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Gotu Kola: For Anxiety and Stress, Circulation, and Memory Function Darrell Miller 10/24/22
Keep a Jasmine flower in your room to reduce stress and anxiety. Study finds as calming as valium Darrell Miller 5/9/19
These 6 Essential Oils Work Like Valium For Your Anxiety Darrell Miller 8/29/17
CBD as a Treatment for Anxiety Disorders Darrell Miller 4/27/17
Melatonin Overdose Darrell Miller 12/27/12
What Are The Symptoms Of GABA Deficiency? Darrell Miller 9/5/11
Relax With Passion Flower, and Overcome Your Insomnia Darrell Miller 6/9/11
Fight Anxiety Disorders Naturally Darrell Miller 12/14/10
Herbs For Depression Darrell Miller 12/13/10
GABA Darrell Miller 8/26/08




Gotu Kola: For Anxiety and Stress, Circulation, and Memory Function
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Date: October 24, 2022 03:53 PM
Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Gotu Kola: For Anxiety and Stress, Circulation, and Memory Function

Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) is a small, green plant that has been used by traditional herbalists since prehistoric times. Its wide range of applications has been well documented in Southeast Asia and India for centuries and continues to be used within the framework of modern herbalism. Gotu kola is not related to kola nuts and does not have any caffeine.

Some of the conditions that gotu kola has been traditionally used to treat include: anxiety, depression, fatigue, impaired memory and cognitive function, poor circulation, and skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. In addition to its use as an herbal remedy, gotu kola is also sometimes consumed as a vegetable or steeped to make a tea.

The Benefits of Gotu Kola

Gotu kola contains a number of compounds that are believed to contribute to its health benefits, including triterpenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, and saponins. These compounds are thought to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and wound-healing properties. Additionally, gotu kola is a significant source of Asiaticoside—a compound that has been shown to promote collagen synthesis and skin elasticity.

Some of the specific benefits that gotu kola may offer include:

Improved circulation: Compounds in gotu kola can help to improve blood circulation by strengthening blood vessels and promoting the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis). This improved circulation can in turn help to speed up wound healing and reduce inflammation.

Reduced anxiety and stress: Animal studies have found that compounds in gotu kola can help to reduce anxiety and stress levels by modulating the activity of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. In one study on rats, it was found thatgotu kola was just as effective at reducing stress levels as diazepam (valium), without any of the side effects typically associated with valium use.

Improved cognitive function: Some research suggests that gotu kola may help to improve memory and cognitive function in healthy adults as well as those with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. One study found that gotu kola extract was able to significantly improve memory performance in adults with Alzheimer's disease after eight weeks of treatment.

In Summary: Gotu kola is a small green plant with a long history of use in traditional medicine. It is thought to offer a number of health benefits due to its content of compounds such as triterpenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, saponins, and Asiaticoside. Some potential benefits of gotu kola include improved circulation, reduced anxiety and stress levels, and improved cognitive function. More research is needed to confirm these potential health benefits.

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Keep a Jasmine flower in your room to reduce stress and anxiety. Study finds as calming as valium
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Date: May 09, 2019 04:37 PM
Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Keep a Jasmine flower in your room to reduce stress and anxiety. Study finds as calming as valium





People who frequently experience bouts of anxiety and frequent periods of stress may find it hard to wind down after a hard day at work. This can then result in the inability to relax and inability to sleep. That is why anxiety and stress are recognized as the two most prominent leading causes of insomnia. Insomnia on the other hand takes a major toll on one’s physical health and mental well-being. What could be the solution? Researchers have found that this could be keeping a jasmine plant in the house. The scent which the jasmine plant releases has been linked to a reduction in anxiety and stress. The author states that the Jasmine plant is a flower that blooms at night with a sweet fragrance and exciting smell. Companies use it to make teas, incense, essential oils, and then perfumes. Its health benefits are immense and it has been used to treat diabetes, hepatitis, and cancer. It can now be proved that it can used to reduce anxiety and stress in individuals. It is estimated that about 40 million adults are affected yearly by anxiety and stress. The author then states the pathways in which jasmine works.

