For most people it is difficult to maintain a positive attitude every day. Whether you experience mild depression from time to time, or chronic sadness, nature has supplied soothing remedies to help with common problems such as anxiety, stress and depression. Try a cup of calming vervain tea in the afternoon as a natural remedy for mild symptoms. Herbs are not necessarily a cure for depression, but many plants can help with mild melancholia, tension and nervousness. They can fortify the nervous system and make it easier to cope with stress.
There is no one best tea for depression, but there are many excellent herbs that can be used, vervain being one of the more gentle, calming herbal remedies. Find out how to make a cup of vervain tea to enjoy and to improve your mental well-being.
Vervain Benefits for Depression
Why can drinking the occasional cup of vervain tea ease melancholia, depression and even a case of the winter blues? This herb strengthens the nervous system when taken over time. While one cup of tea may not nourish your nerves enough to improve mood, it will at least ease tension with a mild sedative effect. Aside from being a nervine tonic and sedative herb, vervain also supports a healthy liver and gallbladder, an added health bonus when looking for a great herbal tea for depression.
Homemade Vervain Tea
To make an herbal infusion with vervain, steep one teaspoonful of the dried herb with one cup of boiling water. Allow the bitter glycosides, volatile oils and other active phytochemicals to steep for ten to fifteen minutes, covered. Add a teaspoon of honey or sugar to sweeten if desired. Enjoy from one to three cups a day. Vervain blends very well with oat straw and skullcap when it comes to nourishing nerves and easing depression.
When using herbal medicine, use one herb for one to two weeks at a time. While vervain tea is safe for general use, and even beneficial for physical as well as mental health, talk to your doctor before using herbs, especially if you are taking any medications. Vervain and other similar nervine tonics can be very helpful, but they are not a substitute for professional medical care for the treatment of depression. While this herb has a reputation as a wonderful herb to stimulate breast milk in nursing mothers, it is not safe during pregnancy as it may stimulate uterine contractions.
Sources:
Balch, Phyllis A. “Prescription for Nutritional Healing.” Fourth Edition (Penguin Books, 2006).
Hoffmann, David. “The Complete Illustrated Holistic Herbal: A Safe and Practical Guide to Making and Using Herbal Remedies.” (Element Books, 1996).