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Effective Herbal Treatments for Anxiety

herbs herb herbal effective kava anxiety depression treatment brain mental

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#1 birthdaysuit

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Posted 15 July 2015 - 03:19 AM


  • Kava Kava. Kava appeared to be a promising treatment for anxiety. Evidence shows that certain kava extracts (extracts standardized to 70% kavalactones) can lower anxiety and might work as well as prescription anti-anxiety medications called low-dose benzodiazepines. But it might take up to 8 weeks of treatment to see improvement. However, reports of serious liver damage — even with short-term use — caused several European countries to pull it off the market. The Food and Drug Administration has issued warnings but not banned sales in the United States. I’ll avoid using kava until more rigorous safety studies are done. One should especially avoid Kava if they have liver problems or take medications that affect their liver. Cases of hepatotoxicity have been linked to use of the aerial portions of the plant, i.e. stems, leaves, etc. --traditionally discarded by native drinkers--and to high-concentration alcohol extracts--as opposed to the aqueous extracts used traditionally. With this in mind, it is pretty safe to assume that aqueous extracts of the rhizome (tea prepared with the root) are not dangerous to most individuals.

            Mechanism of Action:  UPREGULATION of the GABA RECEPTORS, specifically via INCREASING RECEPTOR DENSITY, there concomitantly exists just as many (if not more) studies that appear to demonstrate that KAVA KAVA is indeed a GABA RECEPTOR AGONIST.

 

  • Passionflower. A few small clinical trials suggest that passionflower might help with anxiety. In many commercial products, passionflower is combined with other herbs, making it difficult to distinguish the unique qualities of each herb. Passionflower is generally considered safe when taken as directed, but some studies found it can cause drowsiness, dizziness and confusion.
  • Valerian. In some studies, people who used valerian reported less anxiety and stress. In other studies, people reported no benefit. Valerian is generally considered safe at recommended doses, but since long-term safety trials are lacking, don't take it for more than a few weeks at a time. It can cause some side effects such as headaches and drowsiness.
  • Chamomile. Limited data shows that short-term use of chamomile is generally considered safe and can be effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety. Use of chamomile can cause allergic reactions in some people who are sensitive to the family of plants that includes chamomile. Other members of this family are ragweed, marigolds, daisies and chrysanthemums.
  • Lavender. Some evidence suggests that oral lavender or aromatherapy with lavender can reduce anxiety; however, evidence is preliminary and limited. Oral lavender can cause constipation and headache. It also can increase appetite and the sedative effect of other medications and supplements and can cause low blood pressure.
  • Lemon balm. Preliminary research shows lemon balm can reduce some symptoms of anxiety, such as nervousness and excitability. Lemon balm is generally well-tolerated and considered safe for short-term use, but can cause nausea and abdominal pain.


#2 Duchykins

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Posted 15 July 2015 - 05:36 PM

I tried a kava tea a while back.  Fucked me up big time, it's very sedating (so that means it works I guess lol).   Valerian was a close second.  I don't use them anymore because I don't like being sedated not matter how much anxiety I'm having.  Mildly tranquilized but fully cognizant, I prefer.

 

 

Hands-down my favorite teas that I tell everybody about:

 

Pukka Three Ginger  (best ginger tea ever)

Pukka Relax

Yogi Ginkgo Clarity

Yogi Calming

Yogi Honey Lavender Stress Relief 

 

Going off of my tea preferences, it looks like my favorite herbs are ginger, chamomile, lemongrass, licorice root, lemon balm

 

Ginger is the cornerstone here, I also take a ginger/turmeric supplement daily for several different reasons.

 

I used to be afraid of licorice root because of the warnings I'd read about it, but I got over it

 

 

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/22543233

 

Hypnotic effects and GABAergic mechanism of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) ethanol extract and its major flavonoid constituent glabrol.

 

Abstract

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra, GG) is one of the most frequently used herbal medicines worldwide, and its various biological activities have been widely studied. GG is reported to have neurological properties such as antidepressant, anxiolytic, and anticonvulsant effects. However, its hypnotic effects and the mechanism of GG and its active compounds have not yet been demonstrated. In this study, GG ethanol extract (GGE) dose-dependently potentiated pentobarbital-induced sleep and increased the amount of non-rapid eye movement sleep in mice without decreasing delta activity. The hypnotic effect of GGE was completely inhibited by flumazenil, which is a well-known γ-aminobutyric acid type A-benzodiazepine (GABA(A)-BZD) receptor antagonist, similar to other GABA(A)-BZD receptor agonists (e.g., diazepam and zolpidem). The major flavonoid glabrol was isolated from the flavonoid-rich fraction of GGE; it inhibited [(3)H] flumazenil binding to the GABA(A)-BZD receptors in rat cerebral cortex membrane with a binding affinity (K(i)) of 1.63 μM. The molecular structure and pharmacophore model of glabrol and liquiritigenin indicate that the isoprenyl groups of glabrol may play a key role in binding to GABA(A)-BZD receptors. Glabrol increased sleep duration and decreased sleep latency in a dose-dependent manner (5, 10, 25, and 50mg/kg); its hypnotic effect was also blocked by flumazenil. The results imply that GGE and its flavonoid glabrol induce sleep via a positive allosteric modulation of GABA(A)-BZD receptors.

 

 

I don't like that I haven't found the full text yet, though.



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