Herbs that reduce stress

How to Use Herbs for Anxiety and Stress

Aubrie LeGault/Stocksy United

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Anxiety and stress are common and can be caused by many different things like a big life challenge, a buildup of smaller difficulties, or mental health conditions. It can be difficult to navigate all of the feelings associated with anxiety and stress, but one all-natural way to relieve symptoms may be to use herbs.

One way to consume or ingest anxiety-relieving herbs is through bitters.

Bitters are high-proof alcohol spirits infused with botanicals, like herbs, roots, fruit, flowers, spices, and bark. The calming ingredients can be an easy (and delicious) way to naturally destress. Bitters have been found to aid digestive health, curb sugar cravings, boost the immune system, and ease stress.

Bitters are usually made of three parts:

a neutral spirit
a bittering agent
aromatics

While you may have heard of using bitters to create elaborate cocktails, they have also been used as a remedy for common ailments such as digestion irregularities since the 1700s.

Bitters have several health benefits, such as:

digestion and gut health
immune function and inflammation
sugar and appetite control
liver health

How to consume bitters

Bitters can be ingested in a variety of ways. You can place a few drops on the tongue via a tincture, or dilute it with another liquid like sparkling water or in cocktails.

Bitters contain two things, bitter agents (like dandelion root, artichoke leaf, or wormwood) and a carrier, like alcohol, a nonalcoholic spirit, glycerin, or liquid sugar.

Stress-relieving aromatics can also be added to bitters, like:

cinnamon
vanilla
ginger
turmeric
mint

The most common herbs used to alleviate stress and anxiety include:

lavender
valerian root
kava
passionflower
turmeric
chamomile
ashwagandha
St. John’s wort
lemon balm

Research suggests that several herbal supplements may be helpful in treating stress, anxiety, depression, and more. In fact, people have been using herbs for thousands of years to address numerous physical and mental health conditions.

When deciding if this type of treatment is right for you, keep in mind that herbs and supplements aren’t controlled for quality or safety by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Be sure to research the product you’re buying, as well as the manufacturer, and talk with your doctor before taking herbs. It’s also important to note that herbal treatments aren’t a substitute for seeking out the support of a mental health professional, along with prescription medications.

Herbal benefits

Lavender has been shown as beneficial to overall mood, anxiety, and sleep.
Passionflower boosts GABA levels in the brain, which promotes relaxation. Passionflower has been shown to ease generalized anxiety with fewer side effects than prescribed sedatives.

Valerian root is often paired with passionflower as it promotes similar calming effects. This herb is commonly used as a sleep aid and, like passionflower, increases the amount of GABA in the brain.

Lavender is one of the most popular anxiety herbs used to ease anxiety. You can combine it with valerian root and passionflower to make one serious, stress-fighting triple threat.

While these herbs are generally safe and well-tolerated, it’s important to do your research and to never combine them with other GABA-promoting drugs such as antidepressants and benzodiazepines.

Bitters recipe

1 oz. dried lavender
1 tsp. dried valerian root
2 tsp. dried passionflower
1 tsp. dried orange peel
1/2 tsp. dried ginger
6 oz. alcohol (recommended: 100 proof vodka or for nonalcoholic, try SEEDLIP’s Spice 94)

Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients in a mason jar and pour alcohol on top.
Seal tightly and store the bitters in a cool, dark place.
Let the bitters infuse until the desired strength is reached, about 2 to 4 weeks. Shake the jars regularly (about once per day).
When ready, strain the bitters through a muslin cheesecloth or coffee filter. Store the strained bitters in an airtight container at room temperature.

To use: Mix a few drops of the anxiety-fighting bitters into cold or hot tea, sparkling water, or take as a tincture before bed or during moments of increased stress and anxiety. If you want to add a sweet taste to the bitters, we recommend using pure vanilla bean, as sugar is shown to worsen anxiety symptoms.

Who shouldn’t use herbs for anxiety?

If you’re thinking about using herbs to alleviate anxiety, talk with your doctor first. People who are pregnant or breastfeeding, young children, those on prescription medication, and people whose medical conditions are at higher risk for safety concerns or undesirable side effects and should seek professional guidance.

Are there any safety considerations for using herbs for anxiety?

Remember that just because herbal treatments are deemed natural doesn’t mean that they’re always safe. It’s important to be mindful of potential drug interactions, along with side effects of herbs. Talk with your doctor to decide if herbs are right for you.

Can I use herbs along with my prescribed medications?

