Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Natural herbs for stress

Do you have stress in your life? If left untreated, stress can be a serious health hazard
that affects both mental and physical wellbeing. Excessive stress robs the body of nutrients, harms the cardiovascular system, and lowers the effectiveness of the immune system. stress can induce depression, anxiety, anger, fear, and other negative patterns. How well do you deal with stress? What can you do? And if it happens to teenagers it is not advisable to go for medication..

Herbs can reduce or even eliminate some of the negative effects that stress can cause.Some herbs are the best treatment for physical ailments, while others work better for psychological problems. Managing your emotions and mastering your reactions to stress will be the necessary steps you must take to "curestress, but meanwhile, herbs can definitely help.

A number of herbs are so precious, so powerful and so well balanced that they may be taken individually. Most herbs should be combined with other herbs in order to bring out the specific desired functions and to mitigate undesired effects.

Stress relieving herbs can be divided into 4 types.

Herbs for treating anxiety and depressions

st john's wort
- antidepressant, sedative, relieves pain, antiviral, tonic for anxiety, tension, insomnia and depression, used for centuries fro emotional and nervous complaints
valerian - a pure nervine, powerfully antispasmodic, soothing, quieting and calming, stimulates and heals the nerves
skullcap - good in neuralgia, aches and pains and many other nervous disorders, one of the best nerve tonics, sedative, effective in mental disorders, has a deep action on the nervous system
cedar berries - helps with low blood sugar, furnishes insulin to the body, will heal the pancreas in cases of hypoglycemia or diabetes
black root - tonic, relaxant hepatic, depurant, mildly removes toxins and congestion vervain - relaxes the nerves, produces a feeling of well-being, tonic for the nervous system, soothes and allays fevers in virus colds
mistletoe - will relieve panic attacks, headaches, eases anxiety, promotes sleep, effective in epilepsy, convulsions, hysteria, delirium, nervous debility and heart troubles
passion flower - produces refreshing sleep when emotionally upset, mentally worried or overtired, good for hysteria, strengthens the nervous system, used in tension illness
wild yam - soothes the nerves and relieves pain, valued in nervousness, restlessness and nausea, reduces inflammation and pain, balances hormones
peppermint - soothing for relaxation, soothes the lining and muscles of the colon, relieves muscle spasms, carminative, digestive aid, allays upset stomach
chamomile - relaxes tense aching muscles, relieves irritability and contains tryptophan, which works like a sedative in the body to induce sleep, relaxant
hops flowers - relaxes and strengthens the nerves, relaxes tension, relieves anxiety, eases headaches, produces restful sleep, digestive stimulant
bladder pod - one of the strongest herbal relaxants, has a beneficial effect on the whole body, a synergistic herb, causing the other herbs to work more effectively, valuable in distress crisis, balances the glands
wood betony - a mild sedative to the central nervous system, good for the immune system, excellent for headache
fever few - natural relief for migraine headaches, used to help in dizziness, tinnitus and provides improved circulation to the head and brain, strengthens the immune system
blue cohosh - cleanses, builds and helps to sustain health, contains anti-bacterial properties to calm nerves and relieve muscular pain, helps heart palpitations, good for neuralgia
cascara - cleanses the bowel of toxic waste, which can cause nervousness, beneficial to the liver, helpful with insomnia, restores tone to the bowel
cayenne - a natural, powerful stimulant, benefits the heart and circulatory system, good circulation is the key to healing in the body, synergistic, helps with headaches and depression, excellent nervine

Herbs for relaxation of nerve cells

blue vervain
- relaxes the nerves, produces a feeling of well-being, soothes and allays fevers in virus colds
damiana - tonic for the nervous system, nervine, general body cleanser, diuretic, aperient, hormonal
spearmint - soothing to the nerves, stomachic, strengthens the body, helps with cramps and spasms
mistletoe - will relieve panic attacks headaches, eases anxiety, promotes sleep, effective in epilepsy, convulsions, hysteria, delirium, nervous debility and heart troubles, lessens cerebral excitement
valerian - nourishing and soothing to the nervous system, useful in hysterics, useful in colic, low fevers, and to break up colds, can serve as a substitute for Valium to overcome addiction, nervine
scullcap - one of the best nerve tonics, very quieting and soothing to the nerves, good in neuralgia, aches and pains, and many other nervous disorders, useful with drug and alcohol withdrawal, nervine
lady's slipper - rebuilds a damaged and frayed nerve sheath, excellent for nervous headaches and irritability, helpful in stroke and hysteria, effective nerving for all stress, tension and anxiety states, relaxant
lobelia - has a beneficial effect on the whole body, powerful relaxant w/many diseases, balances the glands, valuable in stress crisis, herb that is powerful in removing disease and promoting health
cayenne - stimulant, synergist, used with lobelia it acts as a nervine, anti-bacterial, anti-pyretic, antiseptic
st john's wort - nervine, sedative, powerful blood purifier, helpful with after pains, good in hysteria and nervous affections, useful for chronic fatigue syndrome and mental burnout, anti-inflammatory
hops flowers - relaxing and strengthening to the nerves, relaxes tension, relieves anxiety, fast acting nervine, produces sleep, good remedy for toothache and earache, tones the liver, soothes inflammations
wood betony - acts as a mild sedative to the central nervous system, good for the immune system, excellent for headache, protects against epidemic diseases, excellent for the stomach and for pains in the head

