In modern society, more and more people are suffering from depression. For the treatment of depression, antidepressants are commonly used at present, but most of them have side effects and have certain drug resistance, which has adverse effects on human health. Compared with antidepressants, most consumers prefer natural plant extracts or herbs to alleviate, with high safety and less side effects.
Saffron extract
Saffron extract is a kind of medicinal material. The main components are saffronic acid and saffron. It has the effects of sedation, expectoration and spasmolysis, and can be used for the treatment of stomach diseases, menstruation, measles, fever, jaundice, hepatosplenomegaly, etc. Saffron extract, as a natural antidepressant, has been shown to be effective in several clinical trials. Saffron and aldehyde found in petals and stigmas of plants are thought to be responsible for this effect. Various studies have shown that it is as effective as prescription drugs such as Prozac.
5-HTP
5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is mainly extracted from Griffonia, Africa. It is also an essential amino acid produced by the brain, which can control the content of human serotonin (also known as 5-HT). 5-HT is a neurotransmitter of pleasant mood in the brain, which can affect almost every aspect of brain activity, from regulating mood, energy, memory to shaping outlook on life. 5-HTP is the predecessor of 5-HT. The production of 5-HT by decarboxylase can increase the production of serotonin in brain cells, and then increase the content of 5-HT. In recent years, the increasing demand for 5-HTP is mainly due to changes in people's lifestyle, incorrect dietary habits and hormone secretion disorders, and people's mental stress is gradually increasing, so the demand for natural ingredients of anti-depression is also increasing. Importantly, as a natural plant extract that can alleviate depression, 5-HTP has an advantage over tryptophan, because most tryptophans are chemically synthesized. According to the latest data from Transparency Market Research, the size of the 5-HTP market reached 31.7 million US dollars as early as 2012, and is expected to reach 51.4 million US dollars in 2019, with a compound annual growth rate of 7.1%. With the increasing demand for brain health and sleep, 5-HTP will be more widely used in the world in the future.
St. John's Wort Extract
Forsythia perforatum, also known as St. John's Grass in the West. Several studies have shown that Forsythia perforatum can achieve antidepressant effect by inhibiting the recovery of 5-HT and monoamine oxidase, acting on dopamine and norepinephrine. Hypericin in Forsythia perforatum is the main ingredient to relieve depression, and the content of petals is the highest. In Germany, Forsythia perforatum is used up to 40% of all depressive drugs, and its effect is similar to that of Prozac, a more common antidepressant. This study found that the extract of Forsythia perforatum improves mood by reducing the reabsorption of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine
Omega-3s
Omega-3s is an important component of brain development and cognitive health, which can promote the metabolism of active-balanced fatty acids in the human internal environment. Omega-3s has antidepressant effect, and the combined use of Omega-3s and antidepressants has an effect of 81%. Supplementary Omega-3s can also reduce the risk of postpartum depression. With the development of research, depression will play an important role in global public health.
Broccoli extract
The sulforaphane radish (SFN) in broccoli can prevent depression and inhibit the recurrence of depression. The team found that normal healthy mice could drink 70% to 80% sugar water, while depressed mice under stress could only drink about 50% sugar water. But if SFN was fed before the mice fell into depression, the depressive mice drank as much sweet water as the normal experimental mice, thus avoiding the occurrence of depressive symptoms. In addition, the researchers injected SFN precursors into young mice to confirm that their compressive capacity was significantly increased.
Rhodiola Rosea Extract
Rhodiola extract, its root and rhizome can be used as medicine, sometimes also can be used as whole grass. Modern studies have shown that Rhodiola has antioxidant, exercise endurance, immunity, anti-depression and whitening effects. Animal experiments have shown that salidroside from Rhodiola extract can increase the transmission speed of serotonin precursor tryptophan and 5-HTP in the brain. Unstable serotonin often causes depression and depression. In addition, Rhodiola can improve sleep quality by protecting the nervous system from oxidative stress.
Curcumin
Curcumin is effective in relieving mild to moderate depression. The antidepressant effect is similar to that of fluoxetine, and there is no adverse reaction. A 2014 Australian study found that curcumin may relieve symptoms of severe depression, especially atypical depression. This study suggests that the mechanism of curcumin is related to its strong anti-inflammatory properties, and may affect the biological mechanisms related to depression, including monoamine activity, immune inflammation, oxidative and nitrosation stress pathways, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). In the future, more large-scale, longer-term and no-action is needed. The same dose of curcumin was used to verify the effect of curcumin on depression.
