Herbs for Serotonin

Serotonin is a natural hormone found in the gut and central nervous system. It acts as a neurotransmitter, sending messages between cells that regulate mood, emotion, sleep and appetite. Low levels of serotonin play a part in depression and other mental disorders. Prescription medications aim to increase available serotonin to nerve cells, but they usually have debilitating side effects. Herbs can boost serotonin levels in various ways and may be an alternative to drugs.

Milk Thistle

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) tea and tincture have been used for centuries as a liver tonic and to protect against liver diseases and poisonous mushrooms. Milk thistle also has protective action on neurotransmitters. A study in the 2009 issue of Behavioural Brain Research found that silibinin, a flavonoid in milk thistle, protected the serotonin levels in the brains of mice impaired by methamphetamine.

Kanna

Kanna (Sceletium tortuosum) is a South African succulent that is used as mood-altering plant. Kanna contains an alkaloid called mesembrine, which acts similarly to a prescription SRI, or serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Mesembrine prevents the reabsorption of serotonin by nerve cells, thereby increasing the amount of serotonin available to transmit cellular messages.

Magnolia Bark

Magnolia bark (Magnolia officinalis) tea and pills have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Magnolia bark contains two compounds, honokiol and magnolol, that can prevent serotonin levels from falling under stress, and can increase levels of 5-HIAA, a metabolite of serotonin.

Yokukansan

Yokukansan is a traditional Japanese medicine that treats dementia. It contains cang zhu (Atractylodes lancea), fu ling (Poria sclerotium), gou teng (Uncaria hook), she chuang zi (Cnidium monnieri), Japanese angelica (Aralia elata), chai hu (Bupleurum falcatum) and licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis). A 2009 study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology showed that a powdered extract of yokukansan enhances serotonin transmission in the prefrontal cortex.

Rhodiola

Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) tincture, also known as golden root, treats mental stress and fatigue. It increases serotonin levels through the action of a compound called rosiridin. Rosiridin inhibits monoamine oxidase A, an enzyme that inactivates serotonin, thereby increasing the levels of available serotonin. Prescription MAO inhibitors work in a similar way but may produces unpleasant side effects.