Herb Your Enthusiasm: Top 4 Herbs for Stress Relief

Herb Your Enthusiasm: Top 4 Herbs for Stress Relief

Does life sometimes feel overwhelming and stressful? Do you experience symptoms of mild anxiety and nervousness? You’re not alone. Recent statistics show that up to 3.4 million people in Australia (that’s more than 17% of the population) experience symptoms of anxiety.1 The good news is, there are natural stress relief herbs and lifestyle tweaks out there that can help.

Stress and Anxiety - Cause and Effect

Stress is a normal part of everyday life. In fact, there is a positive type of stress called ‘eustress’ which has a beneficial effect on both the body and mind. Eustress motivates us to accomplish manageable daily tasks, from doing laundry to exercising or completing our work.

However, when the tasks or load expected of us become too large, and we become overwhelmed by external sources (like too much work or children misbehaving) or internal triggers (such as how we perceive external sources), ‘eustress’ can turn into ‘distress’. This distress leads to discomfort and a feeling of being unable to cope, which can in turn trigger symptoms of mild anxiety.2

There are many affects of stress on the body, including:

  • Emotional: anxiety, nervous tension, irritability
  • Cognitive function: poor concentration, forgetfulness, indecisiveness, apathy, hopelessness
  • Behavioural: sleeplessness, poor sleep, nervousness, accident proneness 2

While mild anxiety can manifest in various ways, some of the common symptoms can include an increased heartbeat, shortness of breath, dizziness. nausea or increased blood pressure. Some people will also go to extreme lengths to avoid situations that can bring on mild anxiety or panic.3

Natural Anxiety Remedies

Calming herbs are the key for reducing stress and mild anxiety relief. We’ve put together our top four favourite herbs for stress and anxiety relief, starting with none other than the queen of herbs for nervous tension relief, passionflower.

1. Passionflower

If you’ve ever seen a passionflower, you’ll never forget it. It’s delicate beauty is unforgettable, and reflects the type of people this herb is most suited for - those sensitive individuals experiencing nervous tension, who need to soothe and calm their nerves. In fact, passionflower has a long history of traditional use in Western herbal medicine for doing just that, as well as:

  • Relieving symptoms of stress
  • Reducing symptoms of mild anxiety (in healthy people)
  • Decreasing sleeplessness and restless sleep

Although this herb originated in the Americas and has been used in traditional Western herbal medicine for hundreds of years for mild anxiety, recent clinical research also validates its use.4 Research has shown that passionflower is one of the most effective herbs for relieving sleeplessness.5

2. Magnolia

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been practiced for over 2,500 years, with magnolia bark being a staple for TCM practitioners treating mild anxiety. It has also been traditionally used in traditional Japanese, American and Indian medicine.6 In more recent times clinical studies have shown that magnolia can relieve sleep disturbances, irritability, and mild anxiety in menopausal women, especially when used alongside other nutritional supplements such as magnesium, calcium, vitamin D, and probiotics.7,8

3. Ziziphus

Another herb that has been used in TCM for hundreds of years is the ziziphus fruit (or more commonly known as Indian jujube or Indian plum). The seeds of this fruit have been traditionally used in TCM to alleviate mild anxiety and reduce sleeplessness. Today, clinical research supports these traditional uses, confirming their effectiveness.9,10

4. Kudzu

Kudzu vine has been cultivated for thousands of years in China, Korea, and Japan, and has been a popular herb in TCM for traditionally reducing mild anxiety.11,12 It has been shown in clinical studies that kudzu can induce a sense of calm.12

Lifestyle Tweaks for Stress Management

While herbal supplements for stress and anxiety are an excellent go to when trying to tame your mild anxiety and manage your stress, there is a lot you can do with changes in your lifestyle to help as well, including: 

  • Get moving: an amazing stress buster, you should aim for 20 mins 3 times a week of some form of cardiovascular exercise like a brisk walk, jog, swimming or even dancing. Yoga and stretching is another form of exercise you can incorporate to calm and focus your mind and ‘get back into your body’.
  • You are what you eat: eat a balanced diet of regular protein, wholegrain carbohydrates and plenty of fruit and veggies. Sugar and fatty foods are unhelpful and should be avoided.
  • Sleep well: prioritise at least 8hrs of sleep nightly and a good sleep routine. If you have trouble getting to sleep, make sure to turn off all screens at least an hour before bed and do something calming before bed like reading or some breathing exercises. 
  • Prioritise you time: make time for yourself to relax throughout the week, whether it’s a yoga session, a walk in the sunshine or having a coffee with a good friend. 
  • Manage your load: if you have too much on your plate, and you’re feeling overwhelmed, problem solve or delegate, and find a way so that your load feels manageable and less stressful.
  • Enjoy!: life is there to be enjoyed - make sure you make time for fun and you’ll feel more balanced in no time.

Interested in learning more? For more information on the science behind magnesium, sign-up to our monthly e-newsletter,  or read more great articles from Micronutrition.

 

This article was written by Corinne Wyper, Naturopath.

 

References

  1. ABS. National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing. Released October 2023. Available from https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/mental-health/national-study-mental-health-and-wellbeing/latest-release#:~:text=In%202020%E2%80%932022%2C%20one%20in,a%2012%2Dmonth%20Affective%20disorder
  2. Better Health Channel, Victoria State Government. Stress. Last updated October 2022, https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/stress
  3. Better Health Channel, Victoria State Government. Anxiety Disorders. Last updated October 2022  https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/anxiety-disorders
  4. Yeung KS, et al. Herbal medicine for depression and anxiety: A systematic review with assessment of potential psycho-oncologic relevance. Phytother Res 2018 May;32(5):865-891. 
  5. Borrás S, at al. Medicinal Plants for Insomnia Related to Anxiety: An Updated Review. Planta Med. 2021 Aug;87(10-11):738-753.
  6. Poivre M, Duez P. Biological activity and toxicity of the Chinese herb Magnolia officinalis      Rehder & E. Wilson (Houpo) and its constituents. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2017 Mar.;18(3):194-214.
  7. Agosta C, et al. Randomized controlled study on clinical efficacy of isoflavones plus Lactobacillus sporogenes, associated or not with a natural anxiolytic agent in menopause. Minerva Ginecol 2011;63(1):11–17.
  8. Mucci M, et al. Soy isoflavones, lactobacilli, Magnolia bark extract, vitamin D3 and calcium. Controlled clinical study in menopause. Minerva Ginecol. 2006;58(4):323–334.
  9. Bae GY, et al. Sleep-Enhancing Effect of Water Extract from Jujube (Zizyphus jujuba Mill.) Seeds Fermented by Lactobacillus brevis L32. Foods. 2023 Jul 27;12(15):2864. 
  10. Wen-Huang P, et al. Anxiolytic effect of seed of Ziziphus jujuba in mouse models of anxiety. J Ethnopharmacology 2000;72(3):435-441.
  11. Wang J, et al. Extraction, structural-activity relationships, bioactivities, and application prospects of Pueraria lobata polysaccharides as ingredients for functional products: A review. Macromolecules 2023;243:125210.
  12. Wong KH,et al. Kudzu root: traditional uses and potential medicinal benefits in diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. J Ethnopharmacol. 2011;134(3):584-607.

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