Chandra, apathy, bad mood - who among us does not feel it from time to time? When you lack humor, and you don't feel like doing anything, it is worth reaching for herbal boosters that will improve your mood and give you energy at the same time.
Bad mood is not only the domain of short autumn and winter days, when the lack of sun causes the body to release more melatonin - a sleep hormone that is responsible for the feeling of sleepiness, fatigue, and also disturbs the secretion of other substances, including serotonin, responsible for maintaining a good mood, the level of which in the body decreases as a result.
It also often appears when the sun is shining - especially now, when we spend more time indoors than outdoors due to the coronavirus pandemic. There are various ways to deal with this, and one of them is herbs, which - by affecting the nervous system - can have a positive effect on well-being.
St. John's
It is considered a universal herb - the substances it contains have a very different effect on the human body. St. John's wort contains a lot of them, incl. anthranoid compounds, flavonoid glycosides, catechin tannins, essential oil, hypericin, organic acids, choline, phytosterols, pectins, sugars, ascorbic acid, vitamin K, mineral s alts.
Of all the effects of St. John's wort, it is the best known antidepressant and mood-boosting agent - this is due to a substance called hypericin, which increases the concentration of serotonin in the central nervous system. St. John's wort extract also has a calming effect.
Its downside is that it increases the skin's sensitivity to the sun's rays, so when drinking an infusion of St. John's wort or taking herbal preparations based on it, be careful and protect the skin with a cream with a high sunscreen.You can prepare St. John's wort infusion yourself: 2 tablespoons of the herb should be poured with two glasses of boiling water, covered, set aside for 20 minutes and drunk 3 times a day, half a glass of infusion immediately after a meal.
Melisa
Its leaves contain large amounts of essential oil, rich in terpene compounds with a lemon scent, there are also (and in smaller amounts also in the entire terrestrial part of the plant) other substances - such as tannins, bitterness, phenolic acids - coffee acid,rosemary and ferulic, triterpene compounds, mucilages, flavonoids, organic acids.
Lemon balm relaxes, reduces tension, improves mood - this is due to the caryophyllene and citral (essential oil components) and triterpene compounds contained in it, whichlower the sensitivity threshold of the central system . You can make an infusion of lemon balm leaves or prepare a tasty wine: 50 g of crushed fresh lemon balm leaves pour 700 ml of dry white wine and set aside for 5 days. Filter and refrigerate. Drink 25 ml 3-4 times a day.
Lavender
Its smellcalms down, reduces stress, tension, improves mood, stimulates mental activity . This is due to the aromatic compounds contained in lavender, which have a toning effect on the nervous system - these include linalool, geraniol, furfurol, pinene, cineole, borneol.
Lavender is an ingredient of many cosmetics and herbal mixtures,its dried leaves and flowers can also be put in a linen bag and carried with you. You can also drink lavender infusion- just pour a spoon of lavender flowers into a glass of boiling water, brew, then strain and drink half a glass twice a day.
The text is based on an article by Anna Gutmann from the Zdrowie
