Treat Your Anxiety And Depression With Natural Herbs And Spices

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If you suffer from anxiety and bouts of depression you may have to depend on prescription medications to get yourself back on track. If you are a person who believes in dealing with problems in their life naturally and prefers to not rely on prescription pills, there are things you can try out first. There is a host of natural herbs and spices that can help to treat your anxiety issues and dark days of depression. Here is a list of items to try to get you started.

1. Rosemary

If you like to cook, you are probably pretty familiar with rosemary. This herb is delicious on steaks, roasted potatoes, and luscious stews. But this powerful herb is also strong enough to provide relief to those who suffer from anxiety and depression. Rosemary used as a tea has been shown to reduce the effects of anxiety and depression. Sipping it as a tea has three ingredients – rosmanol, salvigenin, and cirsimartin – that work directly on the central nervous system to treat anxiety and depression. In nursing students, the oil of the rosemary plant reduced stress and gave the recipients a calming effect.

2. Saffron

Saffron has proven itself to be effective in treating anxiety and depression through double-blind tests that incorporate tested placebos randomly. A clinical trial showed that the group that received an antidepressant with crocin, which is the main ingredient in saffron, exhibited a major reduction in their anxiety and depression as opposed to those who received a placebo. It has also been proven that those with mild depression and those with severe depression reacted to saffron with the same results as if they received an antidepressant for the disorder.

3. Turmeric

Turmeric has been growing in popularity as an effective tool in the health industry. Curcumin is a major component in dealing with chronic pain. Time and time again turmeric has been pitted against designated antidepressants and was found to be as effective, and many times more effective, than the prescription drugs.

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4. Thyme

You may be used to cooking with thyme, but once you know to use this herb to deal with depression, you may be reaching for extra bunches at the grocery store. Thyme has lithium, a powerful mineral that is used to treat depression. It also consists of tryptophan, which leads to serotonin in helping insomniacs get some well-deserved rest.

5. Lavender

Just by itself, lavender has a soothing and relaxing aroma that calms you down just by inhaling it. It has been tested on a 6 to 10-week trial period and was shown to almost be as effective in treating depression as prescription anti-depressants.

6. St. John’s Wort

This plant is from Europe but it has been found to be effective in treating those with mild forms of depression. St. John’s Wort works by raising the level of serotonin in depressed people. It was actually proven to be just as effective as medications that were prescribed to treat depression.

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7. Cinnamon

This fragrant spice is sweet and delicious on breakfast cereals as well as in hot tea. The type known as Ceylon cinnamon was proven to be effective in treating people who suffered from depression. It has also been an effective treatment in reducing Type 2 diabetes. Enjoy a cup of cinnamon tea with a little bit of honey the next time you are feeling tense or depressed.

8. Nutmeg

Nutmeg plants are found in abundance in Grenada. The fragrant spices have been through a gamut of tests and found to eliminate anxiety without any side effects like the prescription medications did. It also effectively dealt with depression naturally so recipients didn’t have to worry about unhealthy side effects.

9. Lemon Balm

This fragrant herb is able to provide a relaxing and calm feeling to those who suffer from anxiety. It helps with tension and a feeling of restlessness and works quickly when consumed as an herbal tea. You can consume this beverage a couple of times a day to get yourself under control and calm enough to face the day.

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10. Vervain

The best way to use these flowering plants is to let them dry out then used them in an herbal tea. These herbs have been shown to change a depressed mood into a calm attitude, eliminate stress and tension, and calm down the nervous system.

11. Hawthorne Berries

Hawthorne berries grow on trees. The berries can be used to create an herbal tea and are able to help those who are depressed and feel anxious become calm and relaxed without the aid of prescription medication. You can buy these berries at a health food store if you are not in a place where the trees grow in abundance.

12. Passionflower

The best way to handle the flowers and leaves of the passionflower plant are to dry them out. You can also eat the fruit of the plant if you wish. You can add the pulp or the seeds to your salads, desserts, or fruit drinks. They have been found to leave the recipient relaxed and calm. They effectively treat depression and anxiety.

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13. Licorice

You can enjoy licorice by the root or in a powdered version from a health food store. Licorice has been found to provide relief to those who are stressed out as well as a providing a calming effect for those who are depressed. Sip on the tea with a little bit of honey or take 1/4 teaspoon of licorice root in a powdered form daily.

14. Borage

The best way to use the borage plant is to take the leaves from the plant and dry them out. Use them to make a nice tea and add a little honey to taste. The borage plant has been proven to help alleviate tension, stress, depression and anxiety. If you can’t find the actual trees anywhere, you can find the leaves in health food stores.

References:

www.nimh.nih.gov

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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