Himalayan Tea: An Anxiety Treatment Worth Considering?

weight lossHimalayan tea (Stachys tibetica) is a plant that grows in parts of China, Tibet and India. Himalayan tea is also commonly called mountain tea. As the name suggest the herb is most commonly consumed as a tea, and in Traditional Indian Medicine, Himalayan tea is used to treat a number of ailments including coughs and fever. However, Himalayan tea has also been traditionally used to treat phobias, and this suggests that the herb may have particular effects against mood disorders, particularly anxiety. The mood altering effects of Himalayan tea may be due to the presence of polyphenols within the plant. In particular, Himalayan tea is a rich source of the polyphenol apigenin, a member of the flavone subgroup of flavonoid polyphenols. Apigenin has been shown to cause significant anxiolytic effects in animal models of depression and this may be due to its ability to bind to the benzodiazepine receptor in the central nervous system, a process that may produce a calming effect via release of the neurotransmitter GABA.

Himalayan tea anxiety

Himalayan tea (Stachys tibetica) is a herb that grows in tropical and subtropical regions of China, Tibet and India. Himalayan tea is used as a traditional folk medicine for mood disorders and phobias in the Ladakh valley and the mountains of Himachal Pradesh. Himalayan tea is usually taken as a decoction, prepared by boiling the whole plant in water.

Himalayan tea has been shown to contain the flavone apigenin in its glycosidic form, apigenin 7-glucoside. This form of apigenin is bound to a molecule of glucose via a glycosidic bond, and this may change the chemistry of the molecule in relation to unbound apigenin. One group of researchers isolated the apigenin 7-glucoside from Himalayan tea and assessed its mood altering effects in animal models of anxiety. In this regard, when apigenin 7-glucoside was administered to rats, it was shown to significantly reduce the symptoms of anxiety experienced by rats in response to experimental stress. The authors also tested the non-glucose bound form of apigenin and the benzodiazepine drug diazepam, and all three compounds showed similar anxiolytic activity. Therefore it is possible that Himalayan mountains tea confers anxiolytic effects on those that drink it due to the presence of apigenin 7-glucoside in the plant tissue, and this may explain its traditional use as herbal treatment for phobias.

Himalayan tea anxiety

Himalayan tea (Stachys tibetica Vatke) contains a range of phytochemicals that have been isolated and characterised. These include a range of carbohydrates, proteins and amino acids, lipids, sterols and steroids, courmarins, phenolics and tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins, glycosides and alkaloids. In one experiment, whole extracts of Himalayan tea were administered to rats and this caused a significant reduction in the anxiety experienced by the rats in response to experimental stress. These effects were similar to the benzodiazepine drug diazepam, but the Himalayan tea extracts were not as effective as the pharmaceutical in this study.

In another study, whole plant, root, leaf or stem extracts of Himalayan tea were administered to rats. All of the extracts significantly decreased the anxiety experienced by the rats when exposed to experimental stress. The whole plant and leaf extracts possessed the greatest anxiolytic effect, with the root an intermediate effect and the stem, the least effect. These anxiolytic effects were comparable to that of the benzodiazepine drugs diazepam. Himalayan tea also contains an essential oil that may have beneficial anxiolytic effects. One group of researcher analysed Himalayan essential oil and detected aciphyllene (~66 %), fenchyl alcohol (~9 %), α-pinene (~8 %), caryophyllene oxide (~ 5 %), menthol (~2 %) and geraniol (~1 %). Administration of the essential oil to rats decreased aggressive behaviour and increased social interaction, suggesting that the essential oil may have calming effects. In experimental models, administration of the essential oil significantly decreased anxiety in rats that were exposed to experimental stress.

Eat Well, Stay Healthy, Protect Yourself

RdB

Kumar, D. and Bhat, Z. A. 2014. Apigenin 7-glucoside from Stachys tibetica Vatke and its anxiolytic effect in rats. Phytomedicine. 21(7): 1010-1014
Kumar, D., Bhat, Z. A., Kumar, V., Khan, N. A., Chashoo, I. A., Zargar, M. I. and Shah, M. Y. 2012. Effects of Stachys tibetica essential oil in anxiety. European Journal of Integrative Medicine. 4(2): e169-e176
Kumar, D., Bhat, Z. A., Kumar, V., Raja, W. Y. and Shah, M. Y. 2013. Anti-anxiety activity of Stachys tibetica Vatke. Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines. 11(3): 240-244
Kumar, D., Bhat, Z. A. and Shah, M. Y. 2012. Effect of successive extracts of Stachys tibetica Vatke (Lamiaceae) in anxiety. Oriental Pharmacy and Experimental Medicine. 12(4): 247-253

About Robert Barrington

Robert Barrington is a writer, nutritionist, lecturer and philosopher.
This entry was posted in Anxiety, Brain, Himalayan tea (Stachys tibetica), Mood. Bookmark the permalink.