Feeling Nervous? Lavender May Help

When you’re feeling nervous and scared, you want to make use of as many tips and tricks as you can to feel more at peace. Simple tips that you can add into your day can make a surprising difference.

Lavender was historically used to help people fall asleep. People would put a few pieces of lavender under their pillow before bed in the hopes of having a better night’s rest. Lavender may also be helpful for reducing symptoms of anxiety. Aromatherapy using lavender essential oil is a super easy way to make use of this herb during times of stress and anxiousness.  

Most of the research on lavender aromatherapy is in hospital settings. Small studies have found that it can help calm anxiety before operations, during labour or before medical tests. That being said, many patients find it useful in other anxiety-provoking situations like going into a meeting or during a tense day. 

The nice thing about aromatherapy is that it’s easy to do and it’s relatively safe as there are fewer concerns about interactions with medications and health conditions (although you should always double check with your naturopathic doctor). You don’t even have to get an expensive diffuser. You can just put a few drops of lavender essential oil on a cotton ball and keep it near enough to you that you can smell it.

It’s one small thing that can be added into your life to bring you some inner calm. For a list of foods that can help reduce anxiety levels, click HERE.

Moringa: What’s the Evidence?

This is the first article in a new series I’m starting called “What’s the Evidence?”. Every couple of weeks, I’ll discuss natural remedies that are trendy right now, and whether or not the claims about them have good evidence to back them up.

There’s been a lot of hype about moringa on the internet. Moringa is native to India but now grows in places like Africa, South America and the Caribbean. It's been called the “Miracle Tree” because it’s believed to treat a very wide range of health problems. It has been used for thousands of years by the ancient Indians, Greeks, Egyptians and Romans.

Nutrients and Special Properties

Many sources have reported that moringa is high in nutrients. It has a respectable amount of protein, vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium and iron. It contains good fats like oleic acid and omega-3 fatty acids. It also seems to have high antioxidant levels. It shows signs of anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial activity but it’s not clear how strong this activity is. It’s been used in cosmetics from past to present because of its nutrient content. However, what I’m more interested in is this: are these properties actually enough to improve health and reduce disease?

Liver Disease and Ulcers

Animal research has found that moringa protected against liver damage caused by medications. It also reduced liver fibrosis. Another animal study found that it protected from stomach ulcers induced by aspirin and other agents. Evidence on humans is sparse.

Asthma

One of the few human studies of moringa was in regards to asthma. In this study, moringa improved asthma symptoms and lung function test results. However, the researchers did not compare moringa to a control group. This means that it's not clear if the positive results were due to moringa or the placebo effect.

Cancer

The moringa studies on tumours and cancer are animal studies or cell studies rather than human studies. Some of these studies have been positive, but it’s not clear how moringa affects cancer in humans.

Diabetes

Here we have a few more human studies to look at. A trial in 1993 found that having moringa leaf with a meal led to less of a sugar spike in diabetics. This was in comparison to having bitter gourd or curry leaves with a meal.

In 2010, a small study of 46 unmedicated diabetics found that moringa leaf lowered fasting sugar levels.

In 2011, a study found that moringa lowered HbA1C levels in type two diabetics. However, it was only a 0.4% reduction and the quality of the study was poor.

A trial in 2016 found that moringa leaf increased insulin production. However, the subjects in the study were already healthy non-diabetics. We don't know if we would see an insulin boost in diabetics.

In 2021, a study showed that moringa reduce HBA1C in prediabetic patients. Patients who were taking a placebo instead of moringa had an increase in HBA1C. However, the improvement in HBA1C in the moringa group was very small.

Cholesterol and Triglycerides

In a 2010 study, 35 people with high cholesterol and high triglycerides were given either moringa leaf or a placebo. Moringa leaf did not lower triglycerides or bad cholesterol. There was a small drop in total cholesterol (1.6%) and a small increase in good cholesterol (6.3%). Interestingly, another study found more impressive drops in total cholesterol, bad cholesterol and triglycerides.

The Verdict

Moringa’s impact on health and disease is unclear. Most moringa studies are on animals or isolated cells rather than humans. The few human studies are often low in quality. If I didn’t mention a condition above it’s likely because the evidence was too weak to bring it up. Hopefully more promising evidence comes out in the future. If you feel like giving moringa a try based on all the history behind it, that’s totally up to you! As for myself, I’m going to wait on more evidence before recommending moringa.

Always choose your natural remedies wisely and get expert help when you need it. 

I help patients improve their mental health and hormone health. For a free list of foods linked to lower anxiety levels, click the link below.

Improving Low Mood and Depression

I see many patients struggling with low mood and depression. Feeling down can greatly interfere with your quality of life. Below, I talk about the different ways naturopathic medicine can help.

Herbs and Supplements

There are many ways that herbs and supplements can improve low mood and depression. Many act similarly to depression medications but with less side effects. Some can be combined with medications or other treatments. Sometimes they can be used on their own depending on the severity of the depression.

There is emerging research about the role that inflammation plays in depression. Certain herbs can reduce inflammation and improve mood scores.

Other herbs and supplements can act to balance hormones. This may be a good fit for you if you find that your mood fluctuates with your period. Menopause and changes in thyroid health can also lead to low mood. These are areas herbs and supplements may help with. 

Believe it or not there is some research linking gut health to mental health. There are many herbs and supplements that can improve gut health.

Acupuncture

Studies have found that 4-8 weeks of acupuncture can reduce depression scores. It's safe to combine acupuncture with depression medication. It's also a great tool to use on its own. This is one of my favourite tools to use for anyone suffering with a mental health condition. If you’re wondering how acupuncture works, check out one of my previous articles here.

Lifestyle

There is a strong link between exercise and mood. There is also some connection (though not as strong) between diet and mood. Getting these and other parts of your life in order is important to address your low mood. Mindfulness and strategies to improve the way you think are some other tools I discuss with patients. 

When you're feeling low, every area of life is affected. My passion is to get people to a place where they can cope with their moods to thrive in life as much as possible. If you would like to try naturopathic medicine for your low mood or depression book an appointment or free 15-minute consult.