
06/08/2025
🌿 Bergamot for Anxiety: The Calming Citrus 🌿
I’ve discovered that bergamot isn’t just uplifting—it’s also been shown to ease anxiety. When I diffused it recently, I noticed tension gently lift. Turns out, the science backs this up:
Inhaling 1% bergamot oil activated a neural pathway (from the olfactory region to the ACC) that significantly reduced stress in mice—on par with traditional anxiolytics. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39487959/
In a pre‑surgical trial, patients who inhaled bergamot showed lower anxiety scores and decreased salivary alpha‑amylase before laparoscopic surgery. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32379683/.
A crossover trial among students showed that using bergamot spray before bed improved both sleep quality and daytime anxiety, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37625623/
A pilot in a mental‑health setting found 10–15 min of bergamot diffused increased positive affect by ~17%. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28337799/
Additional notable studies:
A 2025 RCT found bergamot (used with grapefruit oil) reduced anxiety, fatigue, irritability, and mood symptoms tied to PMS. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40312670/
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Mechanism – bergamot may directly calm stress‑related brain circuits.
Acute use – 10–15 minutes of diffusion can ease pre‑procedural and situational anxiety.
Ongoing support – bedtime sprays may help with chronic stress and sleep.
Could bergamot fit beautifully into your self-care evening routine? 🌙💧