Herbal treatments shouldn’t be used in the place of prescription medication without the guidance of your healthcare professional. Herbal supplements may interact with certain prescription anxiety medications and there can be safety concerns when combining the two. If you’re currently taking a prescription for anxiety, talk with your doctor when considering herbal treatments.

Can herbs cure my anxiety?

While many people have found anxiety relief through herbs, they’re not intended to treat the underlying causes of anxiety, such as trauma, distorted thinking patterns, disruptive life events, or safety concerns. A mental health professional can help you to better understand the root of your anxiety and support you in alleviating the accompanying symptoms and underlying feelings.

What different ways can I introduce herbs into my routines?

There are a number of different ways to take herbal remedies for anxiety. Herbs can be taken as teas, tinctures, bitters, or supplements. You can also enjoy the benefits of herbs through essential oils, used in diffusers, or even added to baths.

One all-natural way to work to relieve anxiety is by using herbs such as lavender, passionflower, and lemon balm. You can consume herbs by adding them to bitters, a fun and easy drink that can be prepared from the comfort of your home.

Although there’s research surrounding the effectiveness of herbs and bitters for anxiety and stress, keep in mind that they don’t supplement the use of prescription medication (like anti-anxiety or antidepressant medications) or seeking help from a mental health professional.

Prior to deciding to implement herbs or bitters into your self-care routine, you should talk with a doctor to make sure they won’t interact with any other medications that you’re taking.

Tiffany La Forge is a professional chef, recipe developer, and food writer who runs the blog Parsnips and Pastries. Her blog focuses on real food for a balanced life, seasonal recipes, and approachable health advice. When she’s not in the kitchen, Tiffany enjoys yoga, hiking, traveling, organic gardening, and hanging out with her corgi, Cocoa. Visit her at her blog or on Instagram.

How to Use Herbs for Anxiety and Stress

Aubrie LeGault/Stocksy United

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process.

One way to consume or ingest anxiety-relieving herbs is through bitters.

Bitters are usually made of three parts:

a neutral spirit
a bittering agent
aromatics

While you may have heard of using bitters to create elaborate cocktails, they have also been used as a remedy for common ailments such as digestion irregularities since the 1700s.

Bitters have several health benefits, such as:

digestion and gut health
immune function and inflammation
sugar and appetite control
liver health

How to consume bitters

Bitters can be ingested in a variety of ways. You can place a few drops on the tongue via a tincture, or dilute it with another liquid like sparkling water or in cocktails.

Bitters contain two things, bitter agents (like dandelion root, artichoke leaf, or wormwood) and a carrier, like alcohol, a nonalcoholic spirit, glycerin, or liquid sugar.

Stress-relieving aromatics can also be added to bitters, like:

cinnamon
vanilla
ginger
turmeric
mint

The most common herbs used to alleviate stress and anxiety include:

lavender
valerian root
kava
passionflower
turmeric
chamomile
ashwagandha
St. John’s wort
lemon balm

Herbal benefits

Lavender has been shown as beneficial to overall mood, anxiety, and sleep.
Passionflower boosts GABA levels in the brain, which promotes relaxation. Passionflower has been shown to ease generalized anxiety with fewer side effects than prescribed sedatives.
Valerian root is often paired with passionflower as it promotes similar calming effects. This herb is commonly used as a sleep aid and, like passionflower, increases the amount of GABA in the brain.

Lavender is one of the most popular anxiety herbs used to ease anxiety. You can combine it with valerian root and passionflower to make one serious, stress-fighting triple threat.

While these herbs are generally safe and well-tolerated, it’s important to do your research and to never combine them with other GABA-promoting drugs such as antidepressants and benzodiazepines.

Bitters recipe

1 oz. dried lavender
1 tsp. dried valerian root
2 tsp. dried passionflower
1 tsp. dried orange peel
1/2 tsp. dried ginger
6 oz. alcohol (recommended: 100 proof vodka or for nonalcoholic, try SEEDLIP’s Spice 94)

Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients in a mason jar and pour alcohol on top.
Seal tightly and store the bitters in a cool, dark place.
Let the bitters infuse until the desired strength is reached, about 2 to 4 weeks. Shake the jars regularly (about once per day).
When ready, strain the bitters through a muslin cheesecloth or coffee filter. Store the strained bitters in an airtight container at room temperature.

Who shouldn’t use herbs for anxiety?

Are there any safety considerations for using herbs for anxiety?

Can I use herbs along with my prescribed medications?

