For a long time, essential oils have been used for several reasons, including as a cure for sickness and aches, as well as mood regulators. These are natural oils extracted from plants and contain volatile aromatic compounds. Here, volatility describes the ability of the organic compounds to quickly transform from liquid to gas forms. Although these compounds generally function through inhalation, some of these compounds may work better if absorbed through the skin.

Curbing Your Appetite

It can be a tricky task to deal with food cravings. There are a wide variety of factors that can trigger hunger, including stress, lack of sleep, exhaustion, hormonal fluctuations, among other things.

However, anyone looking for a way to suppress their overactive appetite in order to lose weight, or control eating triggered by the factors mentioned above can benefit from essential oils.

Modern research has shown that oils interact with our biochemistry on a cellular level. Certain aromas affect the area of the brain that impacts satiety, controlling the feelings of fullness. In fact, essential oils can manipulate the body and mind to feeling less hungry throughout the day, which helps suppress appetite, prevent overeating, and reduce your desire to eat. Therefore, essential oils are a natural way to effectively keep your hunger pangs at bay.

The following function of essential oils helps you lose weight.

· They reduce hunger.

· They help control cravings.

· They can boost your mood.

· They increase your energy.

· They help relieve certain pains.

You may wonder how boosting your mood can promote weight loss. Think about this: do you ever crave ice-creams or chocolate after a breakup? Or reach for baked goods after a particularly stressful day? Low emotional states are the most common triggers of unhealthy food cravings. Therefore, your emotional state plays a huge role in your weight loss journey. The uplifting scents used in aromatherapy can help achieve a calm and blissful state of mind, preventing you from reaching towards junk food for comfort.

Following are some of the best essentials oils that promote weight loss.

· Peppermint Essential Oil

Peppermint essential oil is arguably the best essential oils that can help you shed excess pounds. It impacts the part of the hypothalamus that controls the feeling of satiety, encouraging it to release hormones, such as leptin, which suppress appetite. At the same time, it suppresses the release of the hunger hormone known as ghrelin. A study in 2007 found that the scent of peppermint had such a powerful impact on the participant’s appetite, that they consumed thousands of calories fewer than usual. Additionally, peppermint essential oil can help control anxiety, which prevented the participants from indulging in stress-eating.

Another study in 2008 found that the menthol found in peppermint can affect how food smells and tastes, which curbs overeating by preventing food cravings. All you need to do is inhale the oil to unlock its soothing powers that work as metabolism boosters and hunger suppressants. To do this, you can use peppermint essential oil in a room diffuser or personal essential oil diffuser. You can also dilute it with a carrier oil, such as coconut oil, jojoba oil, or almond oil, and apply it topically to your skin.

· Wild Orange Essential Oil

An excellent way to reduce stress levels is the wild orange essential oil, as its aroma is believed to control feelings of anxiety. There are two compounds in this oil that help control stress: linalool and myrcene. Both of these work in harmony to alleviate anxiety. Myrcene impacts the feel-good neurotransmitters, dopamine, and serotonin, by crossing the blood-brain barrier. Since it has a direct response to the olfactory system of the brain, the scent provides a sense of calming and uplifting feeling.

Another oil from the orange family – the bitter orange essential oil – can also help you lose weight. It acts as a thermogenic agent that suppresses appetite. It also encourages the body to burn fat stores instead of glucose, enhancing the feeling of fullness. The mood booster properties combined with appetite suppression make orange essential oils a great option to lose weight.

· Grapefruit Essential Oil

Grapefruit essential oil works as a natural appetite suppressant. The scent of this oil activates the active enzymes in saliva that promote weight loss. It works by breaking down body fat. A substance is known as nootkatone, which is a sesquiterpene and ketone that activates the enzyme AMPK, makes this oil effective. AMPK controls the way our bodies use energy. Two chemicals found in grapefruits – citral and limonene – increase metabolism and quiet your appetite, helping you lose weight. Also acting as a diuretic, grapefruit essential oil encourages the loss of excessive weight caused by water retention in the body.

A study in 2005 found that participants who were given grapefruits essential oil three times a week for 15-minute sessions reported a reduced urge to eat. It has also been used for generations to help reduce diet. Some studies suggest that citral may even reduce the body’s ability to create fat cells. Overall, inhaling grapefruit essential oil to curb appetite is very effective.

· Juniper Essential Oil

Juniper essential oil is one of the lesser know essential oils. However, there are many benefits of using it, one of which is its effect on weight loss. The chemicals compounds of these essential oils were studied by some researchers in 2014. They found that the oil is rich in antioxidant and anti-obesity properties. The oil also works by reducing water retention, which can be a major cause behind excessive weight.

Although there isn’t much research that directly assesses the benefits of juniper essential oil in losing weight, the evidence does suggest that it can be a very powerful tool in managing weight. It is best to apply juniper essential oil topically after dissolving it in a carrier oil.

