Do Essential Oils for Weight Loss Actually Work?

When we think about weight loss and weight loss supplements, many don’t look in the direction of essential oils. Generally, when anyone looks for something to aid them in their journey, they look toward pills, powder substances, and tea; however, studies have shown that essentials oils can aid in weight loss. Essential oils can “aid” in weight loss; however, it’s not the solution. I always recommend that anything used to aid in weight loss, be secondary to mindful eating, healthy diet, and regular exercise.

What Are Essential Oils?

You have heard of a few popular essential oils: peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, and tea tree. By definition, essential oils are a natural oil typically obtained by distillation and having the characteristic fragrance of the plant or other source from which it is extracted. Essential oils are born from leaves, herbs, and barks, and smell and taste like the plant itself. Not only can you use essential oils to aid in weight loss, you can use them in the creams and gels that you use for skin care. While studies have shown a vast number of benefits in using essential oils, I recommend consulting with your physician before using essential oils. Pregnancies and/or allergies may be affected while using essential oils. In addition, always see your physician before replacing your current treatment with essential oil treatment.

How Essential Oils Aid in Weight Loss

Because essential oils aid in mental health, the benefits also contribute to weight loss. Many of the struggles faced on the journey to lose weight live within the mind: cravings, emotional stability, balance/clarity, etc. Using essential oils to heal medical, psychological, and physical conditions, naturally promote and assist in weight loss. When we heal medical, psychological, and physical conditions, we naturally contribute to weight loss and better health. The Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Institute of Chicago discovered that inhaling a culinary smell like rosemary, peppermint, grapefruit, orange etc. suppress the desire to eat:((Health 2000: How aromatherapy can help curve cravings))

"Regularly throughout the day, especially when hungry can suppress the desire to taste and therefore eat," and that by inhaling an aroma deeply 3-6 times in each nostril, "the desire to eat is inhibited."

The Best Essential Oils for Weight Loss

Essential oils help reduce cravings, suppresses appetite, and increases satiety making them effective to aid in weight loss. There are other contributions that essential oils aid in: water retention, bloating, and cellulite. These benefits play a huge role in weight loss contributions. Appetite and craving control play a huge role in weight loss; half the battle is controlling what we want and how much of it to eat. So what are the best oils to aid you in your weight loss goals? The essential oils listed below have been backed by research studies published on Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, Science Direct, U.S News and World Report, and US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health.

1. Peppermint Oil

This essential oil is great for boosting energy levels. Peppermint oil aids in fatigue reduction, clarity and focus, and reduces hunger cravings.((US News: The 5 Best Essential Oils for Weight Loss)) Boosted energy levels mean maximizing your workouts and reducing cravings means you make better meal choices!

2. Grapefruit Oil

It has been reported that grapefruit oil is a metabolism booster and aids in the breakdown of fatty tissues when inhaled.((Dr. Axe: 13 Grapefruit Essential Oil Benefits — Starting with Weight Loss))

3. Lemon Oil

Inhaling lemon oil improves neurological activity and promotes the breakdown of body fat. Lemon oil is a stimulator and has calming and positive mood properties. A positive outlook is always necessary on this journey.((Mom Prepares: 8 Hyper Effective Ways to Use Essential Oils For Weight Loss (With Proof)))

4. Cinnamon Oil

Cinnamon oil aids in balanced blood sugar levels. This aids in weight loss because it reduces sugar cravings. When blood sugar levels unbalanced, overeating occurs which negatively impacts weight loss goals.((MonQ: Using Cinnamon Essential Oil to Help Your Diet))

5. Lavender Oil

Lavender has calm, tension taming properties. Because lavender oil helps control anxiety/urges, it aids in the reduction of stress eating. Generally, when we are relaxed, we tend to move away from “comfort” triggers such as mindless eating.((Global Healing Center: The Weight Loss Benefits of Lavender Essential Oil)) Aromatherapy expert Jane Buckle, reported on two studies in her book, Clinical Aromatherapy: Essential Oils in Healthcare (ISBN 9780702054402). In one study, participants were asked to use lavender oil, mandarin oil, and a placebo. After 6 weeks, the results were: the control group lost 1.2 pounds, the mandarin oil group lost 2.4 pounds, and the lavender group lost 5.3 pounds on average.

The Best Ways to Use Essential Oils

Essential oils can be used in many forms: inhaled, utilizing an oil diffuser, steam inhalation, in a bath, as massage oil/ aroma therapy. The type of essential oil and the reason for use determines the best way to use. For weight loss, using essential oils in various ways is common: inhaling, applying to problem area(s), and ingesting. If using for aroma and calming, it is better to use an oil diffuser to release mist and fill the air with the healing benefits.

Where Can I Buy Essential Oils?

Essential oils can be found in retail or department stores and online. As always, consulting with your physician is important. I also recommend doing a bit of research on the product maker and manufacturer to make sure that the product is safe to use. It’s also a good idea to look for customer reviews on the product and the location of purchase. Here's a few tips:

• Make sure that the product is kept/ displayed/shipped in a container with tint (preferably not plastic). It is important to protect the oil from direct sunlight.
• All oils should come with instructions on usage and dosage, ingredients used to create the oil, and the “use by” date.
• You should know if the oil is organic or not organic.

What to Pay Attention to When Using Essential Oils

Essential oils have been used for years to treat, relax, and aid humans with physiological concerns. Overall, essential oils are safe to use if approved by your physician and purchased from a reputable, quality source. It is important understand the recommended uses of each oil. Using essential oils in the wrong form can cause adverse reactions such as: burns, trigger asthma and/or allergies, and can interfere with certain medications. It is recommended that photosensitive oils not be used in the sun. Photosensitive oils are oils that haven’t been diluted, they have no carrier agent. Using undiluted oils can be harmful due the potency of oils; it is important to verify that the essential oil you are purchasing has been diluted, and if not, please use with caution in the sun. There have been reports of essential oils causing burning when applied to the skin and exposed to the sun.

The Bottom Line

Essential oils have many benefits that aid in weight loss. Using essential oils with a healthy diet and regular exercise will help you reach your weight loss goals! Please research and use as recommended.

More Resources About Losing Weight

• Need Motivation to Lose Weight? 17 Ideas to Get Inspired Right Now
• 15 Most Effective and Nutritious Healthy Foods to Lose Weight
• Tasty and Healthy Weight Loss Snacks to Reach Your Goals Fast
• 7 Common Mistakes Most People Make In Losing Weight
• Intermittent Fasting Weight Loss (The Ultimate Weight Loss Hack)

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