Plus , the time-frame for relief may be too long with some of them . But there is another clinically tested , but unexpected herbal ingredient for anxiety : echinacea .
Now you may be saying to yourself , “ Come on , echinacea ? I thought it was for my immune system . How can echinacea calm my fears and reduce my anxiety ?” I was skeptical myself , at first . Not anymore .
A SECRET IN ECHINACEA
The echinacea extract I recommend to relieve anxiety , stress , and feelings of being overwhelmed is not the same one you ’ d use when you have a cold or the flu . It ’ s a different , specialized root extract of Echinacea angustifolia , especially studied for anxiety relief .
This specialized root extract of Echinacea angustifolia contains echinacoside and features a unique alkamides profile , compounds that have been shown in studies to have calming , relaxing effects in the brain , similar to Valium or Librium , but without the sedation and side effects . You can ’ t use just any form of echinacea and expect the same results .
So , how is it that Echinacea angustifolia can be used for both colds and flus and generalized anxiety disorder ? While they are the same species , the phytochemical composition of the plant is entirely different .
Let me give you an example . You and I are the same species , Homo sapien , yet we are entirely different . We don ’ t look alike , we don ’ t function alike , and we have different fingerprints , different DNA , and different genes . Much of these differences are driven by the environment . Humans adapt to any given environment .
Plant species are exactly the same . Any given plant grown in an entirely different environment takes on a different set of phytochemicals . The species is the same ; the chemical composition is different . These changes are brought about by the composition of the soil , what ’ s in the air , the amount of moisture , too much or too little , or whether the plant is grown in the sun or if it is grown in the shade . The chemical composition can also be influenced by the day and even the hour of harvesting , and the extraction process used .
Researchers at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest studied different species of echinacea . One type of Echinacea angustifolia had a different set of fingerprints , DNA , and chemical composition than other Echinacea angustifolia plants that are studied for the immune system .
While analyzing the plant , researchers found that it contained compounds ( echinacoside and alkamides ) that could influence brain chemistry , including the cannabinoid receptors . Endocannabinoid receptors influence the way the brain experiences anxiety and have become a focus of behavioral research in their own right .
After comparing all the echinacea species , only one — Echinacea angustifolia — provided the levels of anxiety-reducing compounds needed to produce dramatic results .
In a further study , seven types of
18 HimPower August 2018