When I was a kid, and, I will admit, even now as an adult, I loved monster movies, and am sure I have watched dozens of vampire films. Some were corny (Count Yorga, Vampire) and some were terrifying (anyone see the original Nosferatu?). Some vampires were beautiful or handsome, some were bat-faced and ugly. One thing they all have in common is their need to suck the life out of otherwise healthy people until they are so drained they cannot go on. Fast forward to the last year or two, and I think I can point out a few parallels with anxiety and the incredibly stressful times in which we live.

Anxiety is fear and worry and a terrible sense that something bad is going to happen. It makes sense to be anxious if you are stranded in a sketchy neighborhood in the middle of the night. Anxiety will keep you alert and on your toes to any potential threat. If you are confronted by a scary stranger, the stress response will help you run away or fight back. Anxiety is needed for survival. Unfortunately, we are in the midst of a big ocean of anxiety and triggers, and rates of compromised mental health are climbing, especially among young people.

Inappropriate anxiety is indeed a vampire. It saps your joy. The stress it produces wears you down, so you are tired and more susceptible to illness. Your energy is drained. Your mood suffers terribly—it’s hard to be happy when you are anxious. Relationships and work may suffer or even end. Important tasks are delayed.

There are medical interventions for serious anxiety, but the long-term use of anti-anxiety pharmaceuticals can be very problematic, with side effects ranging from constipation to addiction to an increased risk of dementia. Therefore, it makes sense to talk to your health care practitioner to see if a trial of natural interventions is right for you. It can be very dangerous to stop anxiety drugs suddenly, so please use caution and talk to your doctor about options.

There are also lifestyle interventions that can be extremely beneficial, such as limiting caffeine and screen time, breathing exercises, and greatly increasing physical activity. I worked with a young man struggling with daily anxiety who was very successful using two dietary supplements (the first two mentioned below), switching from coffee to green tea, and working out at the gym four or five days a week. He now rates his anxiety as about 80 to 90 percent improved. I also suggested no smart phone use two hours before bed but had very little compliance with that intervention. Our attachment to the constant stimulation and light from smartphones or other handheld devices is truly concerning, but that is one issue that cannot be solved here.

There are a variety of supplements that have been clinically studied and have shown excellent anti-anxiety benefits. It would take a book to do a complete overview, so I have selected a few of my favorites: echinacea phytocannabinoids, ashwagandha and full-spectrum hemp oil.

Echinacea Phytocannabinoids

I started with the one that may sound like it doesn’t fit with anxiety. If you think of echinacea as an herb that stimulates the immune system, you would be right. I often say echinacea is the army bugler, because it blows its horn and calls out the troops. Echinacea used for colds and the flu is usually dosed in the hundreds of milligrams. It is full spectrum and might come from any echinacea species. However, echinacea hides a little secret: it contains a tiny amount of alkamides that attach to cannabinoid receptors in the brain to alleviate anxiety. There is no anti-anxiety benefit when taking hundreds of milligrams. These alkamides have to be extracted and concentrated to achieve the level needed for significant brain activity. The published human studies on using phytocannabinoids from echinacea have used doses of 20 mg a few times a day. Concentrating these alkamides creates a powerful natural medicine for anxiety.

Echinacea phytocannabinoids have been used in published human clinical trials where effects were noticed on the first day of use but continued to improve over the course of subsequent days. Participants didn’t feel a sudden change, such as one would experience with a pharmaceutical. It was a more gradual sense of well-being and reduction of stress that continued to improve with time. The researchers reported no serious adverse effects, no daytime drowsiness, no altered judgement and no addiction potential.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha had been a part of the ayurvedic system of medicine for thousands of years. It is a multipurpose herbal medicine called an adaptogen. There are a handful of adaptogens in the plant kingdom, and every one is a powerhouse. I tell patients and consumers that adaptogens do not push up or push down—they push toward normal. That is one of the beauties of this herb: it is both energizing and calming. Less stress equals more energy!