Key Takeaways:

  • People who experience frequent bouts of anxiety at the end of the day or frequent episodes of stress often find it difficult to wind down.
  • Anxiety and stress are two of the leading causes of insomnia and there is nothing like not being able to sleep at the end of the day.
  • The solution to insomnia has been found by several studies to be keeping a jasmine plant in the room that helps to reduce anxiety levels.

"One way to combat a high level of toxins in the air is to keep a jasmine plant nearby. Research concludes a jasmine plant in your room can serve as relief for sleeplessness, anxiety, and stress, among other illnesses. Simply breathing the aromatic scent of the plant can help to significantly calm your anxieties."

Read more: https://www.healthnutnews.com/keep-a-jasmine-flower-in-your-room-to-reduce-stress-and-anxiety-study-finds-its-as-calming-as-valium/

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These 6 Essential Oils Work Like Valium For Your Anxiety
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Date: August 29, 2017 04:14 PM
Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: These 6 Essential Oils Work Like valium For Your Anxiety





There are 6 essential oils that work like Valium for your anxiety. Bergamot is one of these essential oils that people can use. Bergamot is a very sweet fruit and it is a part of the citrus family. It makes for a very good and calming oil. It has soothing and moos boosting properties. There have been studies done on this that have shown its healing properties. Orange is another essential oil that will work great for healing anxiety.

Key Takeaways:

  • There are six essential oils other than lavender & chamomile that are supremely effective for anxiety: bergamot, orange, geranium, rose, clary sage, and cedarwood.
  • Studies of these oils in clinical settings have revealed that they appear to significantly reduce anxiety.
  • You can use these oils personally to lower your anxiety by: mixing with coconut oil and applying to body and face; infusing the air with the scent; and, applying diluted oil to pressure points.

"Geranium essential oil has been found to have both calming and refreshing properties, and it may especially help to soothe anxiety in women during those especially trying times in our monthly cycles."

Read more: http://www.thealternativedaily.com/essential-oils-that-work-like-valium-for-anxiety/

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CBD as a Treatment for Anxiety Disorders
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Date: April 27, 2017 10:29 AM
Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: CBD as a Treatment for Anxiety Disorders





Anxiety is a condition that affects thousands of people. It is one that is oftentimes treated with medications and lifestyle changes, but now, people suffering from this condition have another treatment option. CBD is now recommended as an anxiety treatment option. It is all natural, and offers outstanding results. CBD may provide the answer that you have been searching for if you're dealing with an anxiety order that makes it difficult to maintain your lifestyle.

Key Takeaways:

  • Anxiety disorder can be safely treated with CBD because it contains low to no levels of THC.
  • THC in marijuana provides the 'high' and can cause anxiety as a side effect. CBD does not have that effect.
  • CBD relaxes the body and eases paranoid thoughts, nervousness, and muscle tension.

"Ancient doctors prescribed it for everything from pain to childbirth. It is safer than most prescribed pills, and not addictive like Xanax and Valium."

Read more: https://www.greenrushdaily.com/2017/04/17/cbd-treatment-anxiety-disorders/

Consider trying Leaf Therapeutics Solaray brand CBD for best results.

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Melatonin Overdose
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Date: December 27, 2012 01:59 PM
Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Melatonin Overdose

Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant/hormone secreted by a small endocrine gland in the human brain. The hormone is responsible for sleep-wake cycle modulation and fine tuning of your body's "internal clock". In other words: when it gets dark, your pineal gland increases melatonin production, which induces drowsiness and makes you sleepy. When light conditions change (e.g. daytime), your body decreases melatonin production. If you expose yourself to an intense source of light during the night, or keep spending time in a dark environment during the day, you can confuse your body and disrupt melatonin production.

The hormone was also observed to affect the production and the discharge rate of female sex hormones.

As one gets older, his pineal gland produces less and less melatonin, which leads to a conclusion that melatonin is age dependent (children have the highest concentration of melatonin). The fact that our body produces melatonin to "sedate" itself when the sun goes down, implied that the hormone could be used to help people suffering from sleeping disorders, desynchronosis (jet lag) or similar conditions.

