Herbal Antidepressants can be just as Effective as Modern Medicine

Herbal antidepressants are more and more popular these days owing to the reduced risk of side effects and withdrawal effects after treatment has finished. In fact, these days it’s becoming more and more popular for people to treat their conditions with a suite of natural alternatives like hydrotherapy or home spa.

Most neurological problems can be the result of either chemical imbalances or nutritional deficiencies, or a combination of the two. Poor nutrition, environmental and food pollutants such as chemicals, and stress-related factors like work and family pressure, all play a part.

How Long Have Herbal Antidepressant Treatments been used?

Natural or herbal medicine has used nutritional elements for substantial benefits to physical and mental health for thousands of years. In fact, natural science is responsible for the discovery of many methods to rebalance nutrient intake and repair essential components of human health. With the return of this balance, more positive emotions return, and negativity and anxiety tend to vanish.

Read how to make your own herbal medicine by clicking here.

St John’s Wort for Depression

Herbal antidepressants can consist of many ingredients to either prevent or counteract depression; the most commonly discussed is St John’s Wort, which is openly found growing wild.

The yellow-flowering, perennial herb is indigenous to Europe, but has been introduced to many other parts of the world. The name St John’s Wort comes from its traditional flowering and harvesting on St John's day, which falls on 24th June and was traditionally used to ward off evil. This was accomplished by hanging plants over a religious icon in the house during St John's day.

St John’s wort can be easily recognized by its leaf and flower. Yellow, five petaled flowers can be seen between late Spring and early to mid Summer. Its leaves have translucent dots that, when held up to the light, give a perforated appearance. When the plant’s flower buds or seed pods are crushed, a reddish/purple liquid comes out.

Many people grow St John's Wort in Pots

Other Herbal Treatments

Other natural treatments for depression can include various vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes, specialty supplements and herbal extracts, such as vitamins B1 and B6, Passionflower and Chamomile, Ginkgo Biloba and Siberian Ginseng.

Some treatments that are not as well known are Huperzine A- which is a moss from China that improves memory, cognitive and behavioral functions- and Phosphatidyl choline which is beneficial for depression, bipolar disorder, and anxiety.

Read about some of the treatments used in Native American herbal medicine by clicking here.

Herbal treatments target the brain, and sometimes other parts of the body, to achieve similar effects as modern medicines.

However, it is important to discuss your treatment strategies with a doctor or a nutritional specialist, as some treatments can have adverse effects when combined with other medications. Herbal antidepressants, such as St John’s Wort, are documented treatments with proven results.