Passion flower (Passiflora incarnata) was used traditionally in the Americas and later in Europe as a calming herb for anxiety, insomnia, seizures, and hysteria. It is still used today to treat anxiety and insomnia. Scientists believe passionflower works by increasing levels of a chemical called gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. GABA lowers the […]
Depression, Adrenal Fatigue, and Herbal Medicine
James Wilson, a naturopath and nutritionist, coined the phrase adrenal fatigue in his book Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome. Adrenal fatigue, sometimes called adrenal exhaustion, is a health disorder that can affect anyone who experiences persistent or severe emotional or physical stress. When adrenal fatigue occurs, adrenal gland function decreases sharply. Some of […]
Natural Highs
In Natural Highs: Supplements, Nutrition, and Mind-Body Techniques to Help You Feel Good All the Time, two leading authorities in psychology and nutrition present a prescriptive breakthrough program based on nutritional supplements, herbs, and simple mind-body therapies that will help to increase energy, sharpen the mind, elevate mood, relax the body, and beat stress. Their […]
Ayurvedic Herbalism and Mental Health
Ayurveda is a comprehensive natural health care system that originated in India more than 5,000 years ago. The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India (mid-second millennium BCE). Over the following centuries, ayurvedic practitioners developed a number of medicinal preparations and surgical procedures for the treatment of various ailments, […]