A review published in American Family Physician covers a broad range of herbal and dietary supplements for treating anxiety disorders.
I’ll focus on the best of the lot, kava (Piper methysticum). You can read the rest of the article here. Continue reading Compiling the evidence for kava to treat anxiety
Here’s a review by researchers at the University of Illinois, Chicago that focuses on the scientific support for the use of herbals in women during menopause. It differs a bit in its conclusions from a more general review posted here recently.
Both reviews list St. John’s wort as the most useful herbal for alleviating mood and anxiety changes during menopause. Continue reading Herbal options to treat mood and anxiety in menopausal women
The results of a combined analysis of 3 studies of kava kava (Piper methysticum) to treat anxiety do not support the use of kava in DSM-IV generalized anxiety disorder.
Well then, where does the support for kava come from?
Kava has been linked to liver damage and death. In fact, the UK banned its use in 2003 for this reason.
Now, researchers from the University Hospital in Basel, Switzerland have produced evidence of the kava effect on liver cells. Continue reading Defining the effects of kava on the liver
Recently, 4 patients experienced seizures multiple times following heavy consumption of energy drinks. The authors proposed that energy drinks rich in caffeine, taurine, and guarana seed extract could have provoked these seizures.
Here’s what we know about guarana thanks to researchers from the University of Florida at Gainesville and the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) in Amazonas, Brazil. Continue reading Seizures associated with guarana in energy drinks
In 2003, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom and other countries banned sales of highly concentrated kava dietary supplements, which had been linked to liver damage and death. A summary report is here.
Now, researchers at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu have studied the long-term effects on the liver of drinking kava beverages. Continue reading Measuring the effect of kava on the liver
This seems to be the first time the potential for these interactions has been studied.
Continue reading No interaction between goldenseal or kava kava and digoxin
Almost all supplements tested in this study contained measurable amounts of genistein and/or daidzein — known estrogenic agents. Continue reading Contaminated botanicals and dietary supplements
In 2003, Professor Edzard Ernst writing on the Cochrane Collaboration website concluded, “Compared with placebo, kava extract is an effective symptomatic treatment for anxiety although, at present, the size of the effect seems small.” Continue reading A critical review of herbals to treat anxiety and depression
In 2002, the FDA advised consumers of the potential risk of severe liver injury associated with the use of kava-containing (Piper methysticum) dietary supplements.
In 2003, the U.K.’s medicines regulatory body banned kava when it was linked to a number of deaths and liver damage around the world.
So, where are we today?