Natural Ways To Combat Anxiety (Herbal Social Lubricants)

Anxiety and depression are on the rise in almost everywhere in the world. It’s not really surprising that one the most common question asked through this site is: “are there natural ways to reduce anxiety without booze or drugs?” or something similar. Here’s my experiences with “natural buzzes”.

Natural ways to reduce anxiety

Here I list my experiences with natural supplements that reduce anxiety and stress naturally and break down their effects and the science behind them.

L-theanine for anxiety

L-theanine anxiety
L-theanine anxiety

Theanine is an amino acid which is obtained from tea plant leaves (Camellia sinensis). Theanine is very good for reducing anxiety, relaxation and increasing sociability (verbal fluency).

Taking L-theanine makes people more social, and many people have found that it works even better than alcohol.

There are some interesting studies which have shown L-theanine’s power to combat anxiety and stress.

L-theanine has been shown to promote the release of alpha brain waves, which have been linked to the state of physical and mental relaxation.1Effects of L-Theanine on the Release of .ALPHA.-Brain Waves in Human Volunteers. Kobayashi, Kanari & Nagato, Yukiko & Aoi, Nobuyuki & Raj Juneja, Lekh & Kim, Mujo & Yamamoto, Takehiko & Sugimoto, Sukeo. (1998). Journal of the agricultural chemical society of Japan. 72. 153-157. 10.1271/nogeikagaku1924.72.153.

In this study2Hidese S, Ogawa S, Ota M, Ishida I, Yasukawa Z, Ozeki M, Kunugi H. Effects of L-Theanine Administration on Stress-Related Symptoms and Cognitive Functions in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2019 Oct 3;11(10):2362. doi: 10.3390/nu11102362. PMID: 31623400. L-theanine lowered depression, improved sleep and verbal fluency healthy adults.

L-theanine and its relaxing effects are not just based on marketing claims – there is real science behind the claims. Although there are not yet robust studies that confirm its anxiolytic effects on larger scale.

My personal experience is that L-theanine works greatly on calming and relaxing the mind and its also good for partying (L-theanine boost glutathione which prevents also hangover). Make sure to read full facts and my experiences with L-theanine.

Kava kava for anxiety

reduce anxiety naturally kava kava
Reduce anxiety naturally with kava kava

Kava root (Piper methysticum) is a herb that is usually called “social anxiety herb” and “The root of happiness”.

Piper methysticum means “intoxicating pepper” – Why is that? Because consuming kava root gives literally same kind an effect as alcohol does.

Traditionally kava root was made to a drink or to a tea which has been used as a ceremonial beverage – just like alcohol in the present days.

As always you should not only look for ancient tradition uses but also look at new studies about kava:

  • In this study, Kava produced significant anxiolytic and antidepressant activity and was noted as safe with no hepatotoxic signs.3Sarris J, Kavanagh DJ, Byrne G, Bone KM, Adams J, Deed G. The Kava Anxiety Depression Spectrum Study (KADSS): a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial using an aqueous extract of Piper methysticum. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2009 Aug;205(3):399-407. doi: 10.1007/s00213-009-1549-9. Epub 2009 May 9. PMID: 19430766.
  • Meta-analysis about kava concluded: Kava appears to be an effective treatment option for anxiety (compared to placebo). Short-term use of kava seems to be safe for up to 24 weeks.4Pittler MH, Ernst E. Kava extract for treating anxiety. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;(1):CD003383. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003383. PMID: 12535473.
  • 4-week placebo-controlled study: kava showed a reduction in anxiety, and it concluded that kava is an effective and safe treatment for non-psychotic anxiety.5Geier FP, Konstantinowicz T. Kava treatment in patients with anxiety. Phytother Res. 2004 Apr;18(4):297-300. doi: 10.1002/ptr.1422. PMID: 15162364.
  • Another kava randomized placebo double-blind trial shows that kava extract works in reducing anxiety without adverse effects.6Lehrl S. Clinical efficacy of kava extract WS 1490 in sleep disturbances associated with anxiety disorders. Results of a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial. J Affect Disord. 2004 Feb;78(2):101-10. doi: 10.1016/s0165-0327(02)00238-0. Erratum in: J Affect Disord. 2004 Dec;83(2-3):287. PMID: 14706720.
  • Could kava also make you feel happier and enhance cognitive performance? Well, it seems to be true as this study with healthy volunteers proved that Kava increases cheerful mood, ability to feel happiness and improved cognitive function .7Thompson R, Ruch W, Hasenöhrl RU. Enhanced cognitive performance and cheerful mood by standardized extracts of Piper methysticum (Kava-kava). Hum Psychopharmacol. 2004 Jun;19(4):243-50. doi: 10.1002/hup.581. PMID: 15181652.

Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology meta-analysis concluded:

“These data imply that kava extract is superior to placebo as a symptomatic treatment for anxiety. Therefore, kava extract is an herbal treatment option for anxiety that is worthy of consideration.”8Pittler MH, Ernst E. Efficacy of kava extract for treating anxiety: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2000 Feb;20(1):84-9. doi: 10.1097/00004714-200002000-00014. PMID: 10653213.

Kava safety
On the Internet, there seems to be a lot of buzz about kava safety. In 2010 there were concerns9Sarris J, LaPorte E, Schweitzer I. Kava: a comprehensive review of efficacy, safety, and psychopharmacology. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2011 Jan;45(1):27-35. doi: 10.3109/00048674.2010.522554. Epub 2010 Nov 15. PMID: 21073405. about the safety of kava, which made many countries to ban and regulate kava root. Later these claims have been proven wrong, and kava is again legal in most countries (self-check to make sure kava is legal in your country).

Here is what Wikipedia says:

“According to a recent comprehensive review of the relevant literature by Showman et al. (2014): “Despite the link to kava and liver toxicity demonstrated in vivo and in vitro, in the history of Western kava use, toxicity is still considered relatively rare. Only a fraction of the handful of cases reviewed for liver toxicity could be, with any certainty, linked to kava consumption and most of those involved the coingestion of other medications/supplements. That means that the incident rate of liver toxicity due to kava is one in 60-125 million patients.” – Wikipedia

Here is what Examine.com says:

“Many reported adverse events, but a few of them do appear to be related to either Kava itself (and some unforeseen prior condition to the person’s liver) or the combination of Kava with something else; causation has not been placed, but it would be prudent to assume a link for now” – Examine.com

As you can see, there is NO scientific proof that safe short-term kava root usage could cause liver damage. But as a preventive measure, everyone should follow these safety guidelines with the kava kava.

Kava kava safety guidelines

– Use kava only for short-term relaxation. Don’t take kava everyday for more than 1 month without your doctor’s permission.
– Don’t take kava if you use any drugs that can cause liver damage or toxicity (important).
– Don’t use kava with alcohol or if you drink a lot of alcohol.
– Don’t use kava if you have diagnosed with liver disease.
– Only use products that contain only kava root. (Traditionally only kava root/rhizome material was used. Using kava leaves might pose health risks)
– If you develop symptoms of liver disease (yellow eyes or skin, darker urine) stop using kava and consult your doctor immediately.
– If you use any medications or drugs check possible interactions from your doctor before using kava.

Kava products:

Before ordering make sure kava kava is legal in your country. For example, kava is perfectly legal in the US, but in Poland it’s banned.

Kava yogi tea – Herbal tea containing kava root extract with 30% kavalactones (the active ingredient of kava). This is probably the easiest and safest way to use kava kava root. Pour about 16 oz of hot water to a cup and fill it with 1-3 tea bags, depending on how strong kava tea you want to make. Personally, 3 tea bags provide the same kinda relaxation and tranquil effect like half a bottle of red wine, without a hangover. This tea is not the best-tasting tea (taste is similar to gingerbread) but I drink it for relaxation, not for taste.

You can get Yogi kava tea from iHerb.com (ships to over 150 countries) and Amazon.com

Kava Extract – Rhizome and root organic grain alcohol extract for quick relaxation. Pour ~ 40 drops of this to a little amount of water and keep it under your tongue for a while. Usually, it kicks in really quickly, promoting relaxation and tranquil state.

I mainly use this Herb pharm kava extract from iHerb.com / Amazon.com.

Kava conclusion:
In my opinion, kava is not for partying or lowering social anxiety for dates, as in those situations there is a good chance that you might use alcohol. But its perfect for general late night relaxation compared to alcohol. If you have problems with sleeping, kava might help to promote relaxation.

