4 Herbs to Help with Depression

Depression affects millions of people around the US. Many of them have been told by the medical industry to take a variety of antidepressant medications as the only way to be effectively treated. In reality, there are several good herbal remedies that have been shown in the laboratory to help to decrease depression naturally and without the often dangerous side effects of anti-depressants.

#1 Rhodiola Rosea

This is a root that has a sap that has been used for centuries to boost both physical and mental stamina. It also can be effective in cutting down on your stress and anxiety. In some people, it has been known to improve mood and to reduce symptoms of depression. That is the reason that rhodiola rosea is known as an adaptogen, which is a natural remedy that helps to improve your body’s reaction to stress. It also helps to keep the best levels of homeostatis in your body by balancing your immune system and your endocrine hormones.

This herb has been shown in several studies to be used to cut down on the time you need to recover after workouts, boost your attention span, boost physical fitness, and to cut down on feelings of anxiety and depression.

#2 St. John’s Wort

A 2008 study in the Cochrane Systematic Review found that St. John’s Wort can be just as effective as regular antidepressant medications to treat mild depression episodes. When this herb is taken in its extract form, it has been shown to help to reduce sleeping problems, increase relaxation and boost your energy levels. It seems to be able to increase energy without the spikes and valleys that are usually associated with drinking coffee. St. John’s Wort is a quite inexpensive and very safe herbal supplement that can improve your general mental health.

#3 Camu Camu

This is a plant that grows in tropical rainforests, with berries that have some of the highest levels of vitamin C on earth. The fruit of the plant is sweet and tangy and has many valuable nutrients. They help to fight bacteria, viruses, inflammation and also can help you to deal with stress and to cut down on feelings of depression.

According to the Clinician’s Handbook of Natural Healing, Camu Camu has the second most amount of natural antidepressant compounds.

#4 Ashwagandaha

This Indian plant has very strong adaptogenic compounds that are thought to relieve stress and depression. This plant also is believed to fight brain disorders including Parkingson’s and Alzheimers.

There have been several studies released that show that this natural herb works as well as antidepressants to relieve depression and anxiety.

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This very popular natural remedy helps to promote a strong immune system and nervous system, and to give you general feelings of good health and well being. This remedy also is very good for the heart and brain.

It is recommended that you take three to five of these pills, twice per day.

Effective Herbs for Weight Loss

Most people have difficulty losing weight, as we deal with problems ranging from a slow metabolism, to intense cravings for calorie-laden foods. The great news is that there are several herbs that can help you to drop the pounds.

#1 Green Tea Extract

Great tea has compounds that are called catechins. This is a type of antioxidant that has been shown to increase metabolism and to increase the burning of fat in the body. According to a 2005 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, men who took 700 mg of green tea extract each day lose more weight than those in a control group. Other studies have shown that green tea extract also can cause substantial weight loss in women, as well.

#2 Gymnema Sylvestre

This is a plant that grows in the wild in Africa and India. It has been shown in clinical studies to help reduce the ability to taste sweet foods. Gynnema molecules are like glucose and are clustered in the taste bud receptors on your tongue. They can work to make you feel as if you just had a sugar fix.

One study that was published in Physiology and Behavior in 1983 showed that people who took gymnema had reduced perceptions of sweetness. When they were offered sweet snack foods, such as cookies and cakes, ate fewer calories than people who were in the control group.

#3 Guggul

This natural herb can be effective for cutting down joint pain, dropping your cholesterol levels and also helping with losing weight. According to a study by the University of Nebraska and Beth Israel Medical Center, people who consumed 760 mg of guggul every day and did a work out with aerobics and strength training, were able to lose up to six pounds. People who worked out but did not take the herb lost only about one pound.

It appears that Guggul assists our bodies in metabolizing fat and boosts the function of our thyroid by increasing hormone levels in the blood.

#4 Siberian Ginseng

One of the major benefits of ginseng is that it gives your body better access to stored energy, makes you feel less tired, and just generally makes you more perky and energetic. You should try to take capsules of ginseng for about one month, and then take a few weeks off. This helps to ensure that you body does not become too used to the herb.

#5 Garcinia

This is a berry that is often found in many herbal weight loss supplements. This herb can be quite effective in helping to suppress your appetite and to stop your body from storing fat. One of the great parts of this herb is that it is not actually a stimulant. Research indicates that garcinia has the ability to block enzymes that convert your body’s carbohydrates into fat. It is a good idea to take this herbal supplement with a regular diet, and not with a high fiber diet. It appears that garcinia loses some of its effectiveness if it is taken with a lot of fiber.

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5 Best Herbs for Healing

You can really increase the effectiveness of your home remedies to promote all types of healing in your body by using herbs. Herbs have been used for centuries by many cultures for healing, but only recently has science begun to confirm the ability of herbs to cut arthritis pain, cut blood sugar and cholesterol levels and to assist our bodies with other types of conditions.

Some of the best healing herbs for your medicine cabinet are:

#1 Tumeric for Arthritis

Did you know that a helping of curry with your food could ward off pain? This is because turmeric is a spice that is common in curry. It contains curcumin, which is a strong anti-inflammatory that works very much like a Cox-2 inhibitor. This is an enzyme used in many drugs that can reduce the swelling and pain of arthritis.