The medicinal compounds in ashwagandha are called withanolides. Some ashwagandha products are unstandardized. Most are standardized, but the highest standardization is about 5 percent. Recent advances in extraction science have improved that to about 35 percent, which is seven times stronger. The clinical studies on this higher potency ashwagandha are impressive. In a study of restorative sleep, people using this extra strength product reported a 72 percent increase in quality of sleep after six weeks of use, without daytime drowsiness. In another human study, people with higher-than-normal levels of stress reported a 40 percent reduction in anxiety and depression scores, and researchers found that their cortisol levels (an important hormone released during stress) was reduced an average of 23 percent after 60 days of use.

The 35 percent ashwagandha extract is not soaked in milk as are so many ashwagandha extracts. If you are vegan or have milk sensitivities, make sure to check the label carefully.

As an added bonus, the withanolides in ashwagandha are antiviral, with some studies specific to the COVID-19 virus. There are many reasons you might want to add this powerful herb to your daily supplement regimen.

Full Spectrum Hemp Oil and CBD

When we think of marijuana use, we think of people being relaxed, with changes in judgement and sensory sensitivity, maybe a little sleepy and craving brownies. Medical marijuana is used to help with pain control, anxiety and improvements in appetite in people with chronic and/or serious diseases, and it can be quite effective. Marijuana works by flooding the body with phytocannabinoids that influence a wide spectrum of systems. The dominant cannabinoid in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is responsible for many of its mind-altering effects.

Hemp is the same species of plant (Cannabis sativa) but has been cultivated over the centuries for a strong and fibrous stalk for use in building, weaving and other applications. This stalk has almost no THC, because the dominant phytocannabinoid is cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is relaxing but does not alter judgement or thinking. While it can support a healthy appetite, it has not been shown to stimulate food cravings.

CBD on its own has been developed into a prescription drug for a rare seizure disorder, which complicates matters when it comes to classification as a dietary supplement. However, full spectrum hemp oil, which includes a good percentage of CBD (often around 20 percent) is considered a natural product and supplement in most states. From the people with whom I have spoken and the science I have reviewed, I believe that the full spectrum hemp oil that contains more than 80 to 100 types of phytocannabinoids is the better intervention. They work better as a family than as an individual, and each cannabinoid has different properties.

Full-spectrum hemp oil, whether taken as a liquid or soft gels capsules, can be very useful for many people with anxiety. There are also studies that show it improves pain and plays a role in immune system health. Unfortunately, this natural product has been a victim of its extraordinary success and there are many ineffective and adulterated products on the market trying to make money off the public’s fascination with CBD. One online product was found to contain canola oil and green food coloring, and no hemp or CBD whatsoever. The bottle sold for $59.95. This is an area to spend some extra time and investigate the brand you intend to purchase. The most expensive product you will every buy is the one that does absolutely nothing for you. If it is legitimate full-spectrum hemp oil, you will feel a difference the first day of use, and every day thereafter. If it is not legitimate, some folks experience a placebo effect and feel better for a few days, but the benefits disappear quickly.

Vampires and Sunlight

Anxiety can be a monster. It can suck the energy and joy from your life. In the vampire movies, exposing the vampire to the light of day caused him to burst into flames and go up in a puff of smoke. Would be that anxiety would do the same! However, if we help the brain return to healthier functioning, anxiety will dissipate, and maybe even disappear. If you are suffering from more severe anxiety, I hope there is an integrative professional in your life helping you in this journey. And to everyone who struggles with this beast, I say God bless you for your strength and wish you peace and happiness. VR

References:

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Cheryl Myers is an integrative health nurse, author, and an expert on natural medicine. She is a nationally recognized speaker who has been interviewed by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Prevention magazine. Her many articles have been published in such diverse journals as Aesthetic Surgery Journal and Nutrition in Complementary Care, and her research on botanicals has been presented at the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the North American Menopause Society. Myers is the head of scientific affairs and education for EuroPharma, Inc.