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Natural
Herb Fights Anxiety
July 07, 2000
There's
a natural alternative to taking prescription drugs like Xanax when anxiety,
nerves and panic attacks get the best of you. A clinical study done at
the University of Erlangen in Germany finds the herb kava can be just
as effective in relieving symptoms.
The
study, A Comparison of Kava Special Extract WS 1490 and Benzodiazepines
in Patients With Anxiety, is found in a Healthnotes Review of Complementary
and Integrative Medicine. Kava, a member of the pepper family, is native
to many Pacific Ocean islands. Its rhizome, or underground stem, is used
in herbal extracts.
Researchers
say the clinical trial included 172 patients during a six-week period.
They say patients who received 100 milligrams of standardized kava extract
three times a day had a significant decrease in anxiety.
The
results of the study are comparable to those reported by patients who
took prescription drugs, such as benzodiazepines. The study is the first
to directly compare kava and benzodiazepines in people who have mild to
moderate anxiety.
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