With the rise of companies like Young Living and DoTerra, essential oils are making their way into an increasing number of medicine cabinets across the country. My pregnant patients often ask for my opinion on the effectiveness and safety of these products.
Essential oils are aromatic compounds that are distilled from herbal medicines, then combined with a carrier oil to make them ready for inhalation via aromatherapy, or topical application to the skin. Like herbal medicines in whole plant version (as capsules or as teas typically in my practice), I see a lot of medicinal value in essential oils and am always on the lookout for research on their usefulness, specifically in pregnancy.
This past summer, an affirming new study by medical scientists in Iran was published about the effectiveness of inhaled peppermint essential oil on nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.
The pregnant women in the study groups used peppermint aromatherapy twice a day, before rest in the afternoon and night sleep, for seven days. As in past studies using a mix of lavender and peppermint essential oils, the severity of nausea and vomiting in mothers of the intervention group were significantly lower than that of the control group.
This is a promising development in pregnancy uses of essential oils. It mirrors what many of my patients report about the relief they receive from inhaling peppermint essential oil with a cotton ball under their nose when feeling nauseated. I am looking forward to seeing more research of this type!
I hope you have found this helpful, and do let me know if you have any questions!
If you are hungry for more evidence-based information in your pregnancy, sign up for my free webinar: 7 Pregnancy Myths Debunked – and get the information you need to have a healthy pregnancy and a thriving baby.
And if you are a care-provider looking for evidence-based resources for your pregnant patients, please get in touch with us at support@myhealthypregnancyplan.com.
In health,
Dr Jocelyn Land-Murphy, ND
Terra Life
Disclaimer: The information and content provided is for general educational and informational purposes only and is not professional medical advice, nor is it intended to be a substitute therefore. Please consult the Disclaimer and Terms of Use for full details.
References:
Amzajerdi, A. et al. (2019). Effect of mint aroma on nausea, vomiting and anxiety in pregnant women. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 8(8): 2597-2601.