In medicine, alternative remedies, herbal remedies, etc are often referred to as follows: I don’t know anything about figs and twigs.

Some healthcare providers know a little here and there about vitamins, supplements, herbs, etc but it is a huge field and can be very overwhelming.  Just as every healthcare provider isn’t an expert in every area, they also don’t get a whole lot of extra training in this area.  I know only what I researched for my own healthcare and/or my child’s care.

I say all this because healthcare providers sometimes get a bad rap for not knowing about each and every herb that God created and man packaged but it is a huge area and, just as they have to look up info for unfamiliar drugs that they may need to prescribe, the same is true for “figs and twigs”.

There are a few supplements that can be helpful in the battle with depression and anxiety.   One of them is essential to good health and everyone should truly take it regardless of whether they are gettin’ their crazy on.  The others are just helpful to know about.  One, St. John’s Wort, will need to be discussed in its own post.  It has real benefits but also some very real dangers and the discussion can get a little uber complicated.  So that’s for another day altogether.

Let’s get started with the “you must take this now” pitch…

Essential Fatty Acids:

Also called Omega 3, Omega 6, Omega 9, fish oil, etc.  The American diet is unbalanced when it comes to the Omegas.  We get an over abundance of Omega 6 because it is in baked goods and its added to everything on the planet.  However, we get very little of Omega 3 and Omega 9 is kind of an outlier.  Having an imbalance of Omega 6  compared to Omega 3 leads to obesity, heart disease, inflammatory disorders, etc.

You can take a supplement that contains just Omega 3 or you can take an Omega 3,6,9 product.  But here’s the kicker.  Yes…its cheaper at Walmart but unless you are taking a pharmaceutical grade product you may getting a high load of mercury and not much in the way of actual fish oil.  So ignore that big jumbo bottle at Sams club and go to the healthfood store.  A bottle of quality EFA’s (essential fatty acids) will cost you between 24 and 30 bucks.

Benefits:

Other than the overall health benefits, EFA’s help to improve focus and even kids with ADHD are starting to use them instead of their usual stimulant medications.

Side effects:

Fishy burps…. try one of the lemon flavored ones and this will lessen the problem and take with food.

Brusing: if excessive brusing starts to occur, decrease your dose

If you have a history of seizures, avoid using an EFA supplement that has borage oil as it can lower your seizure threshold.

The drawbacks are very few, the benefits are enormous.  So while I’ve tried to remain balanced on these posts about medications, etc….. start taking EFA’s today.

Kava Kava

Kava Kava is an herb that has anti-anxiety benefits.  It is calming and it can make you a little sleepy.  It is used in smaller doses during the day when you are having trouble keeping your anxiety under control.  It also helps to get you to sleep at night and has successfully been used for counteracting the “wake up at 2:00 a.m. and can’t get back to sleep” cycle.

Kava Kava is often linked in internet forums, etc to liver problems.  If you take Kava Kava by the fistful every day of your life, yes you will have some liver issues.  However, if you use it at its recommended dose a few times a month, it is a safe supplement.  In times of extreme stress it can be used daily but it isn’t recommended for daily use over longs periods of time.

Because it is processed by the liver it can cause toxicity not only in high doses but in those that might have a compromised liver.  Therefore, avoid Kava Kava if you….

  • have liver disease
  • have a history of prolonged alcholism
  • consume more than 4 or 5 alcoholic beverages per week

Another important warning, don’t combine Kava Kava with tylenol/acetaminophen products for the same reason….it can cause issues with the liver.  And, of course, taking Kava Kava with an alcoholic beverage wouldn’t be a good choice.  To avoid excess sedation, do not combine with seizure medications, any sedating pain medications or any other sedatives.

Valerian:

Valerian is sometimes called herbal valium but is mainly used for anxiety.  However, its greatest use is as a sleep aid.  It is relatively safe although you will sometimes read of it being linked to liver issues.  That is, however, quite rare.

Very little is known about valerian and how it functions in the body.  There are very few published reports of valerian causing toxicity issues, over doses, etc.  It is a fairly safe supplement.  That said, if you fall into any of the above mentioned categories in regards to liver issues, you may want to avoid using it.

A side note… if you have a sensitive nose, it may be hard for you to stomach valerian. I tried once to take it for a few weeks and the stuff stinks to high heaven.  I just couldn’t take it any more and I quit.  It is really stinky stuff.

That’s all for today.  Next post will be about St. John’s Wort, an herbal antidepressant.  And just as I said last time, same applies for herbal remedies as well.  Pray before you start.  Pray before you start.