Rhodiola rosea for anxiety

reduce anxiety naturally rhodiola
reduce anxiety naturally rhodiola

It’s common to experience a very calm and peaceful state after using rhodiola rosea and generally speaking it has a good reputation in alleviating anxiety and social anxiety.

It’s currently researched for treating mild to moderate depression. But more research is needed before anyone can do proper conclusions.

Here is couple of studies about rhodiola rosea for anxiety, stress, and depression:

  • In this study,10Bystritsky A, Kerwin L, Feusner JD. A pilot study of Rhodiola rosea (Rhodax) for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). J Altern Complement Med. 2008 Mar;14(2):175-80. doi: 10.1089/acm.2007.7117. PMID: 18307390. Rhodiola rosea relieved the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, at least based on the HARS11The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale questionnaire used by clinicians to rate patient’s anxiety. – Wikipedia results. However, the study had a significant shortcomings: no placebo group and the sample size was very small.
  • In this placebo controlled trial Rhodiola rosea SHR-5 extract lowered depression symptoms and improved sleep in people suffering mild to moderate depression.12Darbinyan V, Aslanyan G, Amroyan E, Gabrielyan E, Malmström C, Panossian A. Clinical trial of Rhodiola rosea L. extract SHR-5 in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. Nord J Psychiatry. 2007;61(5):343-8. doi: 10.1080/08039480701643290. Erratum in: Nord J Psychiatry. 2007;61(6):503. PMID: 17990195.
  • Swedish study13Olsson EM, von Schéele B, Panossian AG. A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of the standardised extract shr-5 of the roots of Rhodiola rosea in the treatment of subjects with stress-related fatigue. Planta Med. 2009 Feb;75(2):105-12. doi: 10.1055/s-0028-1088346. Epub 2008 Nov 18. PMID: 19016404. tested stress relieving effects of rhodiola rosea with persons between ages 20-55 with stress-related fatigue. It was shown to reduce the secretion of cortisol, increase performance and ability to focus for people suffering from a burnout. The group who got the rhodiola rosea had significantly lower cortisol levels than the placebo group.
  • The same results were also demonstrated in a study conducted in China, which tested rhodiola rosea and Ginkgo Biloba effects in healthy humans.14Zhang ZJ, Tong Y, Zou J, Chen PJ, Yu DH. Dietary supplement with a combination of Rhodiola crenulata and Ginkgo biloba enhances the endurance performance in healthy volunteers. Chin J Integr Med. 2009 Jun;15(3):177-83. doi: 10.1007/s11655-009-0177-x. Epub 2009 Jul 2. PMID: 19568709. Cortisol levels in a rhodiola and ginkgo group remained at the same levels as before the test, but in the placebo group, cortisol levels increased substantially. Scientists concluded that Rhodiola Rosea and Gingko has potential to improve oxygen consumption and protect against fatigue.

Rhodiola rosea conclusion:
For my personal experience rhodiola is not good for partying or making you more social. It’s mainly good for adapting and reducing general stress, it might also be used to calming mind for tasks where you need to focus better.

For more information check out the article: Rhodiola Rosea Benefits – Ancient Tonic for Modern Problems for facts, warnings, and recommendations with rhodiola rosea.

Chamomile for anxiety

reduce anxiety with chamomile
reduce anxiety with chamomile

Chamomile is one of the most famous medicinal herbs known to mankind that has been used traditionally for relaxation and calming. B

ut compared to kava is not that effective. Other traditional uses are reducing inflammation, insomnia, gastrointestinal problems, hay fever, and muscle pain and spasms.

There is many ways to consume chamomile, but one of the most famous ways is chamomile tea, which is consumed more than a million cups daily.

Chamomile and anxiety studies:
In this long-term study, chamomile significantly reduced Generalized Anxiety Disorder symptoms, body weight and blood pressure.15Mao JJ, Xie SX, Keefe JR, Soeller I, Li QS, Amsterdam JD. Long-term chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: A randomized clinical trial. Phytomedicine. 2016 Dec 15;23(14):1735-1742. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2016.10.012. Epub 2016 Oct 24. PMID: 27912875.

In this recent meta-analysis16Hieu TH, Dibas M, Surya Dila KA, Sherif NA, Hashmi MU, Mahmoud M, Trang NTT, Abdullah L, Nghia TLB, Y MN, Hirayama K, Huy NT. Therapeutic efficacy and safety of chamomile for state anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, insomnia, and sleep quality: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials and quasi-randomized trials. Phytother Res. 2019 Jun;33(6):1604-1615. doi: 10.1002/ptr.6349. Epub 2019 Apr 21. PMID: 31006899. researchers noted that chamomile is effective and safe to reduce generalized anxiety disorder symptoms and improve sleep quality.

