Anxiety Treatment - The Natural Remedy for Anxiety Relief

L-Theanine, naturally occurring in green tea, proves effective in dealing with anxiety symptoms and providing anxiety relief

Anxiety is a state of intense fear, uncertainty, uneasiness, or apprehension due to anticipation of an imagined or real threatening future event. Anxiety can be both physically and psychologically devastating to the Anxiety sufferer's life. Anxiety is often sub-categorized according to the focus of the perceived threat. There is social anxiety, separation anxiety, dating anxiety, performance anxiety, math anxiety, etc. Stress and anxiety often go hand in hand and can result in anxiety depression as the individual feels powerless to receive any anxiety help.

There are a variety of anti-anxiety treatments to consider in overcoming anxiety. For some, anxiety medications prove to be a source of anxiety relief. Other's prefer not to use any of the anti-anxiety drugs and opt for more natural cures for anxiety management. These may include herbs for anxiety, acupuncture anxiety treatments, anxiety vitamins, aromatherapy for anxiety relief, even hypnosis has has proved beneficial overcoming anxiety.

This article discusses the perhaps little known amino acid L-Theanine as a natural remedy for anxiety relief.

L-Theanine is a unique free form amino acid found only in the tea plant and in the mushrooms Xerocomus badius and certain species of genus Camellia, C. japonica and C. sasanqua. Often drinkers of green tea report a feeling of calmness they feel after ingesting a cup or two even though green tea has roughly half the caffeine of coffee. This is due to the high L-Theanine content.

In addition to reducing anxiety symptoms, studies have shown L-Theanine may be effective in promoting concentration, supporting the immune system, improving learning performance, lowering blood pressure, increasing formation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, and increasing brain dopamine levels among other positive benefits with no known downside.

Studies in cooperation with Taiyo Kagaku Co., The University of Shizuoka, and The Family Planning Institute of Japan have shown that women taking 200 mg L-Theanine daily have lower incidence of PMS symptoms. These symptoms include physical, mental, and social symptoms. Overall, a significant alleviation of PMS symptoms by L-Theanine was observed. 

While still under investigation, L-Theanine appears to have a role in the formation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA). GABA blocks release of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, playing a key role in the relaxation effect. 

Everyone knows the effects stress and anxiety can have on an individual's physical state of well-being. Fascinating neurochemistry research has revealed that given a shot of GABA essentially turned back the clocks in the brains of older monkeys, whose brain function briefly operated at levels normally seen in monkeys less than half their age.

GABA, or gamma-amino butyric acid, is a neurotransmitter chemical that is essential for optimizing how brain cells transmit messages to each other and acts to put a damper on unwanted brain signaling activity. Although GABA's age-related decline has not been documented in humans, a host of studies in mammals, including other primates, suggests that a similar process is at work in people.

Monkeys ages 26 and 32 -- considered old age for monkeys -- that got GABA directly delivered to their neurons responded to visual patterns, such as flashing vertical and horizontal lines, in much the same way as monkeys aged 7 to 9 years old did. 

Without GABA delivery, the monkeys' aged brains had more difficulty firing neurons that specifically gauge various aspects of depth perception, motion and color. Instead, older monkeys have more random firings that make it difficult to observe visual nuances. In younger monkeys, GABA had no effect since their brains already had optimal GABA functioning.

L-Theanine is considered to be safe based on its historical use as a component of tea and on favorable toxicology studies. Tea is the most consumed beverage worldwide after water, and has been consumed for thousands of years by billions of people. It is estimated that a heavy tea drinker (6-8 cups daily) will consume between 200 to 400 mg of L-Theanine daily.

While dosage for depression and anxiety disorder remain individual, it is recommended to take 100 to 200 mg 1 to 3 times daily for anxiety relief. Based on the results of clinical studies, it has been established that L-Theanine is effective in single dosages in the range of 50-200 mg. It is suggested that subjects with higher levels of anxiety take a dose at the higher end of the effective range (100 - 200 mg) for overcoming anxiety.

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Mental Health and Exercise : There are any Connections? between Mental Health and Exercise

These days we know very well that the body exercise promotes healthier body and better sense of well-being for our life style and healthy living. It boosts confidence for the people who need newer self image while it prevents the aggravation of physical illnesses for some.

