Supplement
Patchouli is a mint-family plant whose leaves yield an earthy essential oil, and its scent compounds are picked up by smell receptors linked to brain areas for mood and arousal. In a small trial of 43 adults, nervous system activity went down after inhaling patchouli fragrance, though the evidence is limited. That was a single study in healthy adults, so it says little about how patchouli affects felt stress.
Sources: PMID 12499579
- Updated
- How we grade
- 1 study cited
- Best evidence
- Grade C
- Conditions studied
- 1
- Outcomes
- 1
- Graded outcomes
- 0010
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNS activity Small Decrease | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 1 study | 43 people | ||
Studies that measured cns activity | ||||||
Key findings
- CNS activityImproves (the measure goes down)
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- Grade C
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Studies cited
1 study from PubMed