A recent study by the The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry noted six scents that helps soothe away stress.

The scents include lavender, lemon, orange, grape, mango, and basil.  Each of these fruits and herbs contain linalool, which is a chemical that appeared to offset the effects of stress. Linalool provides a calming effect on the limbic center of the brain, which is involved in processing emotions.

I’m surprise peppermint didn’t make it on the list. Peppermint is great at relieving headaches and also very uplifting. I always feel more relaxed and calm after being around peppermint.

The scent of any fruit makes me happy. Especially guava, but mangoes come out second. There is actually a tree that grows in my mom’s yard with leaves that smell very much like green mango. The young leaves are edible and taste just like tangy green mango! I don’t know the name of it, but will have to take a picture of it when spring arrives.

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Lemons are neat since they have so many versatile uses, from making natural household cleaners to cooking.  And the smell of citrus blossoms are also very inviting.

Beautiful view of the blue ocean mixed with some yellow lemons and green grass.  Lovely photo from Amalfi Coast.

There is one place in the world that loves it’s lemon, and it is located in the beautiful Amalfi Coast of Italy. I first saw scenes of this place from Rick Steve’s Travels on PBS. The views are amazing and the place is very colorful. A great mix of the blue ocean and yellow lemons.

There are actually many varieties of lemons grown in this part of Italy, especially in Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. The big and bumpy ones are actually citron and are popular in making jams or desserts. The ones grown in Sorrento are smaller but very aromatic. These two types of lemon are made into granita (or Italian shaved ice mixed with lemonade). The classic summer drink of fresh squeezed lemon juice is a favorite. As well as gelato (it’s like sorbet or “sorbetto alla limone”).

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This method of adding lemon to tea has been very popular in England for many years.  As well as adding milk and sugar. Althought I am  not English, I do like to add lemon to tea.  It’s usually because I want to add some perk to my tea, but mostly it’s due to the health benefits of adding vitamin C.

Beautiful painting of cheerful blue teapot and lemons by Nita Leger Casey of Ginger Bread Art Gallery.

Green tea, black tea, and oolong tea contain naturally occurring compounds called tannins. Tannins give that color and astringent taste to tea. Tannins can also inhibit the absorption of iron. While this effect is helpful in persons with too much iron, but in women who are anemic, it’s best to add lemon or lime juice to your tea. Lemon or lime juice is rich in vitamin C and may partially help counteract this effect.

Researchers at Purdue University published their study on the benefits of adding Vitamin C to tea in the November 2007 issue of Molecular Nutrition and Food Research.  They found that catechins (pronounced cat-tee-kins),  which is a type of antioxidant, are unstable in non-acidic environments such as the intestines.  Less than 20 percent of the total remains after digestion. But by adding Vitamin C, it recovered levels of the two most abundant catechins by sixfold and 13-fold.  The researchers also believe that other types of tea, such as black or oolong, would benefit from adding lemon juice, since these types also contain catechins, but in smaller amounts than in green tea. Read the rest of this entry »