Herbal Supplements For Anxiety Disorders

In a review of some 24 different studies, it was found by Shaheen Lakhan and Karen Vieira of the Global Neuroscience Initiative Foundation (GNIF), a nonprofit organization connected to advancement of neurological and mental health, that certain herbal supplements were effective in curbing anxiety disorders.

herbal supplementsAnxiety disorders is a generic term used to cover a host of problems that could include eneralized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety disorder, and phobias. It was seen that these problems could be helped by certain herbal supplements, such as passion flower, kava, lysine and arginine.

Of the 24 studies examined, as many as 15 revealed that there had been positive outcomes for anxiety disorders when a nutritional or herbal remedy was used. The side effects, if any were seen to be mild to moderate.

According to the researchers, “passionflower or kava and L-lysine and L-arginine appeared to be effective” , however other herbal supplements such as St John’s wort and magnesium were not seen to be effective.

Other factors such as dosage for the different kinds of anxiety disorders, however, need to be looked at more closely.

In another study, by the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, the efficacy of Kava in treating anxiety related disorders was noted, however, use of Kava was also seen to have certain side effects pertaining to the liver. In a study conducted in 2007, it was found that a combination of lysine and arginine helped individual who had high stress and anxiety levels.