Can herbs cure my anxiety?

What different ways can I introduce herbs into my routines?

Prior to deciding to implement herbs or bitters into your self-care routine, you should talk with a doctor to make sure they won’t interact with any other medications that you’re taking.

Calming herbs for the nervous system under stress

Stress is an inevitable consequence of the modern way of life and immersion in the rapid flow of information. The rhythm of life changes very quickly, and the adaptation of the nervous system can occur with a significant lag, reacting to overload with apathy or inexplicable outbursts of irritation. Sedatives are often not cope with the task, and sleeping pills give a lot of side effects. And then help comes Mother Nature with her inexhaustible reserves of medicinal plants.

Stress mechanism

The main processes in the nervous system - excitation and inhibition - are initially balanced, however, under the influence of stress, an imbalance can occur. Which process is more active the spectrum of stress reactions depends: anger, aggression, hyperactivity, or vice versa, apathy, laziness and drowsiness. Every person has a unique set of symptoms of stress.

You can relieve stress, however, one effort of will is not enough here. Herbs can help Calming the nervous system, they help reduce tension and restore balance. Medicinal herbs have a sedative and stimulating effect, combined in different proportions and dosages. But you need to understand that the gifts of Nature are also medicines, no matter how soft they are. When choosing a sedative on herbs, you need to take into account the presence of contraindications, allergic reactions, as well as the likelihood of individual intolerance to the components of the herbal collection.

Herbs that calm the nervous system

Valerian
valerian, known to physicians since ancient times, would undoubtedly take first place in it. Valerian rhizomes were used by ancient Roman healers to improve sleep and reduce nervous excitement. This plant has not lost its popularity even today - its sedative, anticonvulsant, tranquilizing and antispastic action are widely used in a variety of preparations for treatment of neuroses, insomnia, neurodermatitis, migraines, climacteric syndrome and other diseases, more or less based on loose nerves.

California poppy (Eschscholzia)
Listing soothing herbs for nervous system, one cannot fail to mention the delightfully beautiful escholcia. California poppy was discovered relatively recently, in the 19th century, by the biologist Johann Escholz, who participated in the Russian expeditions to California. California poppy extract is widely used in preparations for treatment of migraines, enuresis, painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, medicines for lowering blood pressure.

Motherwort
Motherwort tincture is a popular remedy for the treatment of nervous and cardiovascular diseases. For centuries, motherwort preparations have been used by doctors to normalize heart rhythm and treatment of pain in the heart with hypertension and angina pectoris. But at the beginning of the 19th century, sedative properties of the plant, and motherwort began to be prescribed for the treatment of nervous excitability. Motherwort preparations help to eliminate the phenomena of insomnia, neurosis, vegetative-vascular dystonia, undesirable manifestations of menopause.

Hops
Natural soothing herbs are sometimes used not only in medicine. For example, hops are an excellent remedy known for a long time to reduce nervous excitability is widely used in cosmetology, and for brewing beer. Hop eliminates aggression and anger, normalizes sleep, eliminates the phenomena of vegetative-vascular dystonia. As a rule, an infusion of cones hops are used in combination with other herbs that calm the nervous system.

Stimulant herbs

Common ginseng
The tonic effect of ginseng is well known, this plant has long been used to treat insomnia, neurosis and impotence. Ginseng is interesting because, depending on the dose, it can increase or decrease blood pressure. The pressure rises when taking a small amount of the extract, and the calming and relaxing effect occurs with increasing dosage. It is necessary to use ginseng for stress in cases where weakness and apathy makes it difficult to concentrate, and, if necessary, quickly tune into a working mood.

Maral root (leuzea safflower)
In case of complaints of increased fatigue, drowsiness, poor appetite, headaches, sleep disturbances and decreased libido are recommended Leuzea preparations. It helps to correct vegetative-vascular disorders, normalize sleep and appetite. In ancient times, Leuzea infusion was offered to improve potency.

Schisandra chinensis
An interesting plant and the famous stress fighter is Schisandra chinensis. Both berries and seeds have a healing effect, and dried stems of the plant, and taking berries increases blood pressure, improves blood circulation and has a stimulating effect on the nervous system, and the bones help strengthen blood vessels. A decoction of the stems, on the contrary, helps to lower blood pressure, has a relaxing effect. Regular consumption of lemongrass in food improves visual acuity, treats headaches and helps fight fatigue. However, with cardiac disorders, insomnia, a significant increase in blood pressure should be taken with caution.

