{"title":"Anorexia – Aromatic strategies in managing dietary changes in end-of-life patients","authors":"Sara Diogo Gonçalves","doi":"10.1016/j.nupar.2025.06.003","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Anorexia is a prevalent and challenging symptom in end-of-life care, significantly affecting patients’ nutritional status, energy levels, and overall quality of life. Traditional management approaches, including pharmacological appetite stimulants and dietary modifications, often have limited efficacy and may cause adverse effects. As a result, complementary therapies such as aromatherapy have gained interest for their potential role in appetite stimulation. Essential oils, derived from aromatic plants, act through olfactory stimulation, autonomic nervous system modulation, and biochemical interactions to enhance digestive function and appetite regulation. This review examines the therapeutic potential of essential oils, including citrus, ginger, peppermint, fennel, and chamomile, in managing anorexia among palliative care patients. These oils influence gastric motility, reduce nausea, and alleviate stress-related anorexia through complex neurophysiological mechanisms. Various administration methods, such as inhalation, topical application, and controlled ingestion, allow for tailored interventions suited to individual patient needs. Despite promising findings, further clinical research is required to establish standardized guidelines for safe and effective use. By integrating essential oils into palliative care strategies, healthcare providers can offer a holistic, non-invasive approach to improving appetite and overall well-being in patients facing advanced illness.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54702,"journal":{"name":"Nutrition Clinique et Metabolisme","volume":"39 3","pages":"Pages 180-192"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Nutrition Clinique et Metabolisme","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0985056225000512","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Anorexia is a prevalent and challenging symptom in end-of-life care, significantly affecting patients’ nutritional status, energy levels, and overall quality of life. Traditional management approaches, including pharmacological appetite stimulants and dietary modifications, often have limited efficacy and may cause adverse effects. As a result, complementary therapies such as aromatherapy have gained interest for their potential role in appetite stimulation. Essential oils, derived from aromatic plants, act through olfactory stimulation, autonomic nervous system modulation, and biochemical interactions to enhance digestive function and appetite regulation. This review examines the therapeutic potential of essential oils, including citrus, ginger, peppermint, fennel, and chamomile, in managing anorexia among palliative care patients. These oils influence gastric motility, reduce nausea, and alleviate stress-related anorexia through complex neurophysiological mechanisms. Various administration methods, such as inhalation, topical application, and controlled ingestion, allow for tailored interventions suited to individual patient needs. Despite promising findings, further clinical research is required to establish standardized guidelines for safe and effective use. By integrating essential oils into palliative care strategies, healthcare providers can offer a holistic, non-invasive approach to improving appetite and overall well-being in patients facing advanced illness.
期刊介绍:
Nutrition Clinique et Métabolisme is the journal of the French-speaking Society of Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition. Associating clinicians, biologists, pharmacists, and fundamentalists, the articles presented in the journal concern man and animals, and deal with organs and cells. The goal is a better understanding of the effects of artificial nutrition and human metabolism. Original articles, general reviews, update articles, technical notes and communications are published, as well as editorials and case reports.