Natural Medicine for Depression

This article could be a dozen pages long.  Let’s keep it to two.  To do that, we’re going to skip the whole intro where I make sure we all understand the difference between occasional episodes of sadness, frustration and bitterness vs. Major Depression (and everything in between); and warn you that if you have actual Major Depression and/or are contemplating self-harm, you’re going to want to seek help beyond what comes in a bottle.   

I’m assuming we all understand these things, so let’s move on.   

I’m also going to touch only briefly on comorbidities.  Suffice it to say, your mood can make other stuff worse.  On the flip side, other stuff can make your mood worse.  Makes sense, right?  We believe in addressing underlying causes!  So if you hurt all over, you’re running a chronic autoimmune response, you’re hung over, nutrient-deficient, diabetic and sleep-deprived, it’s not going to help your mood .  AND – herbs and drugs and talk therapy that will help your mood are going to have an uphill battle.   

Have a conversation, have a walk, have a rest, have a meal, have a sleep.  Take some ginseng.  Take some melatonin.  Find what works for you. 

 Saint John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is an herb commonly used for depression, and usually the first one mentioned when people are writing these lists.  It’s safe and well-researched.  Having said that, it’s not very effective.  The vast majority of the research points to mild benefits only, in mild to moderate depression only.  My experience has borne that out.  In decades, I’ve never talked to anyone who was “wowed” by St. John’s Wort – except for two people both taking significantly higher than the standard dose.  By all means, try it.  But I think you can do better.   

Silk Tree (Albizia julibrissens) is my favorite herb for lowered mood, hands-down.  In China, it’s called He huan – “the tree of happiness” – and is central to numerous classic formulas.  In the U.S. it’s almost unknown.  Unlike St. John’s Wort, it has almost no meaningful research behind it.  Also, unlike St. John’s Wort: it really, really works.   

I always want to give credit where credit is due.  I was introduced to Silk Tree about 20 years ago by the great herbalist David Winston.  I’ve always held David in the highest esteem, for his decades of clinical experience, and his fluency in Chinese, Ayurvedic, Eclectic, and Cherokee herbalism.  His toolbox is extensive!  So when he said that Silk Tree was the best all-around herbal antidepressant he had ever used, I took notice.   

In my experience, Silk Tree starts to become noticeable after 4-5 days of consistent use in substantial doses.  I feel it’s especially helpful for what I might call “high-energy depression”: irritable, discontented, snappish, sleepless, can’t-sit-still.  (As opposed to low-energy depression: morose and unmotivated).  But it’s not limited to one or the other.   

Straight-up Silk Tree is effective, but I tend to recommend it in formulas.  Albizia-9 from the Seven Forests company is based around Silk Tree, rounded out with Chinese herbs that are generally relaxing and anti-anxiety. It’s a wonderful formula for depression layered with agitation and worry.  There’s also Grief Relief from David Winston’s Herbalist & Alchemist company.  Here, Silk Tree is combined with rose petals and hawthorn berries, for people who are “all over the place” and/or dealing with pangs of grief and loss.  It also tastes good.   

Saffron is well-researched in relation to mood.  A 2015 meta-analysis evaluated saffron in major depressive disorder across five clinical trials.  Two of the trials compared saffron to placebo; three compared it to mainline anti-depressant drugs Prozac® and Imiprimine.  It worked in every single trial.  It was highly effective relative to placebo, and every bit as effective as the drugs.   

The research has rolled on, largely focusing on the (more marketable?) benefit of weight loss – where saffron works by reducing the ways mood drives us to overeat.  (Also researched for: PMS, macular degeneration, neuroprotection, and some very intriguing stuff around Alzheimer’s).    

You can buy saffron in pills, and we sell them.  But I like to recommend saffron tea.  I don’t know why.  Maybe it’s just how I was taught to use it back in the day.  Place 10 threads high-quality saffron in a mug.  Pour boiling water over them, cover, and let cool.  Then drink it down, threads and all.  Do this 2-3 times a day.   You can also prepare a pitcher ahead of time, and save it chilled in the fridge.