This served as a basis to study and use positive health effects of the hormone. Melatonin is not a miracle-cure, but it CAN improve the sleep quality of insomniacs, women in menopause, benzodiazepine (valium) withdrawal patients and people who suffer from ADHD. Melatonin also improves the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic agents in breast cancer treatments and increases the chance of survival in prostate cancer patients.

If you are a healthy middle-aged person, your body will produce between 5-25 micrograms of melatonin per night (80 times less than a single melatonin capsule). This is a good indicator of recommended dosage. In fact, you should start with 0.1 - 03 mg per night, an hour before bedtime. If that doesn't help, you may increase the dosage up to 10mg a day. However, do not exceed 10 mg per night before consulting your doctor, as that may cause an overdose.

Anything above 10 mg is risky without a professional guidance . If you consider the fact that you can overdose even with a sufficient amount of vitamins, melatonin is not an exception, and should be used with caution. Typical overdose symptoms include drowsiness, upset stomach, headache, confusion, lethargy, psychotic thinking, tremors, seizures and liver issues. If you experience multiple symptoms at the same time, you should visit your doctor as soon as possible.

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What Are The Symptoms Of GABA Deficiency?
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Date: September 05, 2011 11:19 AM
Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: What Are The Symptoms Of GABA Deficiency?

Gaba Overview

In this modern age many of our illnesses comes from the lack of certain substances, chemicals or enzymes just to name a few possibilities but the list could go on. They are called so many different things but they all have one thing in common and that’s being essential to our day to day bodily functions. In this writing we will look into possible symptoms of GABA deficiency.

GABA or Gamma aminobutyric Acid

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an essential neurotransmitter in the body. Its main function is as an inhibitor which mainly focuses on regulating neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system and another function that this chemical has it to aid in the regulation of muscle tone in human beings. In terms of its chemical makeup it is essentially an amino acid however it is very seldom to be called that in the scientific community.

The reason mainly for this is because it is not an alpha amino acid and is never incorporated with a protein which what the term amino acid is commonly reserved for in the medical science world. GABA, to keep things simple is mainly essential to the nervous system and brain health. It is responsible for the maintenance of our nervous system functions and some parts of the brain by allowing the nerves to complete the processes needed to get all the necessary chemicals to keep nerve functions healthy.

GABA Deficiency and Symptoms

As a neurotransmitter it has the ability to influence relaxation and aid in preventing anxiety when GABA levels are too low in the body there are a variety of unwanted effects that can happen. The reasons for GABA being too low in the body can possibly be two things, it can either be genetic or acquired reasons. Just to name some specific possible factors in GABA levels being low are chronic stress and chronic pain. Furthermore, inadequate sleep, caffeine excess, excessive electromagnetic radiation and progesterone deficiency may also further initiate the lowering of GABA levels in the body. With GABA being an essential neurotransmitter the first symptom that may arise with a lack of this brain chemical in the body is expectedly anxiety and depression.

Many studies have shown individuals that suffer from some form of anxiety and depression commonly has low levels of GABA in their body and it has also confirmed that when subjects are supplemented with this brain chemical in an attempt to raise levels in the body they are alleviated of the incidence of depression and anxiety. Feeling panicky, nervous and having a low tolerance for stress are also possible symptoms and also have been shown in researches to be alleviated through GABA supplementation. The most common medication for people suffering from these symptoms is valium and as most of us know, even for those who haven’t used it, it has nasty side effects and one of them is addiction to it however more natural means of supplementing with GABA will be able to give the same desired improvements but with lesser side effects.

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Relax With Passion Flower, and Overcome Your Insomnia
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Date: June 09, 2011 11:33 AM
Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Relax With Passion Flower, and Overcome Your Insomnia

Passion flower is used by many people to help them relax and overcome their insomnia. People who find it difficult to sleep have discovered that a few drops of passion flower extract or a passion flower tea before bed can help them relax and get to sleep. They are amongst a growing number of people trying to avoid diazepam and valium as a means of relaxation and overcoming stress, because it doesn’t get them hooked.passion flower wonderfully calming

According to a study carried out by some PhD researchers and reported in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics in 2001, the alkaloids and flavones contained in passion flower are just as good as these oxazepams at calming your general anxiety levels, yet do not impair your ability to work as the likes of diazepams such as valium do, and are also non-addictive.

