Re: Some supplements may help treat anxiety

[Guest guest]

Just a word of caution. Kava can be very powerful, from what I remember. Use

with caution, especially with children, if you decide to look into it. I just

looked it up and saw that some of the danger also comes from products that are

made using the wrong parts of the plant.

>

> Some supplements may help treat anxiety

> Published: Oct. 8, 2010 at 12:34 AM

>

> LOS ANGELES, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- A systematic review by U.S. researchers finds

some nutritional and herbal supplements can be effective to treat anxiety

without serious side effects.

>

> Shaheen Lakhan and Vieira of the Global Neuroscience Initiative

Foundation -- a non-profit organization in Los Angeles that advocates for

advancement of neurological and mental health patient welfare, education and

research -- says the research indicates strong evidence that extracts of

passionflower, or kava, and combinations of L-lysine and L-arginine can help

alleviate anxiety.

>

> The researchers pooled the results of 24 studies involving more than 2,000

participants. Included in the review were 21 randomized-controlled trials, and

of these 15 showed positive effects from either a nutritional or herbal remedy.

Any reported side effects were mild to moderate, the researchers say.

>

> " Our review and summary of the literature on herbal remedies and dietary

supplements for anxiety should aid mental health practitioners in advising their

patients and provide insight for future research in this field, " the researchers

say in a statement. " We found mixed results -- while passionflower or kava and

L-lysine and L-arginine appeared to be effective, St. 's Wort and magnesium

supplements were not. "

>

> However, for the kava, L-lysine and L-arginine supplements, more research

needs to be done to establish the most effective dosage and to determine whether

this varies between different types of anxiety or anxiety-related disorders, the

researchers add.

>

> The findings are published in the Nutrition Journal.

>

>

> © 2010 United Press International, Inc. .

>

[Guest guest]

As a pharmacist, I personally would not want to treat my child with

supplements.  They simply have not been studied thoroughly in adults, and even

less in children.  And since they are not regulated by the FDA you never know

what you are going to get.  There have been studies that show you may buy a

bottle of something claiming ot contain x milligrams of product, but in all

actuality it may contain much less or much more of the product.  I have never

seen a study of a nutritional supplement or aid strong enough to convince me of

a radical enough benefit to recommend it especially with the unknown risk. 

Just my two cents worth.  And be advised many supplement products can interact

with other prescription drugs. 

From: laura919 <lapatini@...>

Subject: [ ] Re: Some supplements may help treat anxiety

Date: Friday, October 15, 2010, 5:58 PM

 

Just a word of caution. Kava can be very powerful, from what I remember. Use

with caution, especially with children, if you decide to look into it. I just

looked it up and saw that some of the danger also comes from products that are

made using the wrong parts of the plant.

>

> Some supplements may help treat anxiety

> Published: Oct. 8, 2010 at 12:34 AM

>

> LOS ANGELES, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- A systematic review by U.S. researchers finds

some nutritional and herbal supplements can be effective to treat anxiety

without serious side effects.

>

> Shaheen Lakhan and Vieira of the Global Neuroscience Initiative

Foundation -- a non-profit organization in Los Angeles that advocates for

advancement of neurological and mental health patient welfare, education and

research -- says the research indicates strong evidence that extracts of

passionflower, or kava, and combinations of L-lysine and L-arginine can help

alleviate anxiety.

>

> The researchers pooled the results of 24 studies involving more than 2,000

participants. Included in the review were 21 randomized-controlled trials, and

of these 15 showed positive effects from either a nutritional or herbal remedy.

Any reported side effects were mild to moderate, the researchers say.

>

> " Our review and summary of the literature on herbal remedies and dietary

supplements for anxiety should aid mental health practitioners in advising their

patients and provide insight for future research in this field, " the researchers

say in a statement. " We found mixed results -- while passionflower or kava and

L-lysine and L-arginine appeared to be effective, St. 's Wort and magnesium

supplements were not. "

>

> However, for the kava, L-lysine and L-arginine supplements, more research

needs to be done to establish the most effective dosage and to determine whether

this varies between different types of anxiety or anxiety-related disorders, the

researchers add.

>

> The findings are published in the Nutrition Journal.

>

>

> © 2010 United Press International, Inc. .

>

[Guest guest]

Hi , I read the study below and agree that one needs to be careful

about random supplements- and especially with children. But when you say

supplements - you don't mean all -for example you weren't including fish oil?

Fish oils are essential fatty acids and as you know the body needs to consume

them as we can't produce them and they are virtually lacking from our diets.

I'm not pro or anti medication or supplementation, I think each case needs to be

looked at for what it is. But if I had to get up on a soapbox it would be about

the off label adult medications being prescribed to " try " to treat autism,

apraxia, etc. It's again wise for each of us as parents to be educated to the

pros and cons of all and not just trust one doctor's opinion as law- to be

educated.

Here is a great example

University of Pittsburgh found a diet rich in essential amino acids to create

neuro repair in mice with TBI...and not even a year later -just a few weeks ago

SUNY published a study showing a mixture of drugs and synthetic amino acids

benefit mice with TBI...so why would anyone explore drugs and synthetics when

diet alone was found to be effective? And of course one is natural -one we will

have to find the side effects.

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=15272 & uid=115029735601

But what one can do is study credible sources for any supplements they are not

sure of. This link for example is a great one for ayurveda -which is an eastern

medicine that dates back over five thousand years and has been used consistently

for that time. So for sure there is probably even a wee bit more background of

long term effects http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2639691

To often in Western medicine there is a new drug and as time goes on you hear

about side effects far worse than the original diagnosis...like those who put

their teens on an anti-depressant drug...and then the teens kills themselves.

I'd say suicide that's a worse thing than the depression.

So like anything -do your homework- check with your child's doctor (and if he's

the one that prescribes an off label adult medication for herpes, labor,

Alzheimer Disease, or the cancer/chemical castration drug Lupron for your 7 year

old with apraxia or autism who does not have herpes, Alzheimer Disease,

cancer..and is not and will never be in labor...and can I throw electroshock

" benefits " in here???? -don't walk...run for a second opinion) Yes that is my

soapbox!

Caveat emptor!

=====