Herbal remedies for depression
- St John's wort, but is it safe?
EPA helps with depression click here
Natural, wholesome, inexpensive and available over the counter,
St John's wort seemed to be the dream remedy for depression.
Taken all over the world in huge quantities, it has become
the pill to pop without guilt or fear, the herbal Prozac that
dusted away the blues nature's way.
The downside is only now emerging. Although studies show
that it is effective for mild to moderate depression and two
million British people are taking it, you do have to be careful.
The chief drawback is that the remedy, derived from the yellow
flowering hedgerow plant, interacts with other drugs causing
them to metabolise through the body too quickly. This is obviously
very significant for people on the contraceptive pill or the
blood-thinning drug warfarin, who are at risk of a stroke.
Herbal remedies for depression. Warnings issued
The Medicines Control Agency issued a warning on March 1st
2000 that patients who are on a long list of drugs should
stop taking St John's wort until they have consulted their
GP or pharmacist. Medications for asthma, epilepsy, depression,
migraine and heart problems are all implicated.
The authorities in the Irish Republic have gone further by
banning the over-the-counter sale of the ancient herbal remedy
since January 1st 2000. It is now available only on prescription.
In the United States, the Food and Drugs Administration
(FDA) issued a warning in February 2000 that the herb could
interfere with drugs used to treat HIV-infected patients.
It also raised the possibility of complications for other
patients taking similar medication, including those undergoing
heart transplants. The FDA cited research showing that for
patients taking St John's wort, the effectiveness of the antiviral
drug Indinavir was 'dulled'.
There have also been some reports from America that St John's
wort can cause nerve damage or cataracts when combined with
bright sunlight. This is believable because herbalists have
always known that when St John's wort is used externally,
you have to keep out of the sun. Combined with oil, it is
used on the skin for paralysis or to treat pain from nerves
or shingles.
Researchers have found that hypericin, the active ingredient
in St John's wort, does react with sunlight. This is particularly
significant for people who suffer from the 'winter blues'
or seasonal affective disorder, who might be tempted to combine
a course of St John's wort with light-box therapy - sitting
for long periods bathed in bright light.
Herbal remedies for depression
A better alternative to St Johns Wort as an herbal remedy
for depression would be high grade EPA fish oil.
EPA fish oil has been scientifically proven to be very effective
for depression, bipolar – manic depression and related
disorders, and unlike St Johns Wort the side effects are all
positive, thick long healthy hair growth, good nails and fantastic
skin. High grade omega 3 EPA fish oil taken in the correct
dose and strength give count less benefits.
If you are going to use High Grade Omega 3 fish oil EPA as
a natural remedy for depression it is imperative that you
take the strongest concentrate of EPA fish oil (90%) and in
the correct dose daily to give your self the best chance for
the EPA to work and give the maximum therapeutic effect.
It has recently been reported that the Epa works best without
the DHA , this notion came about from studies that have been
performed on people suffering from depression, researchers
found that the higher the EPA to DHA ratio the better the
results have been.
EPA helps with depression click here
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