Lactuca sativa is a culinary form of lettuce that belongs to the Asteraceae (daisey) family of plants. The plant is often grown as a vegetable for use in salads and is completely non-toxic. Medicinally the plant has a number of uses, and these stem from its anti-inflammatory effect. These effects, for example, allow lettuce to effectively treat a number of gastrointestinal problems. In terms of mental health, Lactuca sativa is known to affect the central nervous system and this may explain its mood elevating effects. For example, in one study dried extract from Lactuca sativa were administered to mice orally and the animals were exposed to a number of experimental stressors that were designed to cause behavioural changes relating to mood. The results of the experiment showed that lettuce treated animals exhibited significantly less anxious behaviour compared to controls and that this anxiolytic effect became greater between 15 and 30 days of treatment. Lettuce may therefore possess anxiolytic effects in animals.
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