What Is Bergamot?

Where does Bergamot Oil come from? Bergamot is a plant that produces a type of citrus fruit (citrus bergamot), and its scientific name is Citrus bergamia. It`s defined as a hybrid between a sour orange and lemon, or a mutation of lemon.

The oil is taken from the peel of the fruit and used to make medicine. Bergamot Essential Oil, like other essential oils, can be steam-distilled or extracted through liquid CO2 (known as [cold" extraction). Many experts support the idea that cold extraction helps preserve more active compounds in essential oils that may be destroyed by the high heat of steam distillation.

The oil is commonly used in black tea, which is called Earl Grey.

Although its roots can be traced back to Southeast Asia, bergamot was more widely cultivated in the southern part of Italy. The essential oil was even named after the city of Bergamo in Lombardy, Italy, where it was originally sold.

In folk Italian medicine, it was used for reducing fever, fighting parasitic diseases and relieving sore throat. Bergamot oil is also produced in the Ivory Coast, Argentina, Turkey, Brazil and Morocco.

There are a number of a surprising health benefits from using this essential oil as a natural remedy. Bergamot oil is antibacterial, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic. It`s uplifting, improves your digestion and keeps your system working properly.

Bergamot Oil Benefits and Uses

1. Helps Relieve Depression

There are many signs of depression, including fatigue, sad mood, low sex drive, lack of appetite, feelings of helplessness and disinterest in common activities. Each person experiences this mental health condition in a different way.

The good news is that there are natural remedies for depression that are effective and get to the root cause of the problem. This includes components of bergamot essential oil, which have antidepressant and stimulating qualities. It is known for its ability to promote cheerfulness, feelings of freshness and increased energy by improving the circulation of your blood.

A study conducted in 2011 suggests that applying blended essential oils to participants helps in treating symptoms of depression and anxiety. For this study, the blended essential oils consisted of bergamot and lavender oils, and participants were analyzed based on their blood pressure, pulse rates, breathing rates and skin temperature. In addition, subjects had to rate their emotional conditions in terms of relaxation, vigor, calmness, attentiveness, mood and alertness in order to assess behavioral changes.

Participants in the experimental group applied the essential oil blend topically to the skin of their abdomens. Compared with the placebo, blended essential oils caused significant decreases of pulse rate and blood pressure.

At the emotional level, subjects in the blended essential oils group rated themselves as [more calm" and [more relaxed" than subjects in the control group. The investigation demonstrates the relaxing effect of a mixture of lavender and bergamot oils, and it provides evidence for use in treating depression or anxiety in humans.

A 2017 pilot study found that when bergamot oil was inhaled for 15 minutes by women in the waiting room of a mental health treatment center, bergamot exposure improved the positive feelings of participants in the experimental group.

Not only that, but in 2022 randomized, controlled trial examining depressive mood and sleep quality in postpartum women, researchers concluded that [the results of this study support the effectiveness of bergamot essential oil aromatherapy in alleviating depressive mood in postpartum women. In addition, the results provide a practical reference for clinical postpartum nursing care.

To use bergamot oil for depression and mood changes, rub one to two drops into your hands, and cupping your mouth and nose, breathe in the scent of the oil slowly. You can also try rubbing two to three drops on your stomach, back of neck and feet, or diffusing five drops at home or work.

2. Can Lower Blood Pressure

Bergamot oil helps maintain proper metabolic rates by stimulating hormonal secretions, digestive juices, bile and insulin. This aids the digestive system and enables proper absorption of nutrients. These juices also assimilate the breakdown of sugar and can lower blood pressure.

A 2006 study involving 52 patients with hypertension indicates that bergamot oil, in combination with lavender and ylang ylang, can be used to reduce psychological stress responses, serum cortisol levels and blood pressure levels. The three essential oils were blended and inhaled daily for four weeks by patients with hypertension.

3. Boosts Oral Health

Bergamot oil helps infected teeth by removing germs from your mouth when used as a mouthwash. It also protects your teeth from developing cavities because of its germ-fighting properties.

It may even help prevent tooth decay, which is caused by bacteria that live in your mouth and produce acids that destroy tooth enamel. By preventing the growth of bacteria, it is an effective tool for reversing cavities and helping with tooth decay.

To boost oral health, rub two to three drops of bergamot oil onto your teeth, or add one drop to your toothpaste.

4. Fights Respiratory Conditions

Bergamot oil has antimicrobial properties, so it can help prevent the spread of foreign pathogens that lead to respiratory conditions. For this reason, the essential oil can be useful when battling a common cold, and it works as a natural home remedy for cough.

To use bergamot oil for respiratory conditions, diffuse five drops at home, or inhale the oil directly from the bottle. You can also try rubbing two to three drops on your throat and chest.

Drinking Earl Grey tea, which is made with bergamot extract, is another option.

5. Helps Lower Cholesterol

Is bergamot oil good for cholesterol? Research does suggest that bergamot oil may help lower cholesterol naturally.

A six-month prospective study involving 80 participants sought to measure the beneficial effects of bergamot extract on cholesterol levels. Researchers found that when a bergamot-derived extract was given to participants for six months, it was able to reduce total cholesterol levels, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels, and increase HDL cholesterol.