The Facts on Herbal Depression Treatment

First the facts on the anti depressant medications used at the moment. Progress has been made in that the older type of medicines the tricyclic (or TCAs such as Tofranil and Ahafranil) led to bladder problems, drowsiness and sexual dysfunction, have now been mostly replaced with the SSRIs. Doctors now prefer the SSRIs medication which act as a serotonin booster which lifts the mood and everything seems fine! Unfortunately, if you are a man you may become impotent and if you are a woman, you have to cope with a considerable gain in weight which may exacerbate your depression. As there are no studies done on their long term effects, we have no idea whether they are completely safe either. You can see why people are turning to herbal depression treatment because the side effects are much less severe and they will really help to reduce depression.

Let us have a look at the herbal depression treatment which is gaining popularity at the moment. The key neurotransmitter called serotonin which governs our happiness and feelings of well being is the main target in any of the herbal remedies for depression. The anti depressant medications also home in on serotonin but as we have seen above, their side effects may have a boomerang effect! The big pharmaceutical companies will never admit that! Many people suffering from depression have been found to have very low levels of serotonin.

Gingko biloba is a herb which has had positive feedback in the treatment of depression. It takes a while to kick in but as it has a gradual effect on increasing the flow of blood to the brain, it can help with memory, brain function and also increase the serotonin levels. It is not recommended for those who have bleeding problems or who are taking anti inflammatory drugs.

St. John's Wort (Hypericum) has come out best in all the clinical trials, so much so that the National Institute of Mental Health has decided to run trials in seeing how well it does for treating mild to moderate depression. This means that it is the most popular herb and with good reason. It is also the most common herbal depression treatment used in Europe and especially in Germany

In one controlled, double-blind trial with over 100 patients who were suffering from MDD (major depressive disorder), those patients who were on Hypericum had a 50% reduction of depression symptoms compared with those who were on Fluoxetine which is a popular anti depressant medication of the Prozac family. Effective with very few side effects has meant that St. John's Wort has become one of the most sought after herbal remedies for depression.

Other herbs used with great success in herbal depression treatment are Kava, Ginseng, and Passion Flower. You will need to check out the credentials of the company if you are ordering online. The company in the link below has a fine reputation and offers must have guarantees as regards the growing, selection and manufacturing of the herbs, all supervised in a FDA approved facility by trained herbalists.

Want to learn more about herbal depression treatment? Robert Locke has written extensively on Mental Health for many years.