Passion Flower ExtractPassion flower works by calming you down through its effect on the neurotransmitters in your central nervous system, and not only overcomes general anxiety symptoms, but helps you to relax and sleep well at night. It is a natural substance, unlike the synthetic chemical nature of diazepam and other oxazepams and many insomniacs find it a godsend.

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Fight Anxiety Disorders Naturally
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Date: December 14, 2010 04:27 PM
Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Fight Anxiety Disorders Naturally

Do you suffer from an Anxiety Disorder?

Before considering how to test for anxiety disorders and discussing natural supplements that can help we should first discuss what anxiety disorders are - what the term means and if there are degrees of anxiety disorders as there are of depression and stress. First, what is anxiety?

Anxiety is a natural reaction to stress and it is anxiety that makes you worry about the consequences of not studying for an exam - so you study. It focuses you on problems so that you will be more likely to solve them, and helps you to perform better whatever you are doing. However, it can get out of hand and these positive mental processes become negative anxiety disorders.

With some people, anxiety becomes a dread of situations that were once everyday occurrences and can make your life a misery. Here are some forms of anxiety disorder.

Typical Anxiety Disorders

General Anxiety Disorder
You worry frequently or always about normal situations, events and activities, and are finding it difficult to lead a normal life because of it. This is a common form of anxiety and can start anytime from childhood onwards. The cause is not known but is believed to be due to both biological and physiological factors and that a history of stressful situations could contribute. This form of anxiety is more common in women than in men.

Its symptoms include excessive sweating, worry, headaches, irritability, difficulty in sleeping, tiredness and tension in your muscles. It can lead to substance abuse and deep depression if left untreated.

Panic Attacks
Panic attacks are a form of anxiety disorder that occur for no apparent reason. One second you are fine and the next you get this shortness of breath, dizziness, accelerated pulse rate, numbness and a general feeling of dread and fear. In agoraphobia, you will have a fear of being anywhere that a panic attack can take place - so no open spaces!

Phobias
Phobias are a fear of specific things or situations, none of which are really dangerous. Thus, a fear of flying, enclosed spaces or of heights are phobias while a fear of sharks when swimming is a rational fear. Although a loose definition it is not easy to separate phobias from rational and understandable fears.

These are three typical forms of anxiety, but how do you test for anxieties? Here are some tests that are used, beginning with the easiest - doing it yourself!

Testing for Anxiety Disorders

a) Self-Tests

Many that believe they may have an anxiety disorder either tend to panic or go into a depression. It is far better to carry out a self-test. This anxiety test is very simple: simply tick which of the symptoms below you have experienced in the past six months:

I can't relax

I am always worried about something.

I get headaches for no apparent reason

I frequently sweat a lot and get hot flashes

I have no time for anybody and am easily annoyed

I find it hard to sleep and I often wake up during the night

My attention keeps wandering and I can't focus on anything

I sometimes get so worried I want to be sick or have a lump in my throat

If you have ticked more than three then perhaps you should pay your doctor a visit, or try some of the recommendations below.

b) Doctors' Tests

If you feel you might be suffering some form of anxiety disorder you should consult your doctor, particularly if you have tried the self test above and it indicates that you might be. Your doctor might carry out various tests for your general health, and if it is felt necessary you may be asked about your family history: is there any history of mental problems in the family, particularly with your mother or father.

Other questions may appertain to your own physical and mental background, such as have you been stressed for any reason lately, have you suffered anxiety or panic attacks in the past and what is your normal use of prescription and non-prescription medications and drugs. Do you smoke, drink or take any social drugs.

It is important that you are totally honest: the doctor is not judging you, simply trying to find the cause of your problem. Under the terms of their oath they cannot divulge anything you tell them to anyone else, so be honest and let them help you. Among the tests you will be given will be to declare all your history of anxiety-related symptoms. To achieve that, you will be asked a series of questions while the doctor assesses your mental condition.

