Better Nutrition September 2019

The ultimate
handbook
for managing
stress, anxiety,
and depression
BY LISA TURNER
bout 21 million American adults
suffer from mood disorders such
as depression and bipolar, and 40
million have an anxiety disorder. What’s
worse, a report last year by the American
Psychiatric Association (APA) found that
40 percent of Americans are more anxious
than they were the previous year.
As for stress: three out of four adults say
they’re stressed, 45 percent report lying
awake at night, and 36 percent say they
feel nervous or anxious.
What all this means is that more
than a third of Americans struggle
with depression, anxiety, or stress—and
sometimes, all three. If you’re among
them, you don’t have to suffer. Natural
herbs, vitamins, and supplements can calm
anxiety, soothe stress, and ease depression
without the side effects of pharmaceuticals.
Check with your doctor first to identify
serious disorders, and if you’re taking
prescription medication, rule out any
interactions. Then try these nine moodfixing
solutions to feel better, faster.
PASSIONFLOWER
This flowering vine (Passiflora
incarnata) grows throughout
South America and in some parts of the
southern United States. It’s been used in
traditional herbal medicine for hundreds
of years for a variety of conditions, and
modern studies document the effectiveness
of passionflower in relieving stress
and anxiety. Passionflower appears to
work by increasing the brain’s levels
of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA),
a compound that helps regulate mood.
Some research shows that passionflower
is as effective as prescription antianxiety
medications without causing sedation
or impacting job performance. It’s also
helpful in promoting sleep. In one study,
people who drank passionflower tea
daily reported significant improvements
in sleep quality
HOW TO TAKE IT: Look for standardized
whole-plant capsules or extracts with
at least 0.8% flavonoids or isovitexin;
45–90 mg per day has been used for
26 • SEPTEMBER 2019