Herbal medicine or herbalism is plant-based medicine that’s made from different combinations of plant parts. The parts of the plants used are the flowers, leaves and or roots. Each part of a plant can have different medicinal uses and the various types of chemical constituents require each plant to be extracted differently than another.
There are many herbs to be considered when dealing with mental health conditions. Some of these include your basic green tea for it’s antioxidants, polyphenols and amino acid L-theanine. Others include adaptogens such as ashwaganda for it’s relaxing benefits. Then there’s bacopa monnieri for it’s cognitive enhancing benefits.
Some other plants that are used in herbal medicine for mental health. These include tonics such as lavender and chamomile for stress relief, anxiety, panic attacks, mood elevation and more.
Most of these herbs can be found in dried herb formulation such as teas. Other solutions include tinctures, tables, capsules and the flowers, leaves and roots themselves.
Herbs have been known in traditional medicine to have healing properties. What better way to heal your mind, body and spirit all together than with these herbs.
Herbalism can usually go side by side with conventional medications, but some interactions may apply.
A side note: Be cautious of drug interactions with herbs such as SSRI’s and St. Johns Wort for example.
You may be eager to start your mental health healing journey, but if you are on any medications, it is wise to always consult your physician first before supplementing or trying adjunctive approaches. You can consult with an alternative medicine practitioner at mytelemedicine.
Another note is that herbalism does not always agree with every individual, although its purpose is to heal all aspects of a person.
References:
- Barnes J, et al. Herbal Medicines: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. 3rd edition. CRC Press; 2012.
- Ulbricht C, et al. An evidence-based systematic review of herb and supplement interactions by the Natural Standard Research Collaboration. Expert Opin Drug Saf. 2008;7(6): 721-741.
- World Health Organization (WHO). General Guidelines for Methodologies on Research and Evaluation of
Now, let’s focus on a cup of remedy-you-healthy here, and take a look at some herbs that benefit mental health:
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