Become a member
Quick Registration
Full Registration Benefits -
Free Homepages for Doctors
Free Homepages for Hospitals
Free Homepages for Medical Conference
Free Homepages for NGO's
Personal Health Record Creation
Access to all Medical Slides
Access to all Jobs & Products Sale
Smell of Freshly Cut Grass Could Help Relieve Stress: Study | |
|
| |
Researchers have found that a chemical released by freshly mowed grass can help people relax and make them cheerful, thus slowing down the decline in mental ability with age.
Scientists claim the scent released from the grass works directly on the brain, specially affecting the emotional and memory parts called the amygdala and the hippocampus.
After seven years of rigorous research, scientists now claim to have made a perfume, the "eau de mow" which "smells like a freshly-cut lawn", and helps relieve stress and enhance memory.
Dr Nick Lavidis, a neuroscientist at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, developed the idea of the perfume, named Serenascent, after he trekked a US forest twenty years ago.
The Telegraph quoted him as saying: "Three days in Yosemite National Park felt like a three-month holiday.
"I didn't realise at the time that it was the actual combination of feel-good chemicals released by the pine trees, the lush vegetation and the cut grass that made me feel so relaxed.
"Years later my neighbour commented on the wonderful smell of cut grass after I had mowed the lawn and it all started to click into place."
Dr Lavidis said the grass' smell directly affected the brain's emotional and memory parts.
He said: "These two areas are responsible for the flight or fight response and the endocrine system, which controls the releasing of stress hormones like corticosteroids.
"The new spray appears to regulate these areas.
"There are two types of stress. The first is when you are about to perform something or you know you are going to have to do something well. That's acute stress and can be a good form of stress.
"Bad stress is chronic stress and is associated with an increase in blood pressure, forgetfulness and a weakening of the immune system."
Chronic stress can actually damage the hippocampus in the brain, which can lead to memory loss.
Students of the Australian project found animals exposed to Serenascent had little or no damage to the hippocampus.
The scent is believed to have the "pleasant aroma of a freshly-cut lawn or a walk through a lush forest".
Dr Lavidis, who worked with pharmacologist Professor Rosemary Einstein, said: "It can be used as a room spray or a personal spray on bed linen, a handkerchief or clothing. Down the track we will look at incorporating the feel good chemicals into other products."
Source-ANI
LIN
| |
|
|
More News on: Anosmia
 Comment & Contribute
|
|
guest
08/28/2009
Where can I buy the scent of the fresh cut grass it sounds great heard interview on abc radio perth yesterday.catherine Moran
Reply |
Forward
|
Related Links
Stress Relief Through Alternative Medicine
Stress is a form of strain that affects us physically and emotionally.It occurs as a result of conflict, within us, or, with the outside ...
Life Stress Meter
An interactive lifestyle tool to check out 'how stressful your life is' in this competitive and fast paced ...
Childhood Stress And Stress Management Tips
Definition of Childhood Stress: Stress can broadly be defined as a condition or situation that places a demand on the body's physical, mental, ...
Beat Stress by Inhaling the Scent of Fresh Flowers
Feeling stressed? Then try inhaling the scent of lemon, mango, lavender, or other fragrant plants. Scientists in Japan are reporting the first ...
Research Related News
Hope for Emphysema Patients Comes in The Form Of Tiny, Implantable Coil
According to a study conducted in Europe, a small, easily implantable device called the Lung Volume Reduction Coil (LVRC) may play a key role in the ...
Study Says Early IV Nutrition for Certain Patients Does Improve Survival
Early recommencement of intravenous nutrition in critically-ill patients is generally followed worldwide. However a new study has found otherwise. ...
More on the Elusive Search for Biomarkers in Huntington's Disease
New disease-modifying therapies in development may slow or minimize disease progression in Huntington's disease, the research community believes. ...
Salamanders may Hold the Solution to Regeneration
Scientists have found that salamanders' immune systems are key to their remarkable ability to regrow limbs, and could also underpin their ability to ...
Drug Side Effects are Inevitable: Study
The number of unique pockets - sites where small molecule pharmaceutical compounds can bind to proteins is surprisingly small, meaning drug side ...
Relation Between In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Survival Rates and Prevention of Cardiac Arrests
Hospitals with higher rates of in-hospital cardiac arrest patients who survived also appear to have a lower incidence of in-hospital cardiac arrest. ...
- Health News Index
 | Quiz on Stress A quiz which helps you to understand stress overload, identify symptoms of stress and manage stress better. 
|
- News Quick Links
 | News Central | | Health Watch | |
| Latest Health News | | Health In Focus | |
| News Category (500+) | | Breaking Health News | |
| Popular News | | Celebrating Life | |
| Health News and Press Release | | Medindia - Exclusive | |
| News Photo Gallery | | India Special | |
| News Video Gallery | | Lifestyle and Wellness | |
| News From Other Resources | |||
 |
Stress
Complete Medindia Resources
|
| News Categories: |
| » | EU Agency Says Acne Pill Benefits Outweigh Blood Clot Risk |
| » | Reduce Ambien's Dose to Avoid Drowsy Driving |
| » | Statins Cut Exercise Benefits |
| » | New Drug Enhances Radiation Treatment for Brain Cancer |
| » | Experts Issue Warning Against Online Sexual Enhancement Pills |
| More Drug News | |
|
Ask an Expert