Herbs for calming body and to get sleep

valerian root
- nourishing and soothing to the nervous system, slows the action of the heart, while increasing its general force, helps reduce anxiety, tension, and hysteria, helpful in insomnia, diuretic, tonic
hops flowers - produces sleep, relaxing and strengthening to the nerves, relaxes tension and relieves anxiety, relieves muscle spasms, relieves pain and reduces fevers, used to decrease the desire for alcohol
blue vervain - relaxes the nerves, useful in sleeplessness, nervousness and nervous headache, is a quieting herb that helps calm coughing and is a natural tranquilizer, produces an overall feeling of well being
black cohosh - helpful with nervous disorders, excellent remedy for high blood pressure, nerving, helpful in epileptic seizures, dizziness, convulsions, contains anti-bacterial properties to calm nerves and relieve muscular pain, soothes local pains and is used for headaches, relieves or prevents spasms,
cayenne - restorative, anti-inflammatory, stimulant, antispasmodic, reaches every organ in the body, acts mainly on the circulation, it also acts on the nervous structures, used with lobelia as a nerving
lady's slipper - nerving, antispasmodic, helps with hysteria, and nervous irritability, relieves muscular pain, rebuilds damaged and frayed nerve sheath, enhances calming and easing of the mind
lobelia - has a beneficial effect on the whole body, powerful relaxant in many diseases, balances the glands, valuable in stress crisis, synergistic herb, effective in causing immediate relaxation
scullcap - one of the best nerve tonics, very quieting and soothing to the nerves, good in many nervous disorders, acts on nervous system, calming nervous excitement, has detoxification properties
wood betony - acts as a mild sedative to the central nervous system, good for the immune system, excellent for headache, protects against epidemic diseases, good for head and facial pains/nervous disorders
mistletoe - will relieve panic attacks, headaches, eases anxiety, promotes sleep effective in epilepsy, convulsions, hysteria, nervous disability and heart troubles, acts on the nervous system as a sedative
lily of the valley - very quieting to the heart, useful in epilepsy, vertigo, and convulsions, diuretic, heart tonic
spearmint - soothes and settles the nerves, will settle a nervous stomach, increases blood circulation

Herbs for head and body aches

feverfew
- relief for migraine headaches, strengthens the nervous system, helps with dizziness and relieving colds.

valerian - nourishing the nervous system, sedative, relaxant, relieves muscle spasms, anxiety and tension
chamomile - contains typotophan which works in the body to induce natural sleep, helpful to the nerves
lavender - antidepressant, relieves muscle spasms, stimulates blood flow, soothing and calming
white willow - helpful for the nerves, used for pain and fever, astringent, analgesic, anti-inflammatory wood
betony - natural stimulant, mild sedative to the central nervous system, strengthens the immune system
balm - calming to the central nervous system, relaxant, antispasmodic, nerve tonic, antiviral, used for anxiety, mild depression, restlessness, irritability scullcap - works on the spinal cord and nervous system, food for emotional conflict, worry and restless- ness, sedative, nervine tonic, helps rebuild nerve ending in the brain, beneficial for headaches
bladderpod - relaxant, relieves pain, synergistic herb causing the other herbs to work better
lime flower - antispasmodic, sedative, calms the mind, allows easy sleep, excellent remedy for stress
ginkgo - anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, circulatory stimulant & tonic, improves cerebral circulation
catnip - helpful for the nerves, helps to balance the body, sedative, stimulates sweating, thus reducing fever, helpful in treating headaches related to digestive problems
peppermint - helpful with digestive problems, soothing, helps to relax the body, cleansing, carminative, to relieve headaches related to digestive problems or weakness
passion flower - sedative, antispasmodic, tranquilizing, helps insomnia, reduces nervous over activity and panic
vervain - nervine, tonic, mild sedative, mild bitter, mild antidepressant
peruvian bark - antimalarial, tonic, antispasmodic, antibacterial, improves irregularity of heartbeat

Always consult with your doctor or naturopath before trying an herbal remedy, and if you are already on an anti-anxiety drug regimen, please be aware that discontinuing it without medical supervision can lead to serious, even fatal consequences.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Good tips.
Have a good time!