Finally, you may be referred to a psychiatrist who will be able to help you more than your doctor. Psychiatrists have a good record in resolving anxiety disorders, but once you are diagnosed positively, what then? Chemical drugs? Or perhaps you would prefer something more natural such as herbal remedies.

Herbal Remedies for Anxiety

There are a number of herbs that can be used to treat anxiety disorders. Here are the more commonly used of these:

Passion Flower

Passion flower contains the active substances maltol and ethylmaltol that your body's biochemistry uses to increase the concentration of GABA (gamma-butyric acid) in your brain. GABA is a neurotransmitter that calms you and helps you to relax and forget anything that is making you anxious. It relieves muscle tension, can lower your blood pressure and some equate its effect to that of valium: although it is totally different chemically it is similar in its effect. It offers a sedative effect and helps you sleep.

Kava Kava root

Kava kava. Generally just referred to as kava, comes from the Pacific and the kavalactones it contains increase the concentration of neurotransmitters in your vascular system, particularly serotonin, the feel-good substance. Its sedative effects have been likened to that of alcohol, and it can certainly give you a lift and certainly helps you worry less as it reduces the negative symptoms of stress and depression.

St. John's Wort

St. John's wort is a well-known anti-depressant and it can also help reduce the symptom of anxiety. The hyperforin the plant contains helps to improve the brain's content of the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine that make you feel good, and St. John's wort certainly washes away your anxiety. Not only that, but the napththodianthrone in another of its important components, hypericin, promotes a reduction in depression through the inhibition of monoamine oxidase, a pro-depressive enzyme.

Valerian Root

An extract of valerian root can help you to relax and sleep well, and this can often be enough to prevent your anxiety attacks. A lot depends on their cause, but if the attacks are mild and don't require extensive medical or psychiatric intervention, then valerian can help, particularly in treating stress-related anxiety. Make sure you stick to the recommended dose because valerian can be dangerous if taken to excess.

Summary

The four herbal remedies above should between them be all you need to treat your anxiety. One major problem is that, just like any chemical drugs, they only treat the symptoms and not the underlying cause which is something you and your physician will have to work on yourselves.

However, until then, the above herbal remedies for anxiety disorders are generally safer to use than prescription drugs and each has a well proven effect, both on the symptoms of anxiety and on depression.

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Herbs For Depression
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Date: December 13, 2010 12:34 PM
Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Herbs For Depression

Fight Depression with Natural Herbs

depression getting you down

Before discussing treating depression with natural herbs we should first consider depression itself: what is it and what causes people to become depressed? Psychiatrists and psychologists will suggest a number of definitions although most experts agree that there are two forms of depression.

Causes of Depression

Exogenous depression comes about as a result of external factors such as bereavement, heavy debt, job loss, etc, while endogenous depression comes from within and is believed to be due to biochemical problems, including food allergies, hormonal changes, thyroid problems, nutritional deficiencies, particularly Vitamin B deficiency, and addictions. There are many other reasons for people becoming depressed, some of which can be established by the particular symptoms of the individual.

In many cases of depression the external factors are often easier to treat than those due to internal factors. Many exogenous causes of depression such as bereavement are alleviated through time, while causes such as job loss and debt can be resolved once the cause has been rectified: thus, if the patient is no longer in debt or is re-employed, the depression tends to disappear with the cause.

Symptoms of Depression

Depression is not diagnosed from a single symptom, but from a number of symptoms that can point to a person being clinically depressed and requiring treatment. Among the symptoms of depression are:

Prolonged periods of sadness or despair
Feelings of pessimism for the future
Feeling generally tired and lethargic
Overeating with resultant weight gain or under-eating with resultant weight loss
Either insomnia or hypersomnia
Disinterest in family or work
Feeling of guilt, worthlessness and low self-esteem
Inability to concentrate
Hyperactivity or general inactivity
Suicidal thoughts

Forms of Depression

Many normal people can suffer one or two of the above systems, and would not be diagnosed as depressed because of it. We can all get mood swings, feel a bit worthless now and again or be unable to concentrate or focus at times, but that does not mean we are clinically depressed.

