8 Herbal Teas for Anxiety
About 20% of the American population struggles with anxiety and it is the most common psychiatric disorder. Anxiety is this feeling of fear, worry, or unease. It can be tied to something specific like something stressing us out, or we can feel generalized feelings of anxiety. Anxiety can be a symptom of stress or something that happens as a result of stress, and stress is controlled the adrenal glands which produce cortisol, our stress hormone.
We can see it show up in the body related to neurotransmitter imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, and hormone imbalances. Think of anxiety as a signal from your body that something is out of balance and needs to be regulated better.
We often think of anxiety as something mental or emotional tied to things going on in our lives or things we have gone through and carry with us – and that is absolutely true. Though, we can end up in this loop where this manifests in the body as a stress response and has a cascading effect on throwing our hormones out of balance, and burning through our nutrients.
While herbal teas and supplements will not make anxiety just “go away” or solve everything difficult we’re going through, what nutrition can do is help us have a stronger foundation to then be able to handle the things going on in our life a little bit easier.
Source: NIH
Here are 8 herbal teas for anxiety:
1. Holy Basil
Native to Asia, holy basil is a shrub in, yes, the basil family. It is also one of the herbal teas for anxiety. Two phytochemical compounds in holy basil, ocimumosides A and B, are found to reduce cortisol levels. It is recommended to take holy basil as a supplement or in tea.
2. Lemon Balm
Lemon balm tea is another one of the herbal teas for anxiety. Studies suggest that lemon balm is a source of antioxidants that can help to lower oxidative stress and inflammation and may also have antispasmodic effects. Additionally, lemon balm is found to improve mood and cognition due to a possible connection with the neurotransmitter GABA.
Source: 29844788
3. Passionflower
Another one of the herbal teas for anxiety is passionflower. This tea has been proven to have positive effects on anxiety due to its active ingredients chrysin and pyrone derivative maltol, which have an effect on the central nervous system, controlling stress and emotions. In a 4 week trial, passionflower was compared to a placebo, and another common anxiety prescription called oxazepam across 36 patients diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. The passionflower group demonstrated the same reduction in symptoms as the oxazepam group. Though the difference was that the oxazepam group had negative impacts on job performance due to impairment.
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4. Chamomile
Chamomile is another one of the herbal teas for anxiety. Chamomile has been shown to have many soothing properties in the body to reduce sore throat, menstrual cramps, and now anxiety. Chamomile has a beneficial effect on reducing anxiety to possible functions in regulating noradrenalin, GABA, serotonin, and dopamine, which are some feel-good hormones. The tea is also beneficial in maintaining a restful sleep at night, which can decrease anxiety levels due to cortisol stabilization.
Source: 29057164
5. Lavender
Another one of the beneficial herbal teas for anxiety is lavender. It has many antioxidant, anti-depression, and anti-inflammatory effects which are great properties to reduce anxiety. In a randomized controlled trial, lavender was beneficial in reducing anxiety symptoms in over 200 patients compared to the placebo. Lavender was also compared to a common anxiety prescription called lorazepam, and in a 6week trial with all Generalized anxiety patients, the lavender treated group had better outcomes of reduced symptoms.
Source: 23573142
6. Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is one of the herbal teas for anxiety. It is a root plant that can be taken to effectively reduce stress. Health benefits can be derived from the concentration of withanolides, which are anti-inflammatory. In one study, those who took the ashwagandha had a 30% reduction in cortisol levels. Can take ashwagandha as a supplement or as a powder to add to meals or beverages.
7. Reishi
Reishi, also called Ganoderma lucidum, is a mushroom, or adaptogen, that is one of the herbal teas for anxiety. Native to Europe, Asia, and North America, this mushroom has been used in Chinese medicine for many years now. The adaptogen helps the body to regulate hormones which can help to decrease cortisol imbalances leading to less anxiety. Additionally, a study found that Reishi has this effect from decreasing the oxidative stress response because it has antioxidant properties from its polysaccharide component, a long-chain carbohydrate. Lastly, Reishi has been found to counteract general fatigue and weakness.
Source: Herbal Medicine Book
8. Valerian
Another one of the herbal teas for anxiety is Valerian Root or cat grass. This plant can grow up to 1.5 meters which sprouts white and pink flowers originating in Europe and Asia. Valerian root was found to be beneficial for anxiety by increasing the serotonin response, as well as increasing GABA transmission. Valerian root also has amazing sleep benefits that allow us to maintain stable hormone levels. Additionally, the study found that it can have beneficial effects for dysmenorrhea, which is painful menstrual cramping caused by the hormone prostaglandin, a hormone that is pro-inflammatory which induces period cramps.
Source: 27419099
