Here are some anxiety herbs you should know about.
Sometimes it’s really hard to calm down but we don’t want to (or for different reasons…can’t) go for a pharmaceutical right away . Here’s your anti anxiety herb list:
Kava (piper methysticum)
Passionflower (passiflora incarnata)
Valerian (valeriana spp.)
St Johns wort (hypericum perforatum)
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
Skullcap (scutellaria spp.)
Chamomile (matricaria chamomila)
Your nervous system loves these guys. Most are nervines which means they strengthen the nervous system . They work in 2 different ways. By “turning on” the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest mode) by binding to our GABA receptors and tricking our brain into thinking it has more GABA. The more GABA our brain is putting out the more calm and relaxed we feel. We usually have super high levels of GABA in our brain after we meditate. By turning on the parasympathetic mode, this is the exact same way an anti anxiety medication works.
Another way they work is by inhibiting the breakdown of GABA (this means GABA hangs out in our body longer). We know for example that a chemical called valerenic acid is found in Valerian root which is responsible for stopping the breakdown of GABA. This makes us feel super relaxed.
We usually expect mood improvement with these within 2 weeks.
If you’re stressed, anxious or feeling your mood is off this is a time to connect. We can strategize on which treatment plan would be best for you.