Did you know that the herbal remedy hops is related to marijuana and is legally sold in supermarkets, drugstores and health food stores across the world?

Hops is well known for its use in beer-making, where it’s been grown and used worldwide for centuries. Less well known, however, are the plant’s medicinal uses. Hops has been used for centuries in different types of medicine, including North American traditional medicines and Indian-Ayurvedic medicine, according to the American Botanical Council (ABC).

The English have also known about hops’ therapeutic benefits for some time. The ABC says one of the most prominent people treated with hops was King George III. He is believed to have slept on pillows filled with hops to help calm himself down.

Studies have found that hops is sedating (calming and sleep promoting), often with no unwanted side effects. Compounds in hops have various properties, including relieving aches and pains, and killing bacteria. Hops is used to help treat various health problems, such as sleeplessness and nervous problems. Many uses of hops have not been thoroughly tested, so hops’ full effectiveness is uncertain.

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The pretty little flowers of the chamomile plant have been used to treat many health problems for thousands of years. Today chamomile is popular in many countries, including Europe. In the United States and Australia, chamomile is best known as a relaxing tea. Other common uses of chamomile are to help treat anxiety, sleeplessness, stomach pain, and gas. Some beauty products, healing creams and ointments also have chamomile added.

Although there is too little human research of chamomile to support its medicinal use, animal studies have found chamomile can reduce inflammation, speed wound healing, reduce muscle spasms, and promote sleep.

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Nutritionist Patrick Holford says that most people with intense or constant anxiety either self-medicate with alcohol or cannabis, or see their doctor, possibly to be given a prescription for a tranquiliser. “In one week in Britain, we pop 10 million tranquillisers, puff 10 million cannabis joints and drink 120 million alcoholic drinks”, says Holford, in his book Optimum Nutrition for the Mind. “The choice of these three drugs – alcohol, cannabis and tranquillisers – is no coincidence. They all promote the neurotransmitter GABA, which is the brain’s peacemaker, helping to turn off excess adrenalin and calm you down.”

“Supplementing 500 to 1,000mg [of GABA], once or twice a day, is a highly effective natural relaxant,” according to Holford. But what does the evidence say about how good GABA supplements are to calm people down? Although the evidence is mostly anecdotal, using a GABA supplement to boost GABA levels in people who are stressed and anxious can lead to a more relaxed and focused mind.

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Kava has been a drink for thousands of years in the Pacific Islands. Its effects are similar to alcohol. People use kava for many reasons, in particular stress, anxiety, insomnia (sleeplessness), relaxation, improving mood, and as a social and ceremonial drink.

Some countries have taken kava off the market because it might cause liver damage. Many experts are unsure about kava’s safety, and whether kava alone, or in combination with other drugs/herbs or pre-existing health problems, could be dangerous.

A recent world-first Australian study found kava is, according to its researchers, “safe and effective in reducing anxiety”, and reduces depression. Lead researcher Jerome Sarris said, “We’ve been able to show that Kava offers a natural alternative for the treatment of anxiety, and unlike some pharmaceutical options, has less risk of dependency and less potential of side effects.”

The type of kava extract used in this study was water-soluble, like the type traditionally prescribed in the Pacific Islands. The kava extracts used in other studies of kava, that found the plant may be unsafe, were extracts that might cause liver problems.

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The herb valerian – often called ‘nature’s Valium’ – is a popular natural treatment in Europe, North America and Japan for insomnia and anxiety.

The plant has been used as a medicinal herb since at least the time of ancient Greece and Rome, says the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in USA. Hippocrates described its therapeutic properties, and later the Roman philosopher Galen prescribed valerian for insomnia (sleeplessness).

How well does valerian work? Clinical studies have had mixed results, although a number of health experts say it can help treat insomnia.

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Passion flower is a native plant of North America, where it has been used for centuries as a mild sedative. It was later used in Europe and adopted by herbalists to treat insomnia, hysteria and epilepsy, and used as a painkiller.

Passion flower is generally safe when taken in the recommended dosages, but it may interact with many medications.
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