Herbal treatment offers an inexpensive yet effective means to overcome the mild to moderate depressions, seasonal affective disorders, and “blues” that many will at times experience.
Our Clear Day combination offers the best that both traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western herbalism has to offer for promoting healthy emotional balance and for relieving nervousness and tension.
The following describes the properties of each of this formula’s ingredients:
Albizia - Albizia’s Chinese name, He Huan Pi, translates literally as “the happiness bark”. It has been traditionally used in China to lift the mood since at least the 5th century. The Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China lists anxiety, depression, and insomnia as primary indications. Herbalist Michael Tierra writes that, “albizia is a good choice for probably greater than 50% of those who are presently taking a pharmaceutical drug (for acute and chronic depression and anxiety). At a mere fraction of the price, albizia is devoid of adverse side effects of the drugs and can be easily stopped at anytime. It seems reasonable to conclude that before one resorts to the use of drugs, that nature’s own gift from the ‘tree of collective happiness’ should be given a try instead.” He compares albizia with the more widely known St. John’s wort and kava kava: “albizia offers a more profound effect in treating depression and anxiety than the two most commonly promoted herbs, St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) and Kava (Piper methysticum) and thus should be more widely used.” Noted herbalist David Winston adds that albizia is “a profound mood elevator”.
Rhodiola - Physician Richard P. Brown, MD explains that Rhodiola was traditionally used in Siberia to treat fatigue, depression, anaemia, impotence, gastrointestinal ailments, infections, and nervous system disorders. Since 1960, more than 180 pharmacological, phytochemical, and clinical studies have been published on this herb.
A premier adaptogen, Rhodiola is also an antidepressant and mood stabilizer. A clinical trial demonstrated a 64% recovery rate in 128 depressed patients treated with Rhodiola. The authors administered 150 mg of rhodiola three times a day, equivalent to just under 2 ml per day of our 1:4 tincture. A second study found that patients with major depression had a reduction of symptoms and a shorter hospital stay than matched controls. Rhodiola reduced side effects from antidepressants and, used alone, was effective for mild to moderate depression.
A recent study confirmed that Rhodiola also acts effectively for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The authors concluded that. “Significant improvement in GAD symptoms was found with (Rhodiola), with a reduction in HARS (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale) scores similar to that found in clinical trials.”
St. John’s wort – Since 1979 there have been 30 controlled trials involving thousands of patients with mild to moderate depressive disorders, including 12 controlled studies that used tinctures, all confirming the well-known antidepressant activity of St. John’s wort.
A review of 23 clinical trials conducted up until 1996 concluded that St. John’s wort was “significantly superior to placebo” for treating mild to moderate depressive episodes, “and similarly effective as standard antidepressants”. Later studies also confirmed comparable effectiveness to fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft) as well as benefit in major depression.
Milky Oat Seed – Milky oat seed tincture has been used traditionally as an antidepressant and tonic for centuries in the Western herbal tradition. Modern herbalist Allan K. Tillotson states: “Milky oat seed is a mild but reliable remedy for strengthening the entire nervous system after periods of prolonged stress … It is used to treat nervous debility, stress, weak nerve force, anxiety, depression and the accompanying exhaustion, and general fatigue … It seems to exert an immediate effect (necessary when patients exhibit extreme anxiety and nervousness) as well as a long-term strengthening benefit … It is safe for use by everyone, even infants.”
Schisandra: Herbalist Donald Yance describes the following attributes for schisandra: “Schisandra is widely used for the treatment of stress-induced nervous system exhaustion and fatigue, insomnia, weakness, depression, forgetfulness, vision problems, diarrhoea and chemical toxicity. I use quite a bit of schisandra seed extract in my practice,” Yance explains. “I find it an invaluable plant medicine. As an adaptogen, it is particularly good for (those) with fatigue, poor circulation, and mild depression.”
One review of adaptogens for central nervous system issues concluded that schisandra was effective for depression.
Combination rationale:
It is our view that Clear Day represents an effective combination for optimizing emotional wellness and relieving nervousness. By combining the best of both traditional western and eastern herbalism, Clear Day gently tonifies the nervous system for long-term restorative effect.
Other combinations to consider:
Consider taking Clear Day with ValeriCalm™ if anxiety or insomnia is present.
Administration:
Adults take 1-2 ml (30-60 drops), three-four times daily.
Contra-indications and Cautions:
Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight, ultraviolet light (UV) or UV therapy. Consult a health care practitioner before use if you are taking HIV-1 protease inhibitors, nonnucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors, immunosuppressants, anticoagulants, Digoxin, Theophylline, serotonergic antidepressants, migraine therapies or anti-epilepsy drugs or if you have a bleeding disorder. Discontinue use 2 weeks prior to surgery. Do not take when pregnant or breastfeeding. Do not use if the seal is broken. For prolonged use, consult a health care practitioner.
Ingredients:
Highest Quality Albizia Bark & Flowers (Albizia julibrissin)
Highest Quality Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea)
Certified Organic St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
Certified Organic Milky Oat Seed (Avena sativa)
Certified Organic Schisandra (Schisandra chinensis)
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