Depression would not be diagnosed in a patient with just one of these symptoms but five or more likely would be. In fact, the American Psychiatric Association in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders deem the patient suffering clinical depression if displaying 5 or more of the bottom 8 symptoms above for a month or more. This is believed to be the case with around 17 million Americans so it is a significant problem.

Manic depression is otherwise known as bipolar disorder, where patients have large mood swings from high and extreme hyperactivity and excitability to very low deeply depressive moods and is a clinical condition generally treated using drugs.

Treatment of Depression With Natural Herbs

The usual treatments are drugs that often have undesirable side effects; so many people are trying natural remedies instead. There are a number of herbs that can be used to treat depression, one of the most familiar being St. John's Wort. However, there are others, and here is a synopsis of each.

St. John's Wort

st johns wort picsSt. John's wort (hypericum perforatum) is likely the best known herbal treatment for depression. In fact, in Germany it is prescribed by doctors to children and adolescents for the treatment of mild depression and is available over the counter in many countries.

However, it can also be used in cases of severe depression, and a report in the Cochrane Database Review[8(4)] by K. Linde, M.M. Berner and L. Kriston in 2008 stated that of 29 separate tests carried out on a total of over 5,000 patients, the conclusion was that St. John's wort extracts were at least as good in treating severe depression with 5 times lower side-effects as tricyclic antidepressants and twice lower than the new selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI).

It should be stated, however, that one trial on 340 subjects indicated no improvement over a placebo. However, the anti-depressive drug sertraline (Zoloft) was also shown to be no better than the placebo in this test, so some doubts must lie regarding its accuracy. Of all the herbal treatments, St. John's wort has had most testing carried out and it seems to be effective in treating mild to severe depression although not all experts are yet agreed.

Kava Kava Root

kava kava root picsKava kava can be used to treat depression and anxiety, largely due its content of kavalactones that are believed to increase the amount of a number of neurotransmitters in the blood, including the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin. Kava kava root is mildly intoxicating, having much the same effect as alcohol, and can also reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety.

However, it is doubtful if its effects are permanent and so it may be less of a depression cure as a short-medium term treatment. Its effects are also variable on different people, some describing it as making them feel relaxed and 'dreamy', while others find it therapeutic and making them feel better in themselves.

Kava kava should not be taken without your doctor knowing about because there have been concerns about its effect on the liver if taken in excess. A European-wide ban was lifted about two years ago after testing found the risks of taking it to be very low. It has been used for centuries as an intoxicating drink on islands such as Fiji.




Passion Flower

passion flower picsPassion flower has been used for centuries to treat anxiety, stress and depression, its active ingredients believed to be maltol and ethylmaltol that help to increase the level of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. GABA is one of the brain's key neurotransmitters and has been described by some as the brain's own 'valium' supply.

Through the intervention of GABA, passion flower extract helps in reducing anxiety levels and makes you feel a lot calmer. If you suffer forms of depression that make you hyper or excitable, passion flower will help to reduce this and also helps to cure insomnia. It is a component of many natural sleeping pills.

These are just three natural substances that can be used to treat depression. However, you must inform your doctor or physician if you decide to take them since they may interfere with or change the effect of any antidepressant drug you are currently taking.

Call today for natural remedies for depression

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GABA
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Date: August 26, 2008 04:58 PM
Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: GABA

GABA is gama amino butyric acid, and is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that is essential for the proper function of your brain and the central nervous system, and has the effect of reducing excessive brain activity and promoting a state of calm.

For many people, the rush of daily life, with its problems, worries and external stimuli, can over-stimulate the brain to the extent that it can all seem too much for them. They feel anxious and overwhelmed, and wish that they could just go into a quiet corner to get away from it all. Most people have felt like that at some time, but the demands of life do not allow them that luxury. They just have to bear it and get on with life.

That is where GABA can come in. It can be used to bring your nervous system back to base, and make you feel more relaxed, calmer and more able to meet these challenges that life often throws at you. When you feel that you just can’t relax or concentrate on what you are doing, GABA can help you. If you look around you and everybody else seems OK, without apparently feeling the stress and irritability that you feel, and then perhaps your problem is due to a GABA deficiency. GABA is the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter in your brain, and a deficiency would certainly give you the symptoms that you are feeling. Let me explain why.