· Lavender Essential Oil

Lavender essential oil is the most common essential oil used in aromatherapy to relieve stress and anxiety. It creates a sense of peaceful environment for the mind and controls the release of cortisol. A 2010 study published in the journal of International Clinical Pharmacology found that lavender oil was almost as effective at controlling stress as lorazepam, which is a benzodiazepine. Therefore, it can help reduce stress-eating significantly.

Additionally, regular usage of lavender oil can also calm cravings and improve the quality of sleep. Sleep is another major factor that affects a person’s weight. According to a 2012 study, people who sleep less tend to eat more than required. A lack of sleep increases the production of the hunger hormone ghrelin, reduces the production of the satiety hormone leptin, and also elevates cortisol. Lavender oil can be used to fix this issue in almost any way you like. It can be applied directly to pulse points or sniffed when needed. Or you can use it aromatically by adding it to a room diffuser and placing it near your bedside.

· Holy Basil Essential Oil

Basil has many other uses aside from adding flavor to your Mediterranean and Asian dishes. Holy basil essential oil contains high levels of the terpene linalool, which can relieve stress and anxiety. As you know, stress can cause you to gain weight. When the body is under stress or anxiety, it releases the stress hormone cortisol. This hormone causes you to crave sugar and carbohydrates. Linalool acts as an adaptogen, which controls the release of cortisol. In fact, holy basil has been a common ingredient in Ayurvedic medicine as a way to control appetite for a long time.

Holy basil essential oil can be used in two ways to promote weight loss. You can add it to a room diffuser to inhale its scent as a way to curb your appetite. Additionally, you can add a drop or two to a glass of water before every meal. This helps reduce food cravings related to stress and anxiety caused by swings in blood sugar levels.

· Fennel Essential Oil

Fennel essential oil works in several different ways to suppress appetite. Firstly, fennel seeds contain a hormone known as melatonin, which helps control the sleep cycle. Therefore, fennel essential oils help us get enough sleep so that the levels of hunger hormones ghrelin can be suppressed.

A few animal studies have shown that the aroma of essential oil improved digestion while encouraging the consumption of fewer calories. It also helps ensure that more nutrients are absorbed from the food that is consumed. Additionally, adding a few drops of fennel essential oil to a glass of water before meals or applying it topically to the wrists can help suppress appetite.

· Bergamot Essential Oil

Bergamot essential oil is extracted by compressing the peel of Italian citrus fruits. It is ideal for the people who turn to food whenever anxiety strikes, as it helps alleviate stress. A study in 2015 found that the use of bergamot essential oil reduced the elevated heart rate and high cortisol levels associated with stress.

It also contains high levels of limonene, a stress-reducing terpene that smells very similar to orange and helps suppress appetite. You can benefit from bergamot essential oil by adding it to a room diffuser or a personal essential oil diffuser. You can also make your baths more calming by adding a few drops of this oil in a warm bath.

· Ginger Essential Oil

Ginger plays a huge role in digestion as it helps control inflammation and increases the body’s ability to absorb nutrients. This helps in reducing food cravings as well. A study conducted in India in 2013 found that ginger essential oil packed with essential antioxidants. Since it improves the absorption of nutrients, it reduces cravings triggers due to a lack of nutrients.

Using ginger essential oil can also help reduce stress, as well as sugar cravings. It also acts as a thermogenic, which helps burn fat and boost your metabolism. Inhale the oil directly from the bottle or add a few drops to a warm bath to reap its benefits.

· Cinnamon Essential Oil

Cinnamon is another excellent essential oil that can help control appetite. It helps maintain healthy blood glucose, which plays an important part in feelings of hunger. The cinnamon essential oil contains a compound known as cinnamaldehyde, which makes the body cells more receptive to insulin.

This is effective because it increases the body’s ability to use glucose for energy, reducing its level in the blood. When the blood sugar levels are under control, it also causes a significant reduction in its cravings. Additionally, cinnamon contains linalool, a monoterpene that helps reduce stress. This can control stress-eating.

· Sage Essential Oil

Sage essential oil has been used for a long time in Asia for its medicinal and herbal benefits. It can help treat or prevent obesity. A 2013 study found that this oil can protect the body against oxidative stress. Since oxidative stress can lead to various conditions including obesity and diabetes, and can also weaken your immune system, it is important to keep it in check.

You can add dissolving sage essential oil with a carrier oil to apply topically or add it to a room diffuser. Although sage can also be consumed as a medicine, you shouldn’t be doing it without the supervision of a professional.

However, it is important to remember that just using essential oils won’t help you lose weight. Weight loss is a process that works by combining various factors, including diet, exercise, and lifestyle. Incorporating essential oils into your routine can help curb your appetite and improve your mood, but for optimal results, you may consider integrating other strategies as well. For instance, adding an oil for ketosis to your diet can support your body’s ability to burn fat more efficiently, especially if you’re following a ketogenic diet. However, always consult with a healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet.