Tag: SAD

Herbal Remedies For Depression

Uplifting Herbal Remedies:

There are many herbal remedies for depression which are easily obtainable, and which have been proven to be effective in treating depression.

It is a good idea to get professional help if you are depressed. Go to your doctor, your acupuncturist, naturopath or health professional for advice. You should discuss the information below with your health professional before beginning any treatment.

First of all – check that you do not have SAD, or seasonal affective disorder. If SAD is the reason you are depressed, then increasing exposure of the body to natural sunlight on a regular basis,  and  supplementing the diet with Vitamin D rich foods, or a supplement,  should help the condition. Deficiencies of sunlight and Vitamin D accompany this type of depression.

Diet For Depression:  The best foods are alkaline greens, fruits and vegetables.  Avoid sugar, preservatives in food, and avoid wheat products and dairy foods except for butter.  Prepare your meals at home fresh.  Eat plenty of salads, brown rice instead of wheat bread and pasta, cooked green vegetables.  Make sure you have enough protein – organic free range eggs and meats and chicken.  If you are vegetarian, then you need to eat plenty of sprouted seeds and grains to get adequate protein and vitamin B.  Vitamin B deficiency, lack of Vitamin D and iron deficiency can lead to depression.

Protein In The Diet:  Choose any of this list to complement your diet:  Egg yolk, Sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, avocado, almonds and nuts.  These are importan additions to the diet if you do not eat any meat or fish.

Gotu Kola (Hydrocotyle asiatica) is a natural stimulant. It is considered to be a helpful herbal remedy for depression. This herb benefits the central nervous system, and brain and hormone function. Gotu kola has been used to treat schizophrenia, epilepsy and memory loss, which are related to brain function. It also helps the body to rid itself of toxins via the kidneys. Gotu kola contains Vitamins A, K, and the mineral magnesium, which is another nervine. Gotu kola is not recommended for expectant mothers, or nursing mothers, though, because of its diuretic effect. People with intestinal disfunction, such as irritable bowel syndrome, or colitis,  are best to avoid this herb.

Ginseng (Panex spp), that wonder of Oriental medicine, is another stimulating and reviving health herb which is useful in  treating depression. Ginseng helps brain function, increases vitality,  and nourishes the nerves. It is a good restorative medicine. Ginseng root has been used in Chinese medicine for over 5000 years. It is mineral-rich, and contains Vitamins A, B12 and Vitamin E.

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is another popular stimulating Chinese herb which is used to counteract depression, in combination with other treatments. It is reputed to be a great memory herb. However, this herb lowers the blood pressure dramatically, and so ginkgo should definitely be avoided by people with low blood pressure and avoided also by people who have disturbances with their sugar metabolism.  I would recommend that you take this herb only under the guidance of a qualified health practitioner.   My experience of this herb is that it certainly improved memory function, and increased alertness, but it had an unpleasant and disturbing side effect in that it made me feel terrible because of lowered blood pressure.

Ayurvedic Medicine: However, the reason this herb is not suitable for everyone might have something to do with the different mental and physiological types, known as doshas in Ayurvedic medicine. Vata, Pitta and Kapha are the three dosha types:

Vasant Lad, is the author of The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies, A Comprehensive Guide to the Ancient Healing of India. In this book, Vasant Lad recommends  Ginkgo tea for Pitta depression. You obviously need to know your body type if this herb is going to be effective. Vasant Lad’s book is published in the UK by Judy Piatkus (Publishers) Limited, 5 Windmill Street, London W1T 2JA, 1999. Reprinted 2002.

Hawthorn Berries have a tonic and stimulating effect on the digestion, the heart, and the nervous system. Hawthorn is useful, in combination with other herbs and modalities in treating depression, as it  helps  improve kidney function and aids in the elimination of waste products.

Cayenne Pepper (Capsicum frutescens) is a safe herb to take to help drive  those blues away. Cayenne  pepper helps melancholia, mainly because it  has a marked beneficial effect on the blood circulation, and also the digestion. You can use it in your food, or use it in foot baths to gain benefit from this stimulating herb. Cayenne contains the Vitamins A, C, and also has traces of iron and calcium.

