Studies confirm: cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy can increase lymphocytes with essential oils
Can essential oils really boost the immune system (lymphocytes) in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy?
One of the biggest challenges when you are in chemotherapy is to keep your lymphocytes up, so you can continue in treatment.
Studies suggest that something as simple as essential oils can help with just that.
66 patients in the early stages of colorectal cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial. The aromatherapy massage for the intervention group consisted of 3x 45 min massage sessions over a week with ginger essential oil in coconut oil, while the control group only received standard supportive care. At the end of the week, the mean number of lymphocytes was significantly higher in the massage group and reported symptoms of fatigue, pain, and stress were significantly lower than in the control group.
Statistically significant increases in the number of peripheral blood leukocytes and lymphocytes were also reported by another trial involving 12 breast cancer patients who received a 30-minute aromatherapy massage twice a week for four weeks with essential oils of sweet orange (Citrus aurantium), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) ) and sandalwood (Santalum album) in jojoba oil.
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