Herbs For Anxiety Treatment - Are They Effective?

Copyright (c) 2008 Sandy Adamson

Herbs for anxiety treatment is considered as one of the alternative ways to treat people with anxiety. They have come out of scene because traditional medications have been believed to be addictive and even physically harmful. Not surprisingly, a natural resolution which appears milder and safer is gaining attention and popularity.

Almost all herbs used in anxiety treatment contain anti-anxiety components. Some of the more well-known ones include:

1. Kava Kava

This plant comes from the Kava crops in the western pacific and is effective in delivering tranquillity. Although Kava Kava is not addictive, some researchers believe that it may cause violent allergic reactions in a very small number of patients.

2. Valerian Root

This herbal supplement is extracted from the Valerian flower plant. It is also as a powerful tranquillizer, and is commonly used to reduce symptoms involving insomnia and epilepsy. Valenrian extract can produce results on patients in as little as an hour, but it is also slightly addictive.

3. St. John's Wort

St. John's Wort is also known as Klamath weed or Goat weed. It is used for in anxiety treatment because it contains properties that are capable of combating depression. In some countries, St. John's Wort is even more often prescribed than traditional medication in treating mild depression.

4. Others

There are more names to be covered, including passion flower, lemon balms, hops, chamomile, magnesium, B-complex, etc.

Herbs have been a hot topic in recent years. If you do some search on the net, you can find heaps of claimed herbal applications for almost all kinds of medical conditions. Some even claim that herbs are magic heals for cancer and AIDS.

Are herbs really effective? With regard to anxiety treatment, will herbal medicines completely replace traditional drugs? At this point of time, the anwser is probably NO. The fact is that there is no strong evidence yet to prove that herbs are effective in treating anxiety or, better yet, anxiety order, on its own. Although you may have come cross the claims by manufacturers of herbal products or testimonies from patients that they have been helped by St John's Wort or Velerian Root, traditional medications and behavioral therapies are still the best combination in battling anxiety and other mental conditions. The role by herbal medicines is only supplementary to the main two, at the very best. Having said that, herbs still carry their obvious advantage over the more powerful drugs for being less addictive and less harmful.

If your anxiety problem is only minor, your doctor may recommend herbal supplements prior to stronger medications. If you are, just like many others, purchasing herbs for anxiety treatment on your own, you really need to be cautious with your selection. As with every single industry, some manufacturers are more reliable than the others, and you should do yourself a favor to check them out. You can always consult your doctor for a good recommendation if you would like to skip your homework.


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