that inhaling lavender oil was as effective as some commonly prescribed sleep medications.3 A large clinical trial found that lavender oil added to a bath was no more effective than a placebo for relieving perineal discomfort immediately after childbirth.4 However, perineal pain was reduced three to five days afterward. Lavender is recommended by the German Commission E monograph for indigestion and nervous intestinal discomfort.5 How much is usually taken? The German Commission E monograph suggests 1–2 teaspoons (5–10 grams) of the herb be taken as a tea.6 The tea can be made by steeping 2 teaspoons (10 grams) of leaves in 1 cup (250 ml) of boiling water for fifteen minutes. Three cups (750 ml) can be consumed each day. For internal applications, 1/2–3/4 teaspoon (2–4 ml) of tincture can be taken two or three times per day. Several drops of the oil can be added to a bath or diluted in vegetable oil for topical applications. The concentrated oil is not for internal use, except under medical supervision. Are there any side effects or interactions? Internal use of the volatile oil can cause severe nausea. Very small amounts should be used only under the supervision of a healthcare professional. Excessive intake (several times more than listed above) may cause drowsiness.7 External use in reasonable amounts is safe during pregnancy and breast-feeding. At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions with lavender. References: 1. Hoffmann D. The New Holistic Herbal, 2d ed. Rockport, MA: Element, 1990, 210. 2. Buchbauer G, Jirovetz L, Jager W, et al. Aromatherapy: Evidence for sedative effects of the essential oil of lavender after inhalation. Z Naturforsch [C] 1991;46:1067–72. 3. Hardy M, Kirk-Smith MD, Stretch DD. Replacement of drug therapy for insomnia by ambient odour. Lancet 1995;346:701 [letter]. 4. Dale A, Cornwell S. The role of lavender oil in relieving perineal discomfort following childbirth: A blind randomized trial. J Adv Nursing 1994;19:89–96. 5. Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinckmann J. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Newton, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications, 2000, 226–9. 6. Blumenthal M, Busse WR, Goldberg A, et al. (eds). The Complete Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Boston, MA: Integrative Medicine Communications, 1998, 159–60. 7. Leung AY, Foster S. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1996, 339–42. Copyright © 2002 Healthnotes, Inc.  All rights

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