“Chamomile may provide clinically meaningful antidepressant activity that occurs in addition to its previously observed anxiolytic activity.”17Amsterdam JD, Shults J, Soeller I, Mao JJ, Rockwell K, Newberg AB. Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) may provide antidepressant activity in anxious, depressed humans: an exploratory study. Altern Ther Health Med. 2012 Sep-Oct;18(5):44-9. PMID: 22894890

Chamomile safety?
Generally, chamomile is one of the safest herbs. Though so it’s not recommended for people who have asthma, as there might be some problems taking chamomile if you have asthma.

Pregnant?
It’s noted that if you’re pregnant you should not use chamomile as it might increase the chance of miscarriages.18Sridharan S, Archer N, Manning N. Premature constriction of the fetal ductus arteriosus following the maternal consumption of camomile herbal tea. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2009 Sep;34(3):358-9. doi: 10.1002/uog.6453. PMID: 19705407.

Chamomile conclusion:
Works good on relaxing stomach and has a little calming effect for sleep, but definitely not for partying. I mainly use chamomile before going to sleep and occasionally as a digestive aid.

The easiest way to get chamomile is capsules, I am personally using these Nature’s Way chamomile capsules (iHerb.com). For better night sleep – I use Yogi chamomile tea (iHerb.com).

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) reduces anxiety

reduce anxiety with Ashwagandha
Reduce anxiety with Ashwagandha

Most of us know that ashwagandha is one of the best natural testosterone booster, that actually works. But did you know that ashwagandha is also very famous for its ability to prevent and reduce anxiety?

Ashwagandha reduces social anxiety but the result are not instant like with alcohol. It takes around 1 week before ashwagandha start working.

There is a lot of studies that confirm ashwagandha’s ability to ease anxiety, stress and reduce cortisol levels.

Here is what studies say about ashwagandha:

  • Ashwagandha (600mg daily 60 days) reduced social dysfunction by whopping 68%, lowered anxiety and insomnia by 69%, and knock off depression by immense 79% – that’s pretty good for a cheap natural supplement don’t you think?

“In the Ashwagandha group, by Day 60 there was a significant reduction in scores corresponding to all of the item-subsets: 76.1% for the “Somatic” item-subset, 69.7% for the “Anxiety and Insomnia” item-subset, 68.1% for the “Social Dysfunction” item-subset, 79.2% for the “Severe Depression” item-subset.”19Chandrasekhar K, Kapoor J, Anishetty S. A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Indian J Psychol Med. 2012 Jul;34(3):255-62. doi: 10.4103/0253-7176.106022. PMID: 23439798; PMCID: PMC3573577.

  • Another study stating that deep breathing, multi vitamin and 300mg ashwagandha extract lowered 56% BAI score (Beck Anxiety Inventory):

“Final BAI scores decreased by 56.5% in the NC group and 30.5% in the PT group. Significant differences between groups were also observed in mental health, concentration, fatigue, social functioning, vitality, and overall quality of life with the NC group exhibiting greater clinical benefit.”20Cooley K, Szczurko O, Perri D, Mills EJ, Bernhardt B, Zhou Q, Seely D. Naturopathic care for anxiety: a randomized controlled trial ISRCTN78958974. PLoS One. 2009 Aug 31;4(8):e6628. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006628. PMID: 19718255; PMCID: PMC2729375.

  • And another study concluding the power of ashwagandha and its anxiolytic potential:

“It is concluded that this ethanolic extract of Withania somnifera has useful anxiolytic potential and merits further investigation.”21Andrade C, Aswath A, Chaturvedi SK, Srinivasa M, Raguram R. A double-blind, placebo-controlled evaluation of the anxiolytic efficacy ff an ethanolic extract of withania somnifera. Indian J Psychiatry. 2000 Jul;42(3):295-301. PMID: 21407960

See more studies here: Ashwagandha benefits according to studies.

Ashwagandha conclusion:
Ashwagandha’s ability to reduce anxiety naturally has been proven in many scientific human studies. It’s also cheap, safe effective herb for raising testosterone and lowering your cortisol levels.

