7 Herbs For Anxiety That Are Quick & Effective

In this fast-moving world where people face a plethora of challenges nowadays, anxiety may become a common mental health problem.

There may be numerous reasons behind the amplified anxiety levels in people be it the challenges they face in their daily lives or other mental health issues.

However, with the augmented cases of anxiety, many treatment methods for it are also discovered.

These treatment options could either include natural alternatives or even over-the-counter medications that are prescribed by healthcare providers.

However, natural alternatives are always better than prescribed medications, because they may save an individual from any unwanted side effects.

Besides this, research even suggests how the consumption of herbal alternatives over medications may help in dealing with anxiety situations more effectively.

So in this article, we will delineate in detail the different herbs that you may consume for anxiety.

1. Lavender

   Also referred to as Lavandula angustifolia, lavender could help you reduce your anxiety symptoms and sleep issues, as per this study^[1].

   The major reason behind this could be because of a plethora of active compounds found in this ingredient, some of which include sedative and anti-anxiety compounds.

   Apart from this, this famous herb belonging to the mint family might even be used as an aromatherapeutic herb nowadays because it could help to ameliorate your overall mood.

   So if you wish to use this ingredient for your anxiety, then you may either use it for making tea or even opt for lavender oil.

   You could either add lavender oil to your bath to truncate your anxiety levels or even use it for massage.

   The research^[2] concludes that the reason behind lavender oil helping to manage your anxiety levels could be because it consists of the terpenes chemical.

2. Tulsi

   Tulsi is just another traditional herb that is substantiated by a modern scientific study^[3] to help in dealing with stress and anxiety.

   When you have chronic stress, it could amplify the levels of free radicals in your body and hence might even lead to inflammation.

   However, the consumption of tulsi as a natural herb in these circumstances could amplify the activity of antioxidants in your body.

   These antioxidants may in turn combat the free radicals^[4] and curtailed their adverse impact.

   But if you want to see the positive impacts of this traditional herb, then you may aim at consuming it regularly.

   All you have to do is to prepare tulsi using its leaves. After that, you could add honey and lemon juice to this tea to ameliorate its taste.

   You could even prepare tulsi tea using tulsi powder. All you have to do is to add tulsi powder to a cup of boiling water and let it sit aside for 20 minutes.

3. Ashwagandha

   Scientifically referred to as Withania Somnifera, another efficacious herb you could consume to treat your anxiety levels is ashwagandha.

   You can consume either the tablets or the liquid tincture form of ashwagandha to curtail your stress and anxiety.

   The reason behind this is that it belongs to a group of herbs referred to as it adaptogens. Hence it might regulate hormone levels in your body and reduce your stress.

   The efficiency of ashwagandha was verified by this study^[5] where the participants who consumed ashwagandha showed lesser amounts of cortisol as compared to the people who took a placebo.

   Cortisol is a stress hormone^[6] that might amplify anxiety levels in individuals. Moreover, ashwagandha even has certain anti-stress, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties.

   So, you may aim at the consumption of approximately 300 milligrams of ashwagandha in a single day.

4. Brahmi

   With certain anti-anxiety properties, Brahmi might augment the serotonin levels^[7] in your body.

   Serotonin is a hormone^[8] that could be released in your body to promote relaxation, ameliorate your cognitive function, and hence help your body combat stress.

   This means, that besides helping you to deal with anxiety, Brahmi might even amp up your mental clarity and concentration levels.

   So to consume Brahmi, all you need to do is to mix its powder with either milk or water and let it sit for about 3 minutes.

   Once the mixture is whisked properly, you could strain it and add honey to ameliorate its flavor.

5. Chamomile

   With certain anti-stress properties, chamomile can be used as a herb to treat anxiety.

   To use it to treat your anxiety levels, then you may either make a delectable cup of chamomile tea along with lemon balm or consume it in the form of a tablet or extract.

   Moreover, chamomile can even be applied as a skin cream. According to a study conducted in 2014^[9], chamomile was found to be effective in truncating anxiety and stress levels.

   However, in certain rare situations^[10], you may even experience certain allergic reactions to this herb due to its interaction with other drugs.

   If you experience allergies to flowers like marigolds or daisies, you may want to avoid using chamomille as well.

   You may always consult your healthcare provider before using it to treat your anxiety.

6. Passionflower

   Passion Flower is another herb that could be used to treat anxiety with the scientific name of Passiflora. There are approximately 550 different species of this family of plants.

   One of these species, namely the P incarnata may help to treat a plethora of issues^[11] like stress and anxiety.

   Due to their capability to treat anxiety, doctors may even compare^[12] P incarnata to benzodiazepines, which is a type of medication used to treat anxiety.

   So if you have amplified anxiety levels, then you may consume either the liquid form or the tablet form of P incarnate.

7. Ginger

   Since time immemorial, people have been using ginger as a traditional herb to treat anxiety. Moreover, this aromatic herb could even truncate the stress^[13] resulting from an upset stomach.

   The major reason behind this may be because of the presence of an antioxidant named gingerol in this herb.

   Gingerol might combat the harmful chemicals produced in your body when the anxiety level rises, according to the research^[14].

   Moreover, it could even help^[15] with numerous health issues. So all you have to do is to enjoy a cup of ginger tea by adding chopped ginger into the water.

   In the end, you could strain this tea and add honey and lemon to it for taste.

Herbs are used since ancient times to treat various health-related problems as ayurvedic medicines. These herbs have various compounds that may help to reduce anxiety levels and depression.

Though useful, these herbs may collide with a doctor’s prescription leading to allergic reactions and health issues.

Hence, it is always better and recommended to consult with a doctor before consuming any such herbal alternatives for anxiety.

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Otella Ritzy

Otella has an experience of around eight years of writing about health and nutrition-related topics. She is a full-time mother and a housewife, and the time she has left after doing her mother and household duties is spent writing for Working for Health as a full-time writer. Her life goal is to raise both her boys into a gentleman, and at the same time, she wants to educate people on how to keep themselves fit by tweaking their daily diet.

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