From our list of herbs and spices, the following are recommended for Anxiety and Stress:
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- Chamomile
- Hops
- Kava
- Lavender
- Passionflower
- Valerian
Natural Cures and Remedies for Anxiety and Stress
German chamomile is normally sold under the name of chamomile’ or camomile’ in shops and supermarkets, usually as tea bags. Chamomile is an excellent herb to soothe painful conditions of the digestive tract, to reduce bloating and relax tension in the bowel. It is most useful for conditions associated with anxiety and stress – so-called nervous indigestion’. Hence it is often helpful for sufferers of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Chamomile is great for children’s tummy aches and for morning sickness in pregnant women.
Calms the sympathetic nervous system Moth-erwort’s ability to calm the sympathetic nervous system is probably due to its intense acrid bitters, which promote the transition from the sym-pathetic state to the parasympathetic state of relaxation. According to herbalist Matthew Becker (Wood, 2008), motherwort is excellent for those who move too quickly in thoughts, emotions, or actions that are not well thought out. Also good for anxiety and stress held in the gastrointestinal tract. Calms the heart Traditionally used as a tonic
Chamomile, Hops, Kava, Lavender, Passionflower, Valerian
There are certain foods which are associated with stress and anxiety and should be scrupulously avoided by patients. These foods are caffeine and many soft drinks, which causes nervousness, irritability and palpitation ; salt which has been associated with heart diseases; cigarettes which cause tension, irritability and sleeplessness and which have been linked with cancer, and alcohol which depletes vitamins of B group consider essential for reducing stress.
lar breakdown of glucose and fat. Supplements containing ephedra, a stimulant, may help as well-but they carry risks that include higher levels of anxiety and nervousness and increased blood pressure, and I do not recommend them.
Relying heavily on auxiliary respiratory muscles is a mistake for several reasons. Firstly, this exhausts and stresses these muscles, which produces stress, inflammation, and other problems in the body. Secondly, using auxiliary respiratory muscles as your main mode of breathing increases the likelihood of hyperventilation.
Chamomile
Hops
Kava
Lavender
Passionflower
Valerian
Extracts (Passionflower) – TD = >900 mg/kg ipr mouse (CAN). Extracts, oral or peritoneal, reduce spontaneous locomotor activity in mice and prolong their sleep (SHT). Flavonoids, more than alkaloids, may contribute to antianxiety and relaxing effects (PED). Harmala alkaloids produce drowsiness, inhibit the enzyme MAO, and relieve smooth muscle cramps. Apigenin is well known as an antiinflammatory and antispasmodic sedative (PNC). Hamane alkaloids are CNS- stimulant at doses of 3-6 mg/human, but hallucinogenic and toxic at 500-600 mg (HH2). But the presence of harmine-type alkaloids is questionable (HH2; PH2). Passicol inhibits many bacteria, molds and yeast, group A hemolytic streptococci more so than Staphylococcus aureus, with Candida albicans intermediate (CAN).