Ashwagandha is generally safe for normal healthy people, according to studies.22Raut AA, Rege NN, Tadvi FM, Solanki PV, Kene KR, Shirolkar SG, Pandey SN, Vaidya RA, Vaidya AB. Exploratory study to evaluate tolerability, safety, and activity of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) in healthy volunteers. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2012 Jul;3(3):111-4. doi: 10.4103/0975-9476.100168. PMID: 23125505; PMCID: PMC3487234.

With the exceptions: Don’t use aswagandha if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have stomach ulcer, immune systems disease, or are going to surgery. If you are using medications/drugs talk to your doctor before using Ashwagandha.

Ashwagandha products:
KMS-66 Ashwagandha extract (iHerb) – Most effective and studied ashwagandha extract for reducing anxiety and lowering cortisol. In upper studies they used this same KSM-66 ashwagandha extract.

Life Extension, Optimized Ashwagandha Extract (iHerb) – Sensoril® ashwagandha extract. In my experience Sensoril® is the best ashwagandha extract for improving sleep quality.

Organic India Ashwagandha capsules (iHerb) – Organic Ashwagandha root in capsules. One capsule contains 400mg ashwagandha, which is little more than recommended minimum dose 300mg. Definitely one of the highest quality basic ashwagandha products on the market.

Money saving tip
You can get 10% off from your first iHerb.com order and for everyone else gets 5% off with code: KLJ962 or by clicking this link. (5% off works on everyone and every order you make)

You get the discount code automatically from my links and while you’ll benefit from this, I also benefit by getting “iHerb credits” that I can use towards my next orders. Thank you for this!

Lavender for anxiety

lavander for anxiety
lavender for anxiety

Lavender is a flowering plant and its essential oil is commonly used to lower anxiety and it might also help with sleeping according multiple studies.

Many studies have proven that lavender oil is effective for reducing anxiety as aromatherapy and oral supplement form.

Studies about using lavender to reduce anxiety:

  • Silexan (lavender oil supplement formula developed in German) was effective as lorezepam in treating generalized anxiety disorder. The silexan capsule contains 80mg of lavender oil, and it was taken every day for 6 weeks in this study.23Woelk H, Schläfke S. A multi-center, double-blind, randomised study of the Lavender oil preparation Silexan in comparison to Lorazepam for generalized anxiety disorder. Phytomedicine. 2010 Feb;17(2):94-9. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2009.10.006. Epub 2009 Dec 3. PMID: 19962288.
  • Smell of lavender seems to reduce anxiety, according to these studies made with dental treatment patients.24Kritsidima M, Newton T, Asimakopoulou K. The effects of lavender scent on dental patient anxiety levels: a cluster randomised-controlled trial. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2010 Feb;38(1):83-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0528.2009.00511.x. Epub 2009 Nov 23. PMID: 19968674.
    Lehrner J, Marwinski G, Lehr S, Johren P, Deecke L. Ambient odors of orange and lavender reduce anxiety and improve mood in a dental office. Physiol Behav. 2005 Sep 15;86(1-2):92-5. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2005.06.031. PMID: 16095639.
    (Lavender oil can be used to improve sleep by dropping couple drips of it to a paper and putting that paper next to your bed.)
  • In this randomized, double-blind trial 539 adults with GAD were put on 160mg or 80mg Silexan with placebo group and active control group with paroxetine. Again lavender seems to reduce anxiety at least in Silexan form.25Kasper S, Gastpar M, Müller WE, Volz HP, Möller HJ, Schläfke S, Dienel A. Lavender oil preparation Silexan is effective in generalized anxiety disorder–a randomized, double-blind comparison to placebo and paroxetine. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol. 2014 Jun;17(6):859-69. doi: 10.1017/S1461145714000017. Epub 2014 Jan 23. PMID: 24456909.
  • Another placebo-controlled study investigating the anxiolytic efficacy of silexan (80mg/day) with 221 adults who had an anxiety disorder which is not specified.26Kasper S, Gastpar M, Müller WE, Volz HP, Möller HJ, Dienel A, Schläfke S. Silexan, an orally administered Lavandula oil preparation, is effective in the treatment of ‘subsyndromal’ anxiety disorder: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2010 Sep;25(5):277-87. doi: 10.1097/YIC.0b013e32833b3242. PMID: 20512042. Yes, also in this study Silexan was effective and safe for reduding anxiety.
  • 2015 placebo controller study showed that Silexan lavender improves in HAMA scores and sleep quality index over placebo group. Scientist concluded that this study confirms the calming and anxiolytic efficacy of Silexan.27Kasper S, Anghelescu I, Dienel A. Efficacy of orally administered Silexan in patients with anxiety-related restlessness and disturbed sleep–A randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2015 Nov;25(11):1960-7. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2015.07.024. Epub 2015 Aug 7. PMID: 26293583.
  • Study which tested how inhalation of lavender oil affects to emotional states noted this:

