Herbal Supplements/Homeopathic

1. Ayurveda
Herbal Supplement (tea):
Depression
ON-LINE PRESENTATION:
HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS/
HOMEOPATHIC

2. Ayurvedic Medicine Facts
• One of the world’s oldest medical systems.
• Ayurvedic physicians prescribe individualized treatments to include
herbs, diet, exercise, and lifestyle recommendations.
• Prana is the vital energy which is the source of all life and healing in
the universe.
• Treatment focuses on balancing the doshas – body type and
temperament.
• Body and mind are connected to the environment through the five
human senses which correspond to elements within nature.
• The basic principle of Ayurveda is to prevent and treat illness by
maintaining balance in the body, mind, and consciousness.
• Spiritual progression and stress relief are necessary to achieve
health.

3. The Elements and
Ayurveda
Your body and mind are
intricately connected to your
environment and to the
universe, and where there is
imbalance, illness and
disorder ensue.
Air – Movement
Fire – Heat and Light
Earth – Matter
Ether – Space
Water – Fluid
http://www.vancouveryoga.c
om/ayurveda_article.html

4. Doshas
• An individual’s distinct combination of physical, mental, and
emotional characteristics.

5. Herbs (tea): St. John’s Wort for Depression
Manufacturer Claim Dosing Active
Ingredient(s) &
strength
Cost
Yogi Supports
Emotional
Balance
Bring water to
boiling and
steep 5 to 10
minutes. For a
stronger tea,
use 2 tea bags.
Drink 3 to 4
cups a day.
Organic St.
John’s Wort Leaf
and Flower (843
mg)
Blend of Herbs:
Fennel Seed,
Cinnamon Bark,
Spearmint Leaf,
Cardamom Seed,
Ginger Root,
Lavender Flower,
Fenugreek Seed,
Clove Bud, Black
Pepper, St.
John’s Wort Plant
Extract (1383 mg)
$5.19 for 16
bags at David’s
Natural Market

6. Active Ingredient: St. John’s Wort Leaf & Flower
• Therapeutic ingredients are
thought to include hypericin,
pseudohypericin and various
xanthones.
• These chemicals elevate dopamine
and serotonin levels in the brain
which improve one’s mood.
• Low side effects because it is
natural – a weed with yellow
flowers.
• May reduce symptoms in people
with mild-to-moderate but not
severe (or major) depression.
http://youtu.be/v9FcZQwn3lc

7. Clinical
Trial
Results
• NIH-funded study shows that an extract of
the herb St. John’s Wort was no more
effective for treating major depression of
moderate severity than placebo.
• The multi-site trial, involving 340
participants, also compared the FDA-
approved antidepressant drug sertraline
(Zoloft®) to placebo as a way to measure
how sensitive the trial was to detecting
antidepressant effects.
• The trial was launched in response to
growing use of St. John’s Wort in the United
States and a need for more definitive data
on its use for different types of depression.
• A person experiencing a major depressive
episode suffers from a depressed mood or
loss of interest in normal activities that lasts
most of the day nearly every day for at least
2 weeks.
• Study participants’ initial diagnosis and
severity of depression were confirmed.
Hypericum Depression Trial
Study Group. Effect of
Hypericum perforatum (St.
John's wort) in major
depressive disorder: a
randomized controlled trial.
Journal of the American
Medical Association. ;
287(14):1807–1814.
http://nccam.nih.gov/researc
h/results/stjohnswort

8. Yogi ~ St. John’s Wort Blues Away
http://www.yogiproducts.com/prod
ucts/details/st.-johns-wort-blues-
away/
1 months supply cost = $28.14
Manufacturer Claims
Promotes a sense of calm
Eases common tensions and nervous
unrest

9. Allopathic Alternative – Zoloft
https://www.zoloft.com/
1 months supply cost
=
$10-$15 depending on dosage
Manufacturer Claims
Zoloft is approved by the FDA to treat
Major Depressive Disorder.
Available in multiple strengths – tablets
in 25, 50, and 100 mg.
The active ingredient is sertraline
hydrochloride.