Herbal Supplements for Stress

Abstract

Many herbal products are currently being marketed to the public as having a positive effect on stress reduction. Little research has been conducted on these products that provide health care professionals with the information they need to advise their patients on safety and effectiveness. This brief review looks at the available data on some of the most popular herbal supplements that are marketed as stress reducers. Many of these herbal products can cause a sedative effect. Therefore, health care professionals must caution their patients who concomitantly take a prescribed medication that causes central nervous system depression as well as those who drink alcohol with a herbal stress reducer due to a potential added sedative effect. © 2011, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.