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Holy Basil, Saffron, Stinging nettle

depression holy basil saffron stinging nettle anxiety

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#1 castillo

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Posted 11 November 2018 - 03:42 AM


Can anyone point me in the right direction? I wanted to utilize these for a deep depression/anxiety that was caused by short term birth control use.  I've been reading contradicting information, especially when it pertains to Holy basil.  Some say it raises serotonin levels and then another article says it raises dopamine.  Since I am dopamine dominant, raising dopamine would not be a good option.  I am also estrogen dominant so anything to lower that would be a bonus and lets not forget the high cortisol all this stress has caused me.  Some mention that stinging nettle has serotonin on it's sharp hairs but is it a part of the leaves that are consumed or used in the tea?  Does anyone know what neurotransmitters the holy basil, saffron, and stinging nettle work on?  The saffron seems mighty interesting but I'm not looking for some psychedelic experience.  Would chewing on a strand or two make a difference in mood?  I thought going the route of B vitamins would help replenish what was depleted but it seems to cause an uptick in my anxiety.  I felt the same when I took desiccated liver capsules at 4 capsules a day.


Edited by castillo, 11 November 2018 - 03:45 AM.


#2 gamesguru

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Posted 12 November 2018 - 02:42 AM

saffron is a known anti depressant. maybe others have evidence, but I haven't seen any for the other two mentioned supplements. I would run a 2 month bacopa cycle, buy an elliptical machine, lots of better choices honestly

as for anxiety, stuffing your face with good food never hurt. get that magnesium from beans and rice, some flavonoids/polyphenols to boot from mushies onions and broccoli. B vitamins will increase dopamine (https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/2761676/) and, yes, make you more anxious if you are already malnourished and predisposed

saffron may also not be the most economical antidepressant. green tea has cured mine while slightly worsening anxiety. partaking in an ongoing education, developing a taste in music, and taking things in perspective has brought it back to baseline however

Edited by gamesguru, 12 November 2018 - 02:46 AM.


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#3 castillo

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Posted 13 November 2018 - 03:53 AM

Saffron is very interesting.  On the boards for ssri/benzo withdrawal, some have found great relief from taking saffron but I'm not sure how my sensitive body would handle it.  I didn't handle 5htp very well.  It gave me nonstop heart palps.  I am definitely taking your advice and stuffing my face with good foods. 

 

I thought B vitamins were used to raise serotonin also?  So I'm guessing taking a wholefoods B complex would do the same?

 

Saffron may not be economical but since my situation is a setback and temporary I just need it to survive the next months. 

 

I wish I could use green tea but because I have a low COMT gene, green tea is out of the question as it will raise my dopamine levels.  Dark chocolate is also on the no list.

 



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#4 gamesguru

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Posted 14 November 2018 - 03:34 AM

That's unfortunate about your COMT gene.

 

B vitamins tended to make me anxious before I got a grip on my diet (I no longer take them, so can't comment).  The brain region also matters, if it is prefrontal-cortical circuitry then yes 5-HT2A is dominant and more serotonin means less anxiety, but if the B vitamins concentrate to a greater degree in the basolateral amygdala or other locations where 5HT-2C is the most popular variant then it would actually cause anxiety.  Thinking purely in terms of neurotransmitter can be limiting and misleading.

 

saffron is basically a mild SSRI.  It boosts serotonin, BDNF/IGF1 secretion, and serotonin receptor encoding proteins while also lowering inflammatory gene expression.

 

It does all this without the nasty anti-bedroom effects of 5-HT1A agonism, which is so stereotypical of SSRI usage

 

Concurrent saffron use even reverses "those" effects.  I'm not sure it accomplishes this by some favorable regulation on the 5-HT1A receptor, or simply by augmenting traditional SSRI treatment and resolving residual depressive symptoms, which subsequently results in improved sexual function.  It's also possible an unrelated mechanism is involved here

You can buy saffron in bulk from the Chicago spice house, I would recommend their "superior" grade for therapeutic use







Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: depression, holy basil, saffron, stinging nettle, anxiety

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