Anxiety

An old folk remedy for anxiety, particularly when it causes insomnia, is chamomile tea. There is evidence from test tube studies that chamomile contains compounds with a calming action.¹ There are also animal studies that suggest a benefit from chamomile for anxiety,² but no human studies support this belief. In an eight-week double-blind trial, treatment with a chamomile extract improved anxiety by an average of 50% in people suffering from chronic anxiety. This improvement was significantly greater than the improvement in the placebo group. The amount of chamomile extract used was 220 mg per day of a product standardized to contain 1.2% apigenin. After one week this was increased to 440 mg per day. For people whose anxiety did not improve sufficiently, the amount of extract was increased progressively, to a maximum of 1,100 mg per day by the fifth week of the study.³ Traditionally, one cup of tea is taken three or more times per day to treat anxiety.

Inositol has been used to help people with anxiety who have panic attacks. Up to 4 grams three times per day was reported to control such attacks in a double-blind trial.⁵ Inositol (18 grams per day) has also been shown in a double-blind trial to be effective at relieving the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder.⁶

A double-blind trial found that supplementation with a multivitamin-mineral supplement for four weeks led to significant reductions in anxiety and perceived stress compared to placebo.⁹

Several plants, known as “nervines” (nerve tonics), are used in traditional herbal medicine for people with anxiety, with few reports of toxicity. Most nervines have not been rigorously investigated by scientific means to confirm their efficacy. However, one study found that a combination of the nervines valerian and passion flower reduced symptoms in people suffering from anxiety.¹⁰ In a double-blind study, 45 drops per day of an extract of passion flower taken for four weeks was as effective as 30 mg per day of oxazepam (Serax), a medication used for anxiety.¹¹

In a preliminary study, supplementation with rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) significantly improved measures of anxiety in people suffering from generalized anxiety disorder. The amount used was 170 mg of a standardized extract taken twice a day for ten weeks.¹²

Caution: It is likely that there are many drug interactions with St. John's wort that have not yet been identified. St. John's wort stimulates a drug-metabolizing enzyme (cytochrome P450 3A4) that metabolizes at least 50% of the drugs on the market.¹³ Therefore, it could potentially cause a number of drug interactions that have not yet been reported. People taking any medication should consult with a doctor or pharmacist before taking St. John's wort.

St. John’s wort has been reported in one double-blind study to reduce anxiety.¹⁴

Other nervines include oats (oat straw), hops, passion flower, American scullcap, wood betony, motherwort, pennyroyal, and linden.¹⁵

Bacopa, a traditional herb used in Ayurvedic medicine, has been shown to have anti-anxiety effects in animals.¹⁶ A preliminary study reported that a syrup containing an extract of dried bacopa herb reduced anxiety in people with anxiety neurosis.¹⁷ A double-blind trial in healthy adults found that 300 mg per day of a standardized bacopa extract reduced general feelings of anxiety, as assessed by a questionnaire.¹⁸

Other nervines include oats (oat straw), hops, passion flower, American scullcap, wood betony, motherwort, pennyroyal, and linden.¹⁹

Other nervines include oats (oat straw), hops, passion flower, American scullcap, wood betony, motherwort, pennyroyal, and linden.

Many years ago, magnesium was reported to be relaxing for people with mild anxiety.²⁵ Typically, 200 to 300 mg of magnesium are taken two to three times per day. Some doctors recommend soaking in a hot tub containing 1–2 cups of magnesium sulfate crystals (Epsom salts) for 15 to 20 minutes, though support for this approach remains anecdotal.

Other nervines include oats (oat straw), hops, passion flower, American scullcap, wood betony, motherwort, pennyroyal, and linden.

Other nervines include oats (oat straw), hops, passion flower, American scullcap, wood betony, motherwort, pennyroyal, and linden.

Other nervines include oats (oat straw), hops, passion flower, American scullcap, wood betony, motherwort, pennyroyal, and linden.

Niacinamide (a form of vitamin B3) has been shown in animals to work in the brain in ways similar to drugs such as benzodiazepines (Valium-type drugs), which are used to treat anxiety.²⁶ One study found that niacinamide (not niacin) helped people get through withdrawal from benzodiazepines—a common problem.²⁷ A reasonable amount of niacinamide to take for anxiety, according to some doctors, is up to 500 mg four times per day.

Other nervines include oats (oat straw), hops, passion flower, American scullcap, wood betony, motherwort, pennyroyal, and linden.