While nearly all of the research on exercise is focused on demonstrating positive effects on the physical body, there is a growing mass of research that seeks to prove that exercise is good for mental health as well. Recently a study conducted by the researchers from the Duke University along with other similar studies proved that exercise could help treat depression for 72% of all the participants. This result is similar with the total number of participants who are using medications for their treatment from depression.

However, you don’t have to be a sufferer of a mental illness before you benefit from exercise. You can boost your sense of well-being while walking on the treadmill or by combining yoga and meditation. In a way, exercise could be used as a potential medium for preventing the development of psychological and emotional conditions.

There are three dimensions at which we could look at when examining the benefits of exercise in the mental wellness of a person. Among the less well known is the biological aspect. One theory suggests that physical workout or exercise could stimulate a part of the brain to release endorphins. Activities that are more likely to trigger the release of endorphins are swimming, cross-country skiing, running, bicycling, aerobics and sports like soccer, football and basketball. Endorphins are comparable to opiates in a way that they resemble morphine.

Endorphins could work in two ways- as a pain reliever (which is produced in response to the stresses brought about by physical work or stress) and as an enhancer of well-being. There are, however, no definite data that could support this claim. On the other hand, exercise is also found to trigger the release of hormones norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin. All these are known to help improve mood and is actually the main effect of Prozac, a known antidepressant. Increase in these hormones could be best observed in a condition known as "runner's high". This is the feeling during after an acute exercise is directly linked to the increased number of the said hormones.

However, there are still no conclusive studies proving that improvements on mood could be facilitated for a longer period of time. Another is the physiological aspect. Nearly all of the feelings we associate with mental wellness come from our personal evaluation of the way our body feels. Say for instance, if you perceive a stomach pain as a form of stress then you will feel stressed (and sometimes even depression) every time your stomach aches.

Likewise, exercise could render feelings such as muscle relaxation and easier breathing which we associate with "feeling better". While this correlation is yet to have a better scientific grounding, we still could not deny the fact that muscle tension and increased blood flow go together with physical fitness. No one knows yet how exactly exercise affects mental health. But it is common among patients to view exercise as a good medium to elevate their moods.

In fact, according to a survey conducted by the Charity Mind nearly two-thirds of all people who said that they use exercise to relieve symptoms of stress and depression believe that exercise actually works for them. The scientific community is yet to understand how this happens though and for now, it remains a truth that people benefit from exercise for mental health...

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Yoga - Improves Your Mental and Physical Health

The whole system of Yoga is built on three main structures: exercise, breathing, and meditation. The exercises of Yoga are designed to put pressure on the glandular systems of the body, thereby increasing its efficiency and total health.

The body is looked upon as the primary instrument that enables us to work and evolve in the world, and so a Yoga student treats it with great care and respect. Breathing techniques are based on the concept that breath is the source of life in the body.

The Yoga student gently increases breath control to improve the health and function of both body and mind.Just as your body temperature increases to fight infection, the increased room temperature will help improve T-cell function and the right functioning of the immune system. The most important plus points, perhaps, are the mental health benefits.

You will enjoy more willpower through restraint, self-discipline, focus and willpower. Besides, the effects on the stress in one's life and how one manages it are unbelievable. You will pick up techniques to help you control your reactions to the stress stimulants you encounter throughout the day.Psychologists have long known that moderate exercise is good for depression and anxiety. Such exercise can easily be found in Yoga practice.

Yoga postures are designed to promote physical strength, flexibility and balance. Anyone who has ever taken a Yoga class will attest that there are cardio/heart benefits to be had; your heart rate is frequently up while performing postures much as it would be if you were performing more conventional exercise.

Though Yoga gets your heart rate up and your endorphines pumping, it also provides for many rest periods. These rest periods lend a gentle quality to the conditioning that makes it easier to endure than 'marathon' style exercise. You seldom feel as though you can't go on.With yoga therapy, you can easily discover your inner self, be aware of what is actually going on in your mind and clear your mind of all the accumulated clutter.

You can learn to concentrate, dissolve your worries and improve physical disorders with the help of yoga. If taken seriously and practiced regularly, one can feel immediate health improvements, as well as tone the figure and lose weight.

