Chinese Herbs & Depression

Depression comes in many forms and has many treatments. While medication and therapy tend to be the popular treatment choices, many patients and doctors have found benefits from Chinese herbs. Herbs offer many health benefits and may ease depression in some cases, but they carry dangers and should never be used without physician guidance.

Types

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioner Judy Zhu, who is quoted on Straight.com, treats depression with ginseng along with other herbs, including astragalus, safflower and peach kernel.
In addition, Kamo-shoyo-san, known as the "wandering free" formula, is a combination of 10 medicinal herbs believed to have antidepressive effects. Its effects on rats were published in 2007 by Korean researchers in "Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences."
The Mayo Clinic also lists St. John's wort, the synthetic chemical SAMe and omega-3 fatty acids.

Uses

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), ginseng is part of an unverified group of stress relievers referred to as "adaptogens." Among its many perceived benefits is improvement of mental and physical health.
The Mayo Clinic says St. John's wort and SAMe are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration but are popular in Europe to treat certain forms of depression.
In addition, the Mayo Clinic says omega-3, found in some fish, flax oil and walnuts, has many benefits, including easing depression.

Effectiveness

According to the UMMC, the actual benefits of herbs such as ginseng are unproven. Nevertheless, UMMC admits that studies adding ginseng to other treatments have shown that those getting the supplement show marked improvement over those who do not. It is believed the combination of treatments is what makes it effective.
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine says it is believed that the chemical compounds in herbs such as St. John's wort are what causes its effects, though it is only potentially useful for mild forms of depression

Expert Insight

Dr. John Chen, TCM practitioner and lecturer at the University of Southern California, prescribes Chinese herbs partly out of concern for the side effects of Western treatments. Speaking to Discovery Health, Chen claimed positive effects from the herbs in one or two weeks, though sometimes it may take four or more weeks. According to him, the length of time for recovery depends on the cause of the depression. For example, someone mourning the death of a spouse may see positive results from herbal treatments right away but still take a longer time for a complete recovery.

Warning

While most herbs used for treating depression have few side effects by themselves, it is still vital to exercise caution. Taking the herbs together with other medications can cause adverse reactions. Anyone with a serious condition and women who are pregnant or nursing need to be especially cautious. Because there are many different types of and causes for depression, the Mayo Clinic says never to use alternative remedies to treat depression without other medical care.