Natural Remedies to Brighten Your Mood
Hi, I'm Cathy Wong, your Guide to Alternative Medicine on About.com. Are there natural remedies that can help brighten your outlook and lift your mood? Let's take a look.
St. John's Wort as a Mood Remedy
The herb St. John's Wort is a centuries-old folk remedy for sadness, worry, nervousness, and poor sleep. Today, the results of 23 clinical trials suggest St. John's Wort works better than a placebo and is as effective as anti-depressants for mild to moderate depression, with fewer side effects. It's available at health food stores, drug stores, and online. It can take 4 to 6 weeks to notice the full effects.
St. John's Wort Side Effects and Use
Side effects can include dizziness, dry mouth, indigestion and fatigue. St. John's Wort can increase sensitivity to light, so caution should be taken to protect the skin and eyes. It's not recommended for pregnant or nursing women, children, or people with bipolar disorder, liver or kidney disease. And although St. John's Wort appears to be reasonably safe when taken alone, it cannot be combined with many prescription or over-the-counter drugs. It can be taken with certain anti-depressants under a doctors supervision.
St John's Wort(Hypericum perforatum)即金丝桃,又名贯叶连翘,亦称圣约翰蓟草;是一种五瓣黄花多年生的草本植物,属金丝桃科猪胶树属,多长于土壤干燥和阳光充足之地, 主要产于欧洲、美国及部分亚洲国家.Wort是古代英语鸯格鲁撒克逊语(Anglo-Sax-on)"草药"之意,St John则为浸会教的神。它是美国最热门也最常用的天然草，对抑郁心情有很好的效果。