Anxiety Treatment - The Natural Remedy for Anxiety Relief

L-Theanine, naturally occurring in green tea, proves effective in dealing with anxiety symptoms and providing anxiety relief

Anxiety is a state of intense fear, uncertainty, uneasiness, or apprehension due to anticipation of an imagined or real threatening future event. Anxiety can be both physically and psychologically devastating to the Anxiety sufferer's life. Anxiety is often sub-categorized according to the focus of the perceived threat. There is social anxiety, separation anxiety, dating anxiety, performance anxiety, math anxiety, etc. Stress and anxiety often go hand in hand and can result in anxiety depression as the individual feels powerless to receive any anxiety help.

There are a variety of anti-anxiety treatments to consider in overcoming anxiety. For some, anxiety medications prove to be a source of anxiety relief. Other's prefer not to use any of the anti-anxiety drugs and opt for more natural cures for anxiety management. These may include herbs for anxiety, acupuncture anxiety treatments, anxiety vitamins, aromatherapy for anxiety relief, even hypnosis has has proved beneficial overcoming anxiety.

This article discusses the perhaps little known amino acid L-Theanine as a natural remedy for anxiety relief.

L-Theanine is a unique free form amino acid found only in the tea plant and in the mushrooms Xerocomus badius and certain species of genus Camellia, C. japonica and C. sasanqua. Often drinkers of green tea report a feeling of calmness they feel after ingesting a cup or two even though green tea has roughly half the caffeine of coffee. This is due to the high L-Theanine content.

In addition to reducing anxiety symptoms, studies have shown L-Theanine may be effective in promoting concentration, supporting the immune system, improving learning performance, lowering blood pressure, increasing formation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, and increasing brain dopamine levels among other positive benefits with no known downside.

Studies in cooperation with Taiyo Kagaku Co., The University of Shizuoka, and The Family Planning Institute of Japan have shown that women taking 200 mg L-Theanine daily have lower incidence of PMS symptoms. These symptoms include physical, mental, and social symptoms. Overall, a significant alleviation of PMS symptoms by L-Theanine was observed.

While still under investigation, L-Theanine appears to have a role in the formation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA). GABA blocks release of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, playing a key role in the relaxation effect.

Everyone knows the effects stress and anxiety can have on an individual's physical state of well-being. Fascinating neurochemistry research has revealed that given a shot of GABA essentially turned back the clocks in the brains of older monkeys, whose brain function briefly operated at levels normally seen in monkeys less than half their age.

GABA, or gamma-amino butyric acid, is a neurotransmitter chemical that is essential for optimizing how brain cells transmit messages to each other and acts to put a damper on unwanted brain signaling activity. Although GABA's age-related decline has not been documented in humans, a host of studies in mammals, including other primates, suggests that a similar process is at work in people.

Monkeys ages 26 and 32 -- considered old age for monkeys -- that got GABA directly delivered to their neurons responded to visual patterns, such as flashing vertical and horizontal lines, in much the same way as monkeys aged 7 to 9 years old did.

Without GABA delivery, the monkeys' aged brains had more difficulty firing neurons that specifically gauge various aspects of depth perception, motion and color. Instead, older monkeys have more random firings that make it difficult to observe visual nuances. In younger monkeys, GABA had no effect since their brains already had optimal GABA functioning.

L-Theanine is considered to be safe based on its historical use as a component of tea and on favorable toxicology studies. Tea is the most consumed beverage worldwide after water, and has been consumed for thousands of years by billions of people. It is estimated that a heavy tea drinker (6-8 cups daily) will consume between 200 to 400 mg of L-Theanine daily.

While dosage for depression and anxiety disorder remain individual, it is recommended to take 100 to 200 mg 1 to 3 times daily for anxiety relief. Based on the results of clinical studies, it has been established that L-Theanine is effective in single dosages in the range of 50-200 mg. It is suggested that subjects with higher levels of anxiety take a dose at the higher end of the effective range (100 - 200 mg) for overcoming anxiety.

Anxiety and the Perfect Anti-Anxiety Treatment

To have feelings of uneasiness or nervousness is quite normal for people who have to keep up with the fast pace of the 21st Century lifestyle. Almost everyone feels anxious from time to time. Mild to moderate moments of anxiety may help certain individuals focus their attention, energy, and motivation. However, severe cases of anxiety may lead to feelings of helplessness, confusion, and distress. Too much anxiety, however, is not normal and may interfere with one's daily activities. Anxiety can cause physical and mental problems. In some cases, some situations or fears may trigger a variety of symptoms for a short time.



Physical symptoms of anxiety may include the following:



Trembling, twitching, or shaking.

Feeling of fullness in the throat or chest.

Breathing difficulties or fast heartbeat.

Dizziness

Sweating or cold, clammy hands.

Feeling jumpy.

Muscle tension, aches, or soreness (myalgias).

Extreme fatigue.

Sleep problems, such as the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, early waking, or restlessness (not feeling rested when you wake up).



In addition to its physical effects, anxiety also affects a part of the brain that aids in communication. This condition may lead to the difficulties in expressing creativity or effective function in relationships.





Some of the symptoms that show anxiety's effect on one's mental faculties include:



Restlessness, irritability, or feeling on edge.

Excessive worrying.

Fearing that something bad is going to happen; feeling doomed.

Inability to concentrate; feeling like your mind goes blank.

The presence of both physical and mental symptoms of anxiety may lead to a condition called anxiety disorder. It may hamper a persons ability to deal with other persons and ruin daily activities. In addition to this, medical studies suggest that women are twice as likely to have anxiety disorders than women. This occurs because of a variety of biological, psychological, and cultural factors. Although the cause of this phenomenon is still unknown, medical researchers suggest that fluctuations in the levels of female reproductive hormones and cycles may contribute to the heightened risk for anxiety disorders. This condition may occur at any age, gender, and race. Because of its ill-effects, individuals with anxiety disorders are in a hurry to treat this illness and turn to anti-anxiety drugs for treatment. These drugs are designed to calm and relax individuals with excessive anxiety, nervousness, on a short-term basis. It is also used to treat mild and temporary attacks of anxiety as well as clinically declared cases of social phobias and other forms of phobias. However, the use of these forms of medication may bring side effects that include sedation, sleepiness, depression, lethargy, dizziness, and many more. Other reactions may include changes in heart rate, blood pressure, bowel changes, and severe skin rash.



Due to the side effects of certain anti-anxiety medication, many patients sought alternative medication for their condition. Many herbs became famous among individuals who want to treat anxiety with less side effects. St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) is an herb native to Europe and has been used for many years to treat anxiety, insomnia, and depression. It is said that this herb works by slowing down the breakdown of brain chemicals called serotonin. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression. In many studies, only 20 percent of patients who took St. John's Wort complained of side effects, lower compared to those who took antidepressants (53 percent). However, despite its health benefits, individuals who want to take this alternative medicine should seek the approval of medical professionals to clarify side effects and drug interactions that may take place while under medication.



The behavior side effects of anxiety can be described as an act of avoidance. Individuals with anxiety disorders tend to avoid the things that make them worried or nervous. It may work as a short-term method to make a person feel better but, in the long run, this method may heighten anxiety to worst levels. Effective anxiety treatments may require adjustments in one's lifestyle and professional help.