As your brain becomes excited, it can run out of control and needs some form of modification or inhibition to keep it acting as normal. Without this you would become increasingly more restless and irritable, and ultimately have seizures. GABA is not only the main inhibitor in your brain, but also helps in the production of endorphins that provide you with a sense of well being. That sense of calm you feel when endorphins are produced, for example during exercise or sexual intercourse, is commonly referred to as the ‘endorphin effect’.

GABA is at its highest concentration in specific areas of the brain, including the hypothalamus, the hippocampus and the central brain area, and is present in up to 40% of all synapses, the small gaps between neurons across which brain cells can communicate with each other.

It is produced during the Krebs or Citric Acid Cycle that is responsible for cell respiration or the production of energy from carbohydrates. It is synthesized from alpha-keto glutarate, which is produced just before the Succinyl Co-A stage of the Krebs Cycle in the brain. Vitamin B6 in involved in its metabolism, and a Vitamin B6 deficiency can lead to a deficiency in GABA that might result in seizures.

Basically GABA works by inhibiting the firing of neurons in your brain, and thus reducing general brain activity. The GABA receptor allows more chloride ion to enter the brain cell, thus helping to maintain the electrical charge within the cells. Bezodiazepines (e.g. diazepam) work by increasing the effectiveness of GABA in opening the chloride ion cells to allow more chloride ion to enter the neurons, and caffeine does the opposite, and inhibits this property of GABA. Thus diazepam works as a minor tranquilizer and caffeine as a stimulant.

Alcohol has a similar effect to the benzodiazepines, increasing the release of chloride into the neurons, and is the major way in which alcohol affects the brain. In fact, tolerance to drugs and withdrawal symptoms can be explained by the receptors adapting to the drug. They may increase in number, which means that more of the drug is needed to work on them, and they can become hypoactive in the event of the drug being withdrawn, that enhances the symptoms that the drug was intended to treat.

So basically, that is the way that GABA works. In simple terms it increases the flow of chloride electrolyte to the brain, and in so doing affects our mood. This effect is enhanced by prescription drugs such as valium and Ativan, which are used by those that suffer the effects of a GABA deficiency. However, these drugs have side effects, not the least of which is dependency due to the GABA receptors becoming modified to suit the drug. There is a more natural way to overcome many stress problems and symptoms of mood swings.

Knowing what causes these symptoms, it makes sense to eat foods that stimulate the creation of neurotransmitters to replace those that are deficient. Since GABA is produced in the Krebs Cycle and complex carbohydrates produce glutamine that is an important part of that Cycle, and is also the precursor to GABA, then the consumption of such foods should in theory produce more GABA. In this case the theory works, and you should eat foods rich in complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, brown rice and oats as part of your diet.

Other foods that are high in glutamine or its precursors, glutamic acid and glutamate, include citrus fruits, beef liver, broccoli, halibut and lentils. A useful supplement to take is L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea, and available in supplement form. L-theanine can calm your nerves while maintaining clarity of thought. In other words it calms you down, but doesn’t make you drowsy and allows you to enjoy your day with anxiety.

Your doctor can determine whether or not you have a neurotransmitter deficiency through a simple urine test, and might also test your saliva for hormone content. A GABA supplement might be indicated, and if so it other beneficial effects on your body other than its effect on your brain cells.

It improves your sleep cycles and promotes vivid dreaming, and can also have a positive effect on your blood pressure. It is also an effective pain killer, and can provide relief from such conditions as back pain and arthritis. Its stimulating effect on the anterior pituitary gland to secrete Human Growth Hormone might also be regarded as a benefit by many. Increasing the level of HGH in your blood can lead to fat loss and improved anabolic activity (increase in muscle tissue). This can be of benefit to older people whose level of HGH secretion has dropped off, and who find it more difficult to lose fat.

GABA is a substance that has many known benefits and no known side effects other than a slight tingling and increase in heart rate when the supplement is first used. It has a definite benefit for people to whom the world seems too hectic and overwhelming.



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