Alternative Treatments – Herbs

This section focuses on alternative health treatments. Please note that I am not a medical expert, you should definitely consult a medical professional regarding how these may affect you. Refer to the main page on Alternative Treatments for bibliographical information.

Rhodiola Rosea (Artic Root, Golden Root)

  • May be helpful with depression, fatigue, anxiety.
  • Recommended By: Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr Tieraona Low Dog, and Dr. Mehmet Oz.
  • Dosage:
    • Recommended as a possibility to me by my psychiatrist (600 mg therapeutic dose).1These where what he suggested to me. Please don’t utilize these without talking to your own doctor.
    • Oz suggests starting at 100 mg and moving to 200 mg.

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

ADHD

  • Recommended By: Dr. Sandy Newmark
  • Limited evidence

OCD

Depression

  • May be helpful.

Tumeric (Curcuma Iona, Curcumin)

Depression

  • Recommended By: Dr. Andrew Weil
  • See MegaFood for Dr. Weil’s thoughts.

OCD

  • Only animal study, had similar results to paroxetine (Karci, Celik).

Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)

OCD

Trichotillomania


Gingko

ADHD

  • Recommended By: Dr. Sandy Newmark
  • Limited evidence

Ginseng

ADHD

  • Recommended By: Dr. Sandy Newmark
  • Limited evidence


Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)

ADHD

  • Recommended By: Dr. Sandy Newmark
  • May help with hyperactivity and anxiety.

OCD


Lemon Balm

ADHD

  • Dr. Sandy Newmark utilizes.

Pycnogenol

ADHD

  • Dr. Sandy Newmark utilizes.

Oat Straw Extract

Fatigue

  • Recommended By: Dr. Mehmet Oz
  • Dosage:
    • 2 teaspoons mixed in morning drink.

Melatonin

ADHD

  • Recommended By: ADDitude Editors
  • May help with sleep.

Kava

  • Some promise, some significant issues.

Borage (Echium amoenum)

  • Some promise, some significant concerns.

OCD

  • Small study indicated significant improvement over placebo (Karci, Celik).

Autumn Crocus (Crocus sativus)


Red Feathers (Echium amoenum)

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)

Probiotics

Footnotes

Footnotes
1These where what he suggested to me. Please don’t utilize these without talking to your own doctor.