Herbal Treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is sometimes known as the "wintertime blues." For approximately 4 percent of the population, shorter winter days and lack of daylight alter the body chemistry and cause mild to severe symptoms similar to depression. SAD can be a debilitating condition, decreasing the patient's ability to work and socialize. Now recognized by the American Psychiatric Association as a psychiatric syndrome, SAD causes mood changes, weight gain, excess sleep and energy loss. Light therapy combined with mood-lifting herbal supplements can relieve the symptoms of SAD.

St. John's Wort

• Similar in action to prescription antidepressants, St. John's wort has been proven to ease the symptoms of mild to moderate depression with fewer side effects than prescription drugs. St. John's wort will take several weeks to become fully effective.

  According the studies published in the British Medical Journal, St. John's wort extracts were "significantly superior to placebo" and "similarly effective as standard antidepressants." Less than 20 percent of the St. John's wort patients experienced side effects, while over 52 percent of those taking a standard antidepressant experienced side effects.

  Patients taking prescription antidepressants should not take St. John's wort or make any changes to their current medications without the advice of their doctor.

Ginkgo Biloba

• Ginkgo biloba is used in the treatment of Alzheimer's and stroke because it increases the blood flow to the brain. It also normalizes the levels of certain brain chemicals which may help alleviate depression. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, ginkgo relieves the depression symptoms associated with Alzheimer's disease but it should not be combined with prescription selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs) antidepressants.

Other SAD Treatments

• Light therapy, a technique that uses a light box to simulate and supplement natural daylight, has been shown to reduce the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. Used daily during the darker winter months, light boxes can restore a natural sleep-wake cycle and reduce the amount of melatonin released by the pineal gland.

  Coffee is not often considered herbal in nature, but in fact, it is. The caffeine contained in coffee is a stimulant and has a mild antidepressant effect. It can cause agitation and insomnia in large doses.

  Kava kava, an herb used ceremonially in the South Pacific, contains kavalactones which provide sedative and anti-stress properties. It has been shown to have anti-anxiety potential, but it should be used with caution due to possible liver toxicity.