Natural Remedies for Anxiety

Before we go any further, if you’re experiencing anxiety or low mood, and it’s effecting your life or you feel as though you’re struggling, please speak to you GP. Here’s a couple of resources too, from the mental health charity Mind.

‘Herbal Medicine’

In today’s fast paced world, with social media, instant messaging and emails, we often finding ourselves unable to shut off, even if we have logged off! Stress and anxiety have become a part of daily life, but there are some things you can do about it.

Medicinal plants have been used to centuries in just about every culture on Earth, and can still have a place in Western medicine. ‘Herbal medicine’, or teas and supplements, can be used to help ease symptoms of anxiety, improve sleep and help us feel healthier.

Natural remedies for anxiety & daily stresses

So what should you be looking for? Here’s a few natural remedy and supplement ideas to try, and see how they work for you.

• L-Theanine & Lemon Balm Complex
  We’ve found this becoming more popular in our shop in recent weeks. L-Theanine is an amino acid from green and black tea and some mushrooms, and the lemon balm acts very similarly to chamomile.
  
  It suggested that L-theanine helps to boost serotonin and dopamine, the happy chemicals our brains make, and reduce cortisol, the stress hormone. It’s also said to help improve sleep quality and get a deeper sleep. Source.
  
  
• Magnesium & Epsom Salts for relaxation and mood
  Having a good soak in the bath is well-known natural remedy for stress. By adding epsom salts, made of magnesium, you can benefit from muscle relaxation as well as absorbing some of the magnesium through your skin, which is suggested to help boost serotonin levels. The perfect natural remedy! You can also take magnesium in a supplement form, if you’re not into taking baths. Source
  
  
• 5-HTP
  Brainfeed’s 5-HTP is the building block to your happy, chemical messenger; serotonin (5-ht) ideal for people who live a stressful lifestyle, work long hours, and struggle sleeping. Suitable for if you are experiencing lower than normal mood, high stress, or looking to increase their serotonin levels. WARNING! DO NOT TAKE 5-HTP IF YOU ARE TAKING ANTI-DEPRESSANTS OR ANTI-ANXIETY MEDICATION OR SSRI's. Always speak to your GP before taking supplements.

Natural remedies for sleep

• St John’s Wort
  You’ve probably heard of this one. From the medicinal plant hypericum perforatum, St John’s Wort is a traditional herbal medicine, used for hundreds of years to relieve moderate low mood & mild anxiety.
  
  You can get it in drops or tablet form, and add it to your daily supplements. WARNING! DO NOT TAKE ST JOHN’S WORT IF YOU ARE TAKING ANTI-DEPRESSANTS OR ANTI-ANXIETY MEDICATION OR SSRI's. Always speak to your GP before taking supplements.

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  Often suggested as a natural remedy for sleep, valerian root comes in all kinds of forms. Drops, tablets and even teas. Settling down with a hot cup of Bedtime from YogiTea or Night Time from Pukka can help you get chilled and ready for bed.
  
  
  

Leading a healthy lifestyle & healthy eating

Food & mood are very closely linked as 70% of serotonin lives in the gut. This means we need to take care of our gut with healthy eating. Eating fermented foods such as miso, kefir and sauerkraut helps promote good bacteria in our guts microbiome. Our microbiome also needs plenty of fibrous veg to stay healthy.

You should also be eating anti-microbial foods, that help to reduce the amount of bad bacteria in the gut like garlic and adding oil of oregano to your herbal nutrition.

This helps to create a great environment for that 70% of serotonin, which is the precursor to dopamine, the happy chemical in our brains.


Always speak to your GP before taking supplements or changing your diet. If you are experiencing low mood or anxiety, you should speak to your GP. Here’s a couple of resources too, from the mental health charity Mind.