Tumeric also can be used to ward off colon cancer and even Alzheimer’s Disease. It is recommended by experts to try to add this spice to your meals whenever you can. For a therapeutic remedy, you should try 400 mg of curcumin three times per day.

#2 Cinnamon to Lower Blood Sugar

A recent study showed that if you take cinnamon extract every day, it can be helpful in decreasing your blood sugar by as much as 10%. This means that it can be helpful in controlling your type 2 diabetes. Also, cinnamon has been shown to have the ability to reduce cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Another study showed that the use of this herb could cut cholesterol by 13%!

To have the maximum effect on your blood sugar levels, you should take a one gram capsule per day.

#3 Ginger for Nausea

Ginger is very useful for taming an upset stomach for many reasons, such as for motion sickness, pregnancy and chemotherapy. Ginger is a powerful antioxidant that blocks the effects of serotionin on the body. This is a chemical that your stomach and brain make when you feel nauseated. In a study of cruise ship passengers, 500 mg of ginger every four hours worked as well as Dramamine and it did not make you sleepy.

Also, ginger can be very useful for cutting your blood pressure, cancer risk and arthritis pain.

For nausea, the best thing to do is to take ginger before your symptoms begin, at least 30 minutes before any activity.

#4 St. John’s Wort for Stress and Anxiety

Research has confirmed that this herb can help to prevent mild to moderate depression and anxiety. It actually can be just as effective as many drugs but without the debilitating side effects. Also, this herb can help you to sleep better. It contains melatonin, which is the hormone that regulates our sleeping and waking cycles.

#5 Garlic for Fighting Cancer

Eating a lot of garlic or taking garlic pills can reduce levels of ovarian and colon cancer, according to a research paper in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It also can help to decrease your high blood pressure by as much as 30 points.

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This popular herbal remedy helps to improve your mental alertness and to also promote relaxation and heart health. Take one pill two times per day for maximum benefit.

5 Best Herbs for Great Health

Now that the word is getting out on the big benefits of herbal medicines, millions of Americans are turning to natural herbal supplements to improve their health without the side effects of unnatural drugs. Some of the most recommended herbs to keep your body in peak condition include these:

#1 Echinacea

This famous herb was once used by Native Americans to boost the immune system. Scientists now think that this herb provides stimulus to the immune system and produces lymphocytes. These attack and destroy viruses and bacteria in the body. Research in Sweden 15 years ago showed that Echinacea can be very effective for stopping the common cold. It works because it stimulates our production of interferon, which is a chemical in the body that fights viruses.

To be most effective, take the herb when you first start to feel sick. If you take it all the time, it tends to lose its effectiveness.

#2 Chamomile

This is a great choice to have in a hot tea to help you relax. Chamomile is very effective in easing anxiety, ulcers and insomnia. It often is consumed in tea to help people to feel less tense and also to reduce inflammation in the bowels.

Interestingly, new research shows that the herb contains azulene, which can destroy some of the bacteria that cause infections. It can truly help to ward off many illnesses, including several types of flu.

#3 Ginseng

No list of healthy herbs would be complete without this giant of the Chinese herbal medicine canon. This herb was used 2000 years ago to boost energy levels and it is thought today to boost our physical energy levels and also our mental alertness. It can cut down your stress and feelings of tiredness, and can boost memory too.

#4 Ginkgo Biloba

This herb was first used in Chinese medicine 5000 years ago to boost brain energy and to reduce depression, loss of memory and also senility and Alzheimer’s Disease. It also possesses antioxidant properties that can increase both circulation and nerve function.

When this herb is used with ginseng, ginkgo biloba can boost your mental performance and memory in adults.

#5 St. John’s Wort

This is one of the best herbal remedies that you will ever find. It is known in some quarters as the sunshine herb. It can really help to cut down on your feelings of depression and anxiety. Recent research indicates that it contains hypericin. This boosts your levels of serotonin, also known as the happy hormone. This is the hormone that controls our sleeping, moods and eating habits.

Just as with Prozac, you should not use St. John’s Wort if you are pregnant, OR if you are currently taking anti-depressants.

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This is our most popular anti-aging herbal supplement. It helps to give you a strong heart, good circulation, strong memory and mental acuity, and also a strong nervous and immune system. We recommend that you take four tablets two times per day for maximum good health and energy.

Best Herbal Remedies for Stress Reduction [infographic]

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We all have more stress in our life than we would like. And I think we can all agree that the world and our lives probably won’t start trending towards less stress. So rather than ignore the issue of stress in our lives and how to reduce stress, let’s look at what herbal remedies that we can take to help us cope with the stress in our daily lives. This infographic on the herbs to help stress points out 7 good choices to help with stress.

Best Herbal Remedies for Stress Reduction

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An effective herbal supplement that boosts your stamina while restoring mental alertness when experiencing occasional fatigue. This product also works to relieve you from stress and promote relaxation.

Aids in restoring mental alertness when experiencing occasional fatigue, boosting stamina, and in improving absentmindedness. Also promotes relaxation and relief of occasional sleeplessness.

Thanks for HealthCentral for this herbal infographic.