Herbal Remedies for Depression
Herbal remedies for depression symptoms are common in all cultures, and have increasingly gained popularity in modern western culture over the past two decades. Some of these can be quite effective, but there are also risks involved with the use of this type of depression treatment.
The most common herbal depression remedy is St Johns Wort. It is an herb that has a long history of use and has actually been shown to be more effective than placebo in clinical trials. Perhaps more importantly, this herbal depression treatment has been shown to be at least as effective as the leading psychiatric medication for depression, while being much better tolerated. The side effects of St Johns Wort are not much more than placebo and generally create little or no discomfort. Specifically, this herbal remedy for depression does not seem to produce the reproductive side effects that the popular depression medications do.
However, there is a difficulty with taking this or any other herbal remedy, and that is that your dosage is not precise or regulated. There is no way to know what the active dose will be or even how much you are getting in any single pill. Some brands promise a standardized dose of what is assumed to be the active ingredient in the herb, but again this is not regulated by any government agency and so the promises may or may not be realistic.
Many people find it very appealing to take a more natural depression treatment, but really when you take an herbal remedy you are taking a drug or collection of drugs. The only difference is that with a pharmaceutical you get a specific measured dose of a specific chemical. With an herbal treatment you can not be exactly sure. Still, as we have seen these treatments can be quite safe and effective for depression. Talk to your doctor before making any changes to your diet or taking any supplement for symptoms of depression. Also, please consider psychotherapy for depression, and discuss this type of depression treatment option with your doctor. He will be able to give you a referal to a qualified mental health professional.