The study over mice showed that the vaporised lavender compound linalool must be smelt -- not absorbed in the lungs -- to feel its calming effects which could be used to relieve preoperative stress and anxiety disorders. Mice show less signs of anxiety when they smell the fragrant flower. In folk medicine it has long been believed that odorous compounds derived from plant extracts can relieve anxiety said co-author Hideki Kashiwadani of Kagoshima University in Japan. The fragrant flower can also act as an alternative to current anxiolytic (anxiety-relieving) drugs like benzodiazepines which is known to cause memory problems male
