Herbs That Help With Depression

Depression medication seems to be getting prescribed more and more often. What many consumers don't know is that there are many herbal remedies that have been used in other cultures for hundreds of years. These herbal supplements can be used in an attempt to avoid the harmful side effects of this prescription medication.

Commonly Known Herbs and Supplements

• St. John's Wort is the first herb brought up in most discussions of depression. The herb, available at many health and drug stores, has been used to help with feelings of anxiety, worry, poor sleep and unhappiness. It can be taken as tablets, capsules or even in the form of tea. It works well alone but may cause side effects with other medications.

  Depression has been linked to a deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy fat that is needed in the brain. Since the body cannot make these fats, we must supplement our diet with fish or fish oil supplements.

  S-adenosyl-L-methionine, also known as SAM-e is a natural human chemical known to increase the happiness chemicals dopamine and serotonin. The supplement form is now available at health stores to attempt to increase these chemicals manually.

Chinese Herbs

• Eastern treatments are known to be quite different from Western treatments. In Chinese medicine, depression is based on how different parts of the body are contributing to the condition. There are many herbal formulas in this Eastern style that include herbs such as polygala (yuan zhi), which has been known to quiet heart palpitations and stop restlessness. Herbal antidepressants such as vervain and albizza (he huan) are often included in these types of formulas. Some other Chinese herbs included in these formulas are white peony (bai shao), pinellia (ban xia) and uncaria (gout eng). Various other formulas deal with the liver, which is associated with anger in Chinese medicine, and a deficiency of yin in the heart.

Adaptogens

• "Adaptogen" is a general term for herbs that do not directly counteract depression but lead to an improved overall health. These herbs tend to help with some symptoms of depression. A popular adaptogen, ginseng, has been known to reduce hormones related to stress, relieve tiredness and improve stamina. An Indian plant, ashwagandha, can help lower blood sugar levels while decreasing damage caused by stress. Calcium and magnesium have been cited as working hand in hand to restore balance to the body's chemicals, which may lead to an overall improved sense of well being.