The Power of African Herbs on Mental Health

There is a growing need to use African herbs to enhance mental health. This is because Africa is a continent blessed with abundant resources, herbs, and minerals. With the increasing rate of depression, loneliness, and suicide, taking good care of your mental health is not optional. It’s something you must pay close attention to, because the brain controls the body and health is wealth is not just a random saying. It is the truth. Research has been carried out to ascertain the efficacy of the African herbs on an individual’s mental health. The findings has proved the fact that African herbs are powerful in promoting good psychiatric conditions.

Moreover, it is no news that the world is going through an era of economic downturn. The poverty rate in different countries has risen to an alarming rate. With over seventy-five percent of the population living below the poverty line, it is just the high time we started using our own African herbs to improve our mental health and general physiological conditions. It is pertinent to note that Western medicine has contributed to several deaths due to complications and unfavorable side effects. These deaths could have been avoided if we had resorted to the use of natural African herbs for curing ailments and maintaining good health. To worsen the situation, the prices of modern drugs have become so exorbitant that it will cost a poor man a lot of money to afford them.

Hence, the discussion about the power of African herbs in maintaining good mental health, is not a ploy to demonize Western medicine or downgrade pharmaceutical drugs and supplements. This is a deliberate and clarion call for Africans to be Africans. There is no other continent they have apart from this one. Africans must go back to their cultural ways of boiling and drinking herbs for good health and the prevention of diseases. This is what our ancestors did that made them live for hundreds of years on Earth. There are some herbs that have proven to work wonders, and in most cases, better than Western medicine. Such herbs are even closer to us than we think but we are overlooking them and resorting to taking drugs and whatnot.

For instance, let us look at the nutrient components of Bitter Kola, Scent leaf, and Moringa. It has been proven medically that these plants that can be used as herbs help in the treatment of stress, anxiety and few other mental illnesses. Moringa in particular has anti-inflammatory quality that help to improve mental health. Its seed has been discovered to improve brain health. Moringa which is also called moringa oleifera as its botanical name has been said to be one of the properties used in curing people with emotional instability and mental disorder in the time of our forefathers. There is also the antioxidant quality in bitter kola which helps an individual in gaining mental clarity. As an person, chewing bitter kola will reset your taste bud to factory setting. It will make you feel hungry and also make sure you eat well. Bitter kola with the botanical name, garcinia kola, has been a timeless constituent of herbs for the treatment of old people with dementia.

Also, Scent leaf has a component that aids relaxation and emotional balance. It’s called saponins. Components like this help the mind to recalibrate and prevent it from declining to something worse. This scent leaf which is also called Ocimum gratissimum as its botanical name, helps in the process of boosting nutrients in the body which improves bodily functions like blood circulation in the brain. It also improves the nervous conditions through the reduction of antioxidant stress which invariably improves good mental health. Scent leaf is popularly called Nchanwu in the Igbo-speaking part of Nigeria and Efirin in the Yoruba-speaking part of the country. This shows that it is everywhere and not limited to only one ethnic group or region. Different ethnic groups grow the scent leaf and have different names for it. This means that it’s very much accessible and available.

In addition, there are other herbal plants one can use to maintain good mental health. One of them is known as Lavender. It’s popularly known for its calming effect. It is sedative and can easily lull you to sleep after a stressful day. It works well with Chamomile as this natural herbal plant is well-known for making people calm and emotionally balanced. Anytime you see someone undergoing some moment of mental turbulence, a mixture of Lavender and Chamomile can save that person from that mental turbulence. The calming properties will bring the troubled mind to a state of equanimity. This mixture also helps to flush away the anxiety and stress in the person’s psychological system. Sometimes, it’s worry and anxiety that cause a mental breakdown. People, especially those in Africa, should learn to take remedial African herbs before it is too late. Africans have what it takes to survive medically in terms of maintaining good mental health.

Let’s look at the components of ginger and tumeric which contain rhizomes that aid in the treatment of many inflammatory diseases. When you mix ginger, turmeric, and lemon balm, you have just produced a cure for insomnia, brain fog, anxiety, and mental decline. Ginger and turmeric can be used as a culinary properties. This means that you can still get the nutrients in these herbal plants if you use them to cook. An effort should be made to ensure that it is properly cooked as the method of cooking it is also important. Ginger and turmeric have their special package in powdered form but the natural ones are better.

In conclusion, the power of African herbs in maintaining good mental health cannot be overemphasized. The mind controls