doTERRA Adaptiv Calming Blend Capsules

Calming, relaxing, reducing feelings of stress, promoting uplifting feelings – these are terms often associated with the aromatic use of essential oils, and there is quite a bit of research to support those claims. But clinical research on the ability of essential oils to help us face challenges and cope with daily stressors – to adapt – has been fairly limited. At the 2019 Together Convention, Nicole Stevens, Director of Oil Research and Formulation, discussed how her team is changing that with a new proprietary blend and various innovative (if stressful) clinical trials.

The Adaptiv™ Calming Blend is the result of years of research and formulation. The final product is supported by clinical research conducted by dōTERRA’s own team of research scientists. In preparation for the launch of the new Adaptiv line of products, dōTERRA’s global campus was treated to science, as multiple clinical studies were underway. The Adaptiv research on essential oil blends was a milestone for dōTERRA’s clinical research team: it involved a larger number of dōTERRA scientists than any other internal study (more than 10), it was the first study involving psychological elements (stress), it included the youngest research participants of any dōTERRA study (as young as 12 years old), and it examined something we all deal with: STRESS.

We Will, We Will… STRESS You

Participants in the Adaptiv trial were only told that they would be testing a new dōTERRA product and that they first needed to qualify as a product tester by completing two assessments. Participants were randomized and placed in two separate rooms – one where Adaptiv was being diffused and one where a placebo was being diffused. To the dismay of participants, the assessments were a combination of math and word problems that gradually increased in difficulty. There were 15 questions total with a 12-minute time limit. In addition, a countdown clock was projected on the wall in each room. After completing one assessment, participants switched rooms and completed the other. Throughout both assessments, each person wore a pulse oximeter to measure heart rate and a temperature strip on the forehead to measure the autonomic response to the stress-inducing environment. After the assessments, all participants answered a series of questions about how they felt during the test.

What Did We Find?

The results surprised even those involved in formulating the Adaptiv blend. While the final statistical analysis is currently underway, some trends were clear from the initial data. Nicole Stevens noted such a trend during her 2019 Together Convention presentation. With regard to test scores – which were not particularly high given the difficulty of the test – many participants still scored higher when taking the test in the Adaptiv room. Average heart rates were also lower and more consistent when Adaptiv was being diffused.

Most interesting were the subjective assessments. There are objective physiological markers of stress (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure, etc.), but stress is also psychological – if you feel less stressed… well, then you are less stressed. Participants self-reported less stress and anxious feelings when taking the assessment in the Adaptiv room, even though they had no idea which room they were in or what was being diffused. There was also a small group of participants who took part in an extended clinical study with the Adaptiv™ Calming Blend Capsules. These specific participants reported the lowest stress levels of all. Since the products were formulated to be used together, the possible synergy between the oil blend and the supplement was exactly what we expected (and hoped) to see.

But What About the Scent?

Keep in mind that the research participants volunteered because they were told they would become product testers, and we would not leave them hanging. After the testing portion, participants were presented with three separate blends and asked how much they liked each blend and how it made them feel. The real Adaptiv was the clear winner, with most participants rating it an 8 or 9 (on a scale of 1-9). To complete the product test, participants were asked to describe how the scent of all three essential oil blends made them feel. Remember, they were not told the name of the product, which of the three was Adaptiv, or what the intended benefit of Adaptiv was. The words calm, content, positive, and happy came up repeatedly.

What Comes Next?

The evaluation of the Adaptiv product line did not end with this stress-inducing clinical study. dōTERRA scientists were also busy investigating the effectiveness of the oil blend in an institutional setting, conducting a clinical study with 80 supplement participants, and collaborating with research partners on a proteomic evaluation of how the capsules affect brain cells at a molecular level. All data is currently being subjected to final statistical analysis and will hopefully be published in a scientific journal in the near future.

The Adaptiv Calming Blend is the precise solution to help you cope with the stressors of daily life. Whether it’s a difficult test or just everyday life, add a few drops of Adaptiv to the diffuser to promote feelings of calm and relaxation, and help keep the body and mind in balance.