17. Herbal Extracts For Stress Management
Herbs that support the adrenals and aid in stress management are also known as adaptogens. Adaptogenic herbs acts in non-specific ways to increase resistance to stress. They may lower cortisol levels or reduce its negative affects on the body. My favorites include rhodiola and ashwagandha.
Rhodiola (Rhodiola Rosea) has been used in traditional medicine in Russia and the Scandinavian countries for centuries. Rhodiola rosea is still widely used in Russia as a tonic and remedy for fatigue, poor attention span, and decreased memory.
A study published in 2007 in the Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, showed that patients with mild-to-moderate depression who took a rhodiola extract reported fewer symptoms of depression than those who took a placebo. A small human trial of rhodiola at UCLA published in 2008, reported significant im- provement in 10 people with generalized anxiety who took the herb for 10 weeks.
Side effects were generally mild or moderate in severity. Rhodiola appears to work faster than conventional antidepressants, often in less than a week.
Start with 100 mg once a day for a week and then increase the dosage by 100 mg every week, up to 400 mg a day, if needed.
Ashwagandha, sometimes known as Indian ginseng, is an herb that has been used in Ayurveda, traditional medicine of India, that can be traced back 6000 years. Ashwagandha has shown effectiveness in reducing stress hormones, promoting intellect and memory, protecting against neuronal injury.
A treatment group in a randomized, double blind study of ashwagandha compared to placebo demonstrated that the blood cortisol levels after 60 days showed a marked decrease, and the side effects were minimal. Ashwagandha was shown to be a good protector against stress.
Ashwagandha has also shown effectiveness in helping with obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, a measure of reaction time, and a measure of social cognition.
Several studies, including one published in the journal Phytomedicine back in 2000, have found that ashwagandha works as well as, or better than, antidepressant drugs at relieving anxiety and treating depression symptoms. And ashwagandha naturally prevents stress-induced free radical damage without causing harmful side effects.
The treatment dosage in humans is 100 to 300 mg capsule of high-concentration full-spectrum extract from the root of the ashwagandha plant twice daily.