The following are some other stimulating herbs which are safe to use in treating depression:

The mint family; marjoram, lemon verbena, thyme and basil. These can be used in your food,  as herbal teas, as herbal treatments for the bath, or for use in a foot bath.

Herbs which Calm and Help  With Natural Hormone Production:

Borage (Borago officinalis) Borage is the herb of courage, according to John Gerard, who quoted: ‘ego borago gaudia semper ago’, “I Borage, always bring courage’.  Borage is a safe herb to use, and you can grow it easily in your garden. Just collect a few borage seeds after the purple flowers have died down, and sprinkle them around your garden, or your flower pots. They grow easily, as long as they are watered. Bees love this plant, especially bumble bees. Borage stimulates the adrenal glands, and healthy adrenal glands help promote that feeling of ‘joie de vivre’. Borage is rich in silica, which helps to soothe and heal the nerves. Make herbal tea with borage, or use a few leaves every day in your salad.

Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) is an herb which has been used in traditional medicine by the North American Indian people. It is often used for treating depression, as it is helpful in regulating hormones, and benefits the central nervous system, the brain, and emotions. Black Cohosh has nervine minerals calcium and magnesium. Black Cohosh is one of those herbs which should really only be used under the guidance of a health professional.

Dong Quai (Angelica Sinensis) This is another herb which, like ginkgo and ginseng, has been used in Chinese and Tibetan medicine for thousands of years. It  is a valuable women’s herb, as it  helps to restore estrogen levels. It is regarded as a general tonic for the female glandular/endocrine system. It also has a beneficial effect on the central nervous system. Dong Quai contains Vitamin E, B12, cobalt and iron, which contribute to its tonic effects.

Chaste Tree (Vitex agnuscastus) This herb helps the pituitary gland, which in turn, regulates hormone function. Vitamin B is recommended to supplement Chaste Tree berries.

Other Nervine herbs to Help Calm and Soothe: (Use under guidance from your health professional)

Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) (Note – chamomile tea is safe to use at any time); Pasque Flower (Anemone pulsatilla); Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora); Wood Betony (Stachys officinalis); Vervain (Verbena officinalis); Valerian Root (Valeriana officinalis); Passion Flower (Passiflora incarnata); Lavender (Lavandula spp.)

Herbal Bath With Uplifting Herbs:

Lavender Bath: Put a handful of fresh lavender flowers into your bath as it is filling.

Rosemary Bath: Alternatively, you can use a sprig or two of rosemary.  Leave the herbs in the bath to infuse as you soak in the water.

Homeopathic Arsen alb. 30x is very useful homeopathic for alleviating depression. Other ones which might be considered are Lachesis, or Ignation, Nat. mur, Lycopodium, Aconite, Belladona or Pulsatilla, depending on what the other symptoms are. Generally, you would choose just one, or maybe two, to treat the individual. Best to see a professional homeopath for advice, of course.

 

What Happens When Your Vitamin D Levels are Low

from Canon 266(1)Dramatic Photo By Lachlan

So – What happens when your vitamin D levels are low?

Vitamin D Deficiency can result in diarrhoea, insomnia, anxiety, nervousness and muscle twitches.

If Vitamin D levels are low over a long period of time, then you could risk becoming alcoholic, or drug-dependent, or suffer hypothyroidism or seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Your Vitamin D can come from the sun’s rays, or from the food you eat. Supplements may be necessary in some cases.

Too Much Vitamin D Is Harmful. Be aware that too much Vitamin D can result in the same problems as those related to Vitamin D deficiency. You won’t get too much Vitamin D from the sun, as the body will only process what is needed from the sun.  But be cautious if you are taking supplements,  and follow the recommended dosage.  Vitamin D is stored in the body.  Too much can result in liver and kidney damage.

Vitamin D is necessary for healthy thyroid functioning. When the thyroid is iodine-deficient, or Vitamin D deficient, then mood swings can result.  So to keep balanced mentally and emotionally, we need a helping of Vitamin D.

Excessive weight gain and heart problems could result if  your Vitamin D levels are low.   The sun’s rays help us to break down cholesterol.  Avoiding the sun completely can result in a build up of cholesterol which can cause us to  put on weight.