“The results revealed that lavender oil caused significant decreases of blood pressure, heart rate, and skin temperature, which indicated a decrease of autonomic arousal.”28Sayorwan W, Siripornpanich V, Piriyapunyaporn T, Hongratanaworakit T, Kotchabhakdi N, Ruangrungsi N. The effects of lavender oil inhalation on emotional states, autonomic nervous system, and brain electrical activity. J Med Assoc Thai. 2012 Apr;95(4):598-606. PMID: 22612017.

As you can see, according to studies lavender seems to be effective lowering anxiety, at least in silexan form.

Lavender conclusion:
Best way to take lavender is to supplement it orally. Topical application of lavender oil could lead to skin damage and even bigger problems.

Lavender oil might be endocrine disrupting agent, that’s why it might not be the best choice for men. Don’t rub it to yourself, at least not in the balls in any form (many soaps contains lavender oil and tea tree oil). If you are obsessed about testosterone levels I suggest to skip lavender entirely.

There is also some case report which have shown that continues lavender oil application cause breast grow (prepubertal gynecomastia) in teenage aged boys. Definitely avoid skin application of lavender oil.

Some massage places offer lavender aromatherapy as it’s proven to lower anxiety (see above studies), but they don’t rub it to your skin usually. If they do – please educate them.

Silexan lavender products:
Natures Way Calm Aid – iHerb | Amazon.com

Conclusion

As you can see there are some scientifically proven supplements and herbs that reduce anxiety naturally. Please note that every person has a different background, inherited genetics, metabolism and life situation, and the result may vary with natural herbs and supplements that reduce anxiety.

But if I’d be now struggling with anxiety: I’d first test L-theanine, Ashwagandha and Rhodiola Rosea as they seem to be very effective for most people.

Passionflower, St John’s Wort, Valerian, Lemon balm, GINKGO are other herbs that might lower anxiety naturally, which I haven’t tested or their scientifical proof is weak. I might write about these later or add them to this list.

Please note these are just my notes and experiences from the products I have used to lower my anxiety. Everything here is for information purposes, not medical advice. I’ll only share what worked for me, and I am in no way implying that results are typical.

6 thoughts on “Natural Ways To Combat Anxiety (Herbal Social Lubricants)

    1. From my personal experience L-theanine is best supplement for partying, at least if you are going to drink alcohol also. Theanine elevates your glutathione levels which protects your body from negative effects of alcohol (see l-theanine). Kava Kava might also be good option for becoming more social and relaxed, but it’s not recommend to drink alcohol with it.

      Ashwagandha is good for lowering general anxiety, but it won’t work instantly like l-theanine or kava kava. It takes weeks supplementing ashwagandha to notice all the effects from it (in studies ~2-4 weeks).

    1. I suggest to follow the dosage recommended in your ashwagandha product. With L-theanine you have to test which kind a dosage is best for you. Some people get result with very small amounts (half capsule of suntheanine ~75mg), others need more (2-3 capsules). I have noticed that I get sleepy if I take more than 1 capsule of L-theanine (150mg). Too much of theanine can make certain people too calm, which is not good for socializing.

  1. Hi, I really appreciate this article as its so beneficial. But i have 1 question, I want to take ashwaganda every morning before food, do i add L-theanine after the ashwaganda, or only take the L theanine when i need instant relief? like before a social occasion etc

    1. Hi, thanks for comment.

      It really depends how you react to L-theanine. L-theanine makes some people more outgoing or extrovert, while some might experience calmer and relaxed feelings or even get sleepy. If L-theanine makes you extrovert, then you should take it before social meeting and so on. But if L-theanine makes you sleepy or too calm, then you should take it when you are going to sleep or want to relax alone.

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