Anxiety Defined: Anxiety is characterized by an overburdened nervous system, triggering a “fight or flight” response that releases cortisol and adrenaline, leading to physical symptoms such as increased heart rate and blood pressure.

Panic Attacks: Severe anxiety can result in panic attacks, causing rapid breathing, dizziness, and a feeling of losing control.

Long-term Effects of Anxiety: Chronic anxiety can lead to unstable blood sugar levels, increased risk of diabetes, and hormonal imbalances affecting overall health.

Natural Remedies for Anxiety: Research supports the use of various herbs to alleviate anxiety, including passionflower, lemon balm, ashwagandha, lavender oil, ylang ylang, wheatgrass juice, nutritional yeast, and kefir.

Passionflower Benefits: Passionflower contains chrysin, which may be as effective as oxazepam for anxiety relief by increasing GABA levels and lowering cortisol.

Lemon Balm’s Efficacy: Lemon balm has been shown to reduce anxiety symptoms and improve sleep, particularly when consumed as tea.

Gut Health Connection: Probiotics from foods like kefir can enhance gut health, which is linked to improved mental well-being and reduced anxiety through increased serotonin production.