Anxiety is an abstract concept because it involves fear in the absence of fear-provoking stimuli. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the DSM-IV-TR, anxiety disorders cover a wide range of illnesses including panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety and post-traumatic stress. While there is no category of "abstract anxiety" in mental health diagnosis, the sensations of worry, nervousness or fear when nothing concrete causes them make anxiety an abstract issue. Given the wide range of anxiety disorders, scientists are always looking for treatment options, including natural remedies such as Scutellaria racemosa.
What is Scutellaria Racemosa?
Scutellaria racemosa, commonly called South American skullcap, is a flower from the family Lamiaceae. The flower is a perennial that grows in the United States in southern states including Texas. Even though little is known about the chemistry of the flower itself, it has a long history of use in Chinese herbal medicine. Scutellaria has been used to treat neurological disorders as well as inflammatory diseases. Given its history as a medicinal flower, researchers are interested in skullcap's potential for treating mental health conditions.
Racemosa and Anxiety
In 2009, researchers in Pennsylvania studied a typical variation of racemosa called Cimicifuga. They hypothesized that this particular flower would lower anxiety in women going through menopause. Two groups of such patients were given either Cimicifuga racemosa extract or placebo for 13 weeks and asked to rate their levels of anxiety throughout. The results, which were published in the "Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology," did not show a significant difference between treatment and placebo groups. However, the scientists state that the dose of flower extract may have been too small and further research is needed.
Anxiolytic Properties of Skullcap
Scientists in Canada examined the chemistry of Scutellaria racemosa via animals models in a 2003 study. The researchers gave rats doses of scutellaria extracts orally and then observed their behavior in anxiety-provoking situations such as open mazes. After noting specific anxious or relaxed states in the animals, they conducted specific chemical tests and analysis on their blood. The results were published in "Phytomedicine" and showed that rats treated with the extract had specific chemicals in their blood that are known to bind to the GABBA receptor, which is a sedating neurotransmitter site. They go on to state that perhaps it is the chemistry of the flower itself that gives it natural anxiolytic properties.
Scutellaria and Health
At the time of this publication in July 2011, the FDA has not approved Scutellaria racemosa for the treatment of anxiety disorders. However, there is compelling research that the flower may in fact posess anti-anxiety properties. A simple study conducted by scientists in California in 2003 and published in "Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine" showed that even in healthy volunteers scutellaria extract had a calming affect. If you're interested in herbal medicine, discuss treatment options with a physician before adding this or any other herb to your medication regimen.
References
- "Journal of Psychopharmacology"; Randomized, Duble-blind, Pacebo-controlled trial of Cimicifuga Racemosa (Black Chosh) in Women with Anxiety Disorder Due to Menopause; J.D. Amsertdam et al., 2009
- "Phytomedicine"; Phytochemical and Biological Analysis of Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora L.): A Medicinal Plant with Anxiolytic Properties; R. Awad et. al; 2003
- "Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine"; An Investigation into the Efficacy of Scutellaria Lateriflora in Healthy Volunteers; P. Wolfman and D.L. Hoffman; 2003