You might avoid skin cancer if you avoid the sun:  People with low Vitamin D levels have a lower risk of skin cancer than do people who get plenty of sun. However, there is a catch-22 with this.

Low Vitamin D Is Related To Internal Cancers: Research shows that sun lovers with a higher Vitamin D get fewer internal cancers  than the people with the low Vitamin D count who avoid the sun. You are more likely to develop breast cancer, or another internal cancer, if your Vitamin D levels are low.

Can coffee deplete Vitamin D levels?

This is a commonly asked question. The answer is yes.  Too much coffee, alcohol, cigarettes, and many medications can lead to Vitamin D being leached from the body.

Bones and teeth and Vitamin D Deficiency.  On-going deficiency of Vitamin D and other nutrients can cause rickets in children, and osteoporosis in adults. Weak, chalky and sensitive teeth might be what happens if  your Vitamin D levels remain low over a period of time. Vitamin D helps us to assimilate calcium: even if your dietary intake of calcium is adequate, the calcium will not be absorbed in the body if your Vitamin D levels are low.

Arthritis and Osteoporosis Can Occur With Low Vitamin D Levels: If  Vitamin D levels remain low over a long period of time, the body will start to leach the calcium it needs from the bones.  The outcome of this depletion is arthritis and osteoporosis, and chalky teeth too.

Vitamin D is also essential  for healthy hair growth.

Other Necessary Minerals: For healthy hair, bones, teeth and nails, heart and brain function, we need a balanced diet which includes the trace elements of

Iodine, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Copper, Manganese  and Selenium.

Be careful of the sun in the North Island of New Zealand.  It has become dangerously hot here since around 2011, the time of the dreadful Japanes tsunami and nuclear disaster, and many of us cannot go out into the sun for more than a few minutes at a time now.

I believe that radioactive particles from the Japanes nuclear disaster are now all over the world, high up in the atmosphere. Wherever the ozone layer is sorely depleted, more of this radiation is brought down to earth with the sun’s rays, which poses a risk of a form of radiation sickness.  Sensitive people will be prone to it. This could be a good reason to move to cloudy Dunedin, I feel.  Spending even 15 minutes in the North Island summer sun these days can result in headaches, sun-stroke or radiation sickness for me. Symptoms can last for several days.  I am very sensitive to radiation, so I expect that my reaction will not be a general one, although quite a few of my friends are now complaining of the same symptoms after several minutes of summer sun exposure.

The ozone-layer, which is sorely depleted in parts of New Zealand, means that we burn very quickly. If you live in North Island NZ, then before 9 am or after 5 pm is the safest time to take a short sun-bath for the purpose of absorbing Vitamin D.

Do not wear sun-block when you are taking Vitamin D into the body for health purposes. Sun-block will block the Vitamin D from being absorbed into the skin. Remember that if your skin is slightly oily, then you will absorb more of the vital sun energy – Vitamin D. So it is best to take your sun-bath several hours after showering, to give your skin a chance to restore some of the natural oils to the surface.

Applying a little olive oil, or avocado or grape seed oil, can be useful in restoring oily moisture to the skin before you take a sun-bath. Also remember not to wash directly after the sun-bath: the oil on the skin is still processing the Vitamin D from the sun for several hours after the sun-bath. Leaving your shower or swim for a bit will help the skin to absorb the valuable vitamins being processed.

The foods which contain high amounts of easily assimilated Vitamin D are fatty fish, fish oils, eggs, liver, and butter. Sardines, tuna, mackerel, and especially salmon, are all good sources.

Vitamin D is stored in fatty tissues, which means that it is stored in the body. Care is needed, therefore, not to overdose on Vitamin D through supplement additions to the diet.

The recommended dose varies depending on whether you get enough sun, how good your diet is, and what conditions you are treating, but a safe dose seems to be about 400IU daily for most people.

Some sources give between 400IU and 800IU per day, but it is better to be on the safe side. A large dose of Vitamin D over a period of about six months or less will cause many of the symptoms which you experience when your Vitamin D levels are low. Do not over-do Vitamin D.