If you have ever peeled an orange, crushed a sprig of mint, or breathed in the sharp scent of pine, you have already met terpenes. These aromatic compounds give plants their distinctive smells — and they are far more than perfume. In plants, terpenes play a protective role, warding off pests and healing damage. In humans, a growing body of research suggests they carry a surprising range of therapeutic properties: anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, neuroprotective, and analgesic, among others. That combination is especially interesting when it comes to one of...