Rhodiola rosea
Good for hypotension and asthenic disorders Rhodiola rosea helps. Its drugs are used in the treatment of neurosis, psychosis and even schizophrenia. The stimulating effect of Rhodiola is so mild and gentle that it can be used by people. unbalanced and depressed. Do not experiment with Rhodiola only when hypertensive crisis and fevers, when blood pressure is significantly increased.

Eleutherococcus senticosus
The best stimulant for students and pupils especially during busy periods of tests and exams, eleutherococcus noticeably improves working capacity of the brain, relieves fatigue during physical exertion, sharpens vision and hearing. The hunter's grass, as Eleutherococcus is also called, relieves drowsiness and helps to quickly restore strength. The plant is used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and in preparation for surgical interventions, since its general strengthening and tonic effect gives good results in the postoperative period.

Complex herbal preparations

Modern vegetable complexes for the treatment of stress are created taking into account the maximum effectiveness of the combination of plants and enriched with vitamins that strengthen the nervous system. An example of such a successful combination components can serve as GerbaStress, which has a balanced effect, thanks to calming and toning effect of 5 plant extracts: passionflower, hops, chamomile, Siberian ginseng and oats, as well as vitamins B6 and B12. Just 1 tablet a day is great eliminates depression and helps to overcome stress loads, helps to strengthen the nervous system and make it resistant to overloads. Duration of admission - 3 weeks.

Treatment of stress avoids many of the major problems associated with imbalances. nervous system and helps improve the quality of life. A healthy, calm and strong man is an ideal conceived by nature itself.

Top 10 Stress Relief Products

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About the institution

Stress makes us chew chips, buy cookies and sweets, which will certainly increase body fat. But there are foods that fight stress and improve your mood without harming your figure! Feel sorry for yourself. Eat a pie / cake / candy to cheer up. And then regret it. We live in an age where stressful situations are all around us, treading water in circles, eating junk food, and getting depressed due to self-blame and weak willpower. We have prepared for you a list of products that will help reduce stress levels without increasing your weight and harming your health.
1. Berries Berries are sweet and healthy Raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries are the best low-calorie dessert and snack filled with fiber and vitamins. Antioxidants in berries help prevent aging caused by chronic stress. Berries curb spikes in blood sugar by reducing sugar cravings between meals. Unlike other sweeter fruits, they do not cause fermentation in the stomach, but on the contrary, they normalize digestion.
2. Chamomile Chamomile - Regulator of Mood and Stomach Function Chamomile decoction is not only excellent for reducing nervous system tension before sleep, but also contains hippuric acid, a substance that reduces inflammation that occurs during times of stress. If you drink chamomile tea after eating, you can reduce colic, eliminate constipation - symptoms that accompany irritable bowel syndrome in people with stress.
3. Dark chocolate Dark chocolate - and the mood is 70% higher! Dark chocolate with 70% or more cocoa beans helps fight stress by releasing beta-endorphins. Chocolate is a healthy sweet that suppresses cravings for unhealthy foods (sweets, chips, sausages). The substance phenylethylamine in the composition of chocolate causes a feeling of euphoria.
4. Nuts Nuts are the best metabolism aid Nuts balance blood sugar levels, reduce sugar cravings, regulate appetite and stimulate metabolism. Under stress, certain substances are consumed faster. Nuts contain magnesium, zinc, B vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for a chronically stress-weary body. The vegetable fats in nuts are beneficial, unlike fats from sausages and pork.
5. Celery Celery - satiety and calmness Celery contains tryptophan, which helps the body produce the substance serotonin, which is necessary for maintaining a good mood and sound sleep. A few celery stalks with peanut butter as a snack before bed will help you fall asleep faster and not wake up hungry.
6. Licorice (Liquorice) Licorice (Licorice) - Aid to the Hormonal System 1 cup of licorice root tea will help you relieve stress. Licorice modulates levels of the stress hormone cortisol. On the one hand, it supports the body with hypofunction of the adrenal glands, that is, when there is too little cortisol, and on the other hand, it helps to reduce and normalize its amount in excess.
7. Oily Fish Oily Fish - Fuel for the Nervous System Fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and trout contain omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, magnesium and zinc, substances the body needs in stressful situations. Fatty acids improve mood, reduce inflammation and reduce sugar cravings.
8. Garlic Garlic - Antibacterial Seasoning Garlic has powerful antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties that help support the immune system during times of stress. It also reduces joint inflammation, which increases with stress.

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