Have you ever noticed your bouquet of Stargazers or White Casablanca lilies smelling more sweetly in the evening as you relax? That's because of a fragrant compound called linalool–most lilies emit linalool, and often more intensely in the evening. This little fragrant compound is extra-special because it is one big way we can decrease stress and increase feel-good feelings.
Our sense of smell can be used to benefit our mental state. One smell can trigger neurological and chemical responses in the body; a scent can make us feel calm, help us tackle a stressful task, or energize a lethargic day. And this kind of aromatherapy isn't just a placebo effect–there is scientific evidence to back it up and show how the fragrance of flowers can have a positive effect on moods.
Enter linalool. A 2009 study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry shows that the floral-scented compound, linalool, has a positive effect on stress-related changes in the body. In the study, the inhalation of linalool not only reduced chemical changes to stressed-out immune cells in the bloodstream, it also calmed more than 100 genes which tend to go into action during stressful situations
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Sun Valley Group's Flower Talk
