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Top 12 Herbs Known to Relieve Anxiety
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10. Passion Flower
This plant has been used by Native American tribes for centuries as a treatment for seizures, insomnia, as well as anxiety. It’s also gotten quite a bit of attention from scientists in the past few years. In fact, studies show that this plant has the potential to be used as a successful treatment for anxiety in place of many pharmaceutical drugs. The active component in passion flower increases the GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) in the brain, which helps persons to feel a great sense of peace and calmness. A 2001 study showed that passion flower was just as effective as the pharmaceutical drug Serax (oxazepan) for general anxiety issues. Many herbal teas or tinctures that are often marketed as having “calming” or “anti-anxiety” compounds contain passion flower extracts.
Although passion flower (passiflora incarnata) is thought to be safe and non-toxic to most people, some report minor to moderate side effects. If you are pregnant, breast feeding, or plan to become pregnant, you should avoid this herb. If you are taking other types of anti-anxiety medications, talk to your doctor before you use passion flower. There have been reports of drug interactions with passion flower and some pharmaceuticals so if you are taking any type of prescription medication, consult your physician before you start using this herb.
