Terpenes are naturally-occurring organic compounds found in the oils of plants. They are responsible for the citrusy smell of an orange, the fresh scent of pine and the relaxing effects of lavender. They are the chemicals that determine how things smell.
They are also one of the critical ‘biosynthetic building blocks’ necessary for our well-being.
Terpenes bind to receptors in our brains giving rise to therapeutic effects – like the relaxing sensations of lavender – because of their interactions with something called the Endocannabinoid System.
This system is our most complex neuro-transmitter network and is responsible for keeping our other internal systems in check against external factors, like stress, that throw our bodies out of balance.
The naturally occurring properties of Terpenes work with this Endocannabinoid System to help restore this balance. In short, one of their benefits is that they may assist in alleviating feelings of stress, anxiety, insomnia and even muscular pain.
An extensive study conducted in the United Kingdom in 2011 and published in the British Journal of Pharmacology discussed the wide-ranging therapeutic attributes of Terpenes. You can read that study here
It is not such a huge leap of faith to imagine that feelings of stress, worry and anxiety can be remedied with a naturally-occurring, plant-based product that our bodies have evolved to work harmoniously with.
Exercise, eating chocolate – even sex – do exactly the same thing; they adjust the balance of chemicals in the brain by releasing hormones like serotonin and dopamine that make us ‘feel good’.
Terpenes work in the same way. They have the potential to assist in restoring our internal system to a state of homeostasis – balance.
The end result of all this is that Terpenes show potential to assist in the treatment of many debilitating physiological and psychological conditions such as stress, anxiety, depression, mania, muscle pain, nerve pain, inflammation, poor immunity, bacterial infections.
