Essential Oils for Weight Loss, Blood Pressure and Other Claims Checked
Claim check on essential oils marketed for weight loss, blood pressure and digestion, with what trials and reviews found and why they do not replace medical care.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Safety first. Natural products can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read essential oil safety before you use anything on this page.
Important. Do not change or stop a prescribed medicine, including blood pressure medicine, because of a scent product. Ask the prescriber or pharmacist. Essential oils should never be swallowed for weight loss or any other reason; misuse can cause serious poisoning, and swallowed oils call for Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222. [1]
The claims as marketed
Weight loss, lower blood pressure and better digestion are among the claims this page checks. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explains that if a product is intended for a therapeutic use, such as treating or preventing disease, or to affect the structure or function of the body, it is a drug. [2] It lists claims to ease pain, treat depression or anxiety, or help you sleep as drug claims. [2] See also essential oil claims checked.Weight loss
| Claim | What the source found | Strength of evidence | Who and what was studied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential oils help you lose weight | Proper evidence not found. We searched PubMed for randomized trials of aromatherapy or essential oils with overweight, obesity, body weight or BMI outcomes and found no trial showing weight loss from an oil. | No good evidence of benefit | Not applicable |
| Scents change appetite | A systematic review of 41 studies found only two were clinical; the other 39 used animal models. Some oils and compounds increased appetite and others decreased it. [3] | Preclinical (cells or animals) | Mostly mice and rats, often given by mouth |
Animal appetite findings do not show that smelling or using an oil in people changes weight. For real weight questions, see healthy weight basics, weight-loss supplements and fat burners: claim check and unsafe products and warnings.
Blood pressure
High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, and the only way to find out is to have it checked. [4] The NHS says lifestyle changes and blood pressure medicines can help people stay healthy. [4]| Question | What the source found | Strength of evidence | Who and what was studied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do inhaled oil blends lower blood pressure? | In 83 prehypertensive and hypertensive adults, a lavender, ylang-ylang, marjoram and neroli blend inhaled for 24 hours lowered home systolic and diastolic readings compared with an artificial fragrance and no treatment. [5] | Promising but limited | Blend, not one oil; one day of use; stress hormone also measured |
| Does inhaled lavender help? | In 58 adults aged 40 to 60 with hypertension, daily 15-minute lavender inhalation for 7 days lowered systolic and diastolic pressure and anxiety compared with sweet almond oil. [6] A separate trial reported lavender oil reduced blood pressure and cortisol in hypertensive patients. [7] | Promising but limited | Small, short pilot studies |
| What do pooled reviews say? | In people with acute coronary syndrome, one meta-analysis reported mean differences of -8.78 in systolic and -7.76 in diastolic pressure. [8] A second reported a standardized effect of -0.65 for systolic pressure and no significant effect on diastolic pressure. [9] | Mixed | Hospital patients with a heart emergency, mostly measuring anxiety; not people with long-term high blood pressure |
None of the abstracts we read followed people for years or measured heart attacks or strokes. The trials also measured anxiety or stress hormones, so the abstracts do not let us tell whether a drop came from the oil, from relaxation or from other factors, and a drop after a session is not the same as long-term control. Lavender is also covered in essential oils for anxiety, stress and mood.
Digestion
The best-studied digestive use is peppermint oil in enteric-coated capsules for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), tested in trials as a pharmaceutical-type product. NCCIH says research suggests it may improve IBS symptoms in adults. [10] The same page says peppermint oil taken alone may worsen indigestion in some people, and that there is no evidence it helps indigestion on its own. [10] This is a description of trials, not advice to swallow an oil. See peppermint oil capsules for IBS and essential oils for nausea.Frequently asked questions
Can essential oils help you lose weight?
We found no trial showing weight loss from essential oils. A review of appetite research found only two clinical studies among 41. [3]
Can essential oils lower blood pressure?
Small, short trials of lavender and blends reported lower readings. [5][6] Two meta-analyses in people with acute coronary syndrome disagreed on the size of the effect. [8][9] They are not a substitute for blood pressure care.
Should I stop my blood pressure medicine if I use lavender?
No. Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without asking the prescriber or pharmacist. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms. [4]
Do essential oils help digestion?
Enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules were tested for IBS in trials. [10] That does not apply to other oils or to swallowing household oils, and Poison Control warns about misuse. [1]
Are claims on essential oil bottles checked?
Claims to treat or prevent disease make a product a drug under FDA's description. [2] Poison Control notes that manufacturers are not always required to show their product works. [1]
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Safety
- Many oils can cause rashes; some are poisonous if swallowed or absorbed through the skin. [1]
- Essential oils may interact with medications. [1] See how interactions work.
- Menthol in peppermint oil should not be inhaled by or applied to the face of an infant or small child. [10]
- Talk with a pharmacist or clinician before using a scent product alongside blood pressure medicines.
References
- Poison Control (National Capital Poison Center), Essential oils: Poisonous when misused Read 2026-10-22.
- US Food and Drug Administration, Aromatherapy (content current as of 09/08/2023) Read 2026-10-22.
- Effects of essential oils and fragrant compounds on appetite: a systematic review, Int J Mol Sci 2023 Read 2026-10-22.
- NHS (England), High blood pressure (hypertension) Read 2026-10-22.
- Essential oil inhalation on blood pressure and salivary cortisol levels in prehypertensive and hypertensive subjects, Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2012 Read 2026-10-22.
- Short- and long-term effects of inhaled lavender essential oil on anxiety, fatigue, blood pressure, and sleep quality in middle-aged adults with hypertension, Complement Ther Med 2025 Read 2026-10-22.
- The effect of aromatherapy on blood pressure and stress responses by inhalation and foot massage in patients with essential hypertension: randomized clinical trial, Holist Nurs Pract 2022 Read 2026-10-22.
- The effect of aromatherapy on patients with acute coronary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Complement Ther Clin Pract 2024 Read 2026-10-22.
- Effects of aromatherapy on anxiety and blood pressure in patients with acute coronary syndrome: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, J Integr Complement Med 2024 Read 2026-10-22.
- NCCIH, Peppermint Oil Read 2026-10-22.