There is no perfect time to start yoga. As the wise say "It is better late than never", you can start yoga as young and as old as you want. In case, you plan to practice yoga late in your life; it will strengthen your heart promote cardio vascular endurance and reduce the effects of arthritis while improving flexibility, blood flow and bring relief to minor joint pains. Yoga can cure many illnesses and you must trust this age-old tradition to benefit from it.Yogic practices that reduce anxiety tend to reduce anxious eating. In addition, yoga deep breathing increases the oxygen intake to the body cells, including the fat cells.

This causes increased oxidation or burning up of fat cells. Yogic exercises induce more continuous and deeper breathing which gradually burns, sometimes forcefully, many of the calories already ingested.Yoga improves fitness, lowers blood pressure, promotes relaxation and self-confidence, and reduces stress and anxiety.

People who practice yoga tend to have good coordination, posture, flexibility, range of motion, concentration, sleep habits, and digestion. Yoga is a complementary therapy that has been used with conventional therapies to help treat a wide range of health problems, but it is not a cure for any particular disease...

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How to Beat Depression through Diet and Nutrition and Say Goodbye to Anti Depressants Forever..

In an age where anti depressants have become one of the most widely prescribed drugs on the market, more and more people are asking how they can beat depression naturally to avoid the risks and side-effects associated with SSRI’s and other anti depressant drugs. There is a strong case to support hormonal factors, diet and nutrition as being the driving force behind the widespread incidence of depression and other mental health disorders, commonly seen today. Mounting evidence suggests that outdated diet and nutritional advice such as encouraging high carbohydrate and low fat diets is in fact, a major cause of depression.

High carbohydrate diets have also been linked to heart disease, Type II diabetes and obesity. Low fat diets deplete the body of cholesterol, an essential nutrient for the nervous system and for the production of hormones such as testosterone and estrogen. Deficiencies of these hormones produce the mental and emotional changes commonly seen in premenstrual and menopausal women and male andropause (i.e. fatigue, apathy, irritability, sadness, depression, anxiety and insomnia).

Cholesterol is the building block of all hormones and low levels are very dangerous for mental and heart health. One of the best food sources of healthy cholesterol are eggs. Egg yolks contain healthy HDL cholesterol and lethicin, which helps the body to emulsify the fat and metabolize it very easily. On top of this, eggs are a nutritional powerhouse and contain a vast array of B group vitamins essential for mood and energy, in addition to amino acids which are essential for promoting a calm and content disposition.

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein foods. They are found in foods such as meat, fish, nuts and beans. One amino acid in particular, Tryptophan, is a direct precursor to serotonin, a feel good neurotransmitter in the brain often deficient in people with depression. The best food source of this nutrient is the Alaskan Sea Lion with a massive 2,500mg of Tryptophan, but of course I’m not advocating that it be hunted because of it. A better source might be seaweed algae; Spirulina has 641mg of tryptophan.

Alternatively, you can try soy protein isolate which has 660mg, frozen spinach which has 594mg or raw watercress which has 545mg. Tryptophan as a supplement has not been available for sale in Australia for some time. However, it has recently been reintroduced to the US where it is used for weight loss and depression. The next best thing (if dietary sources are inadequate) is a nutrient known as 5HTP.

This is a direct precursor to tryptophan. This is available from your local Naturopath on prescription in a product known as Proxan. This product also contains another powerful mood enhancing nutrient known as SAMe, in addition to B vitamins. This has been known to improve mood within days without any dangerous side-effects or withdrawal symptoms commonly associated with prescription anti depressants. (Please note this cannot be taken while taking anti depressants.) Stress is another major cause of depression today.

After the adrenalin rush that accompanies a stressful event (having an argument with the dishwasher, your spouse or boss) the body releases the anti-stress hormone cortisol to calm the body down. However, stressful events are not isolated incidents in our lives so this hormonal balancing act is taking place every waking second of your day.

This can eventually lead to adrenal exhaustion and abnormally high cortisol levels. This has been clinically proven to shrink the hypothalamus, the part of the brain which governs emotions and behavior. High cortisol levels also deplete the body of serotonin faster. However, the serotonin deficiency is really due to an excess or cortisol or too much stress. Eating a diet with a good amount of protein spread throughout the day in addition to good quality fat (ie nuts, olive oil, butter, fish oils) will go a long way towards supporting the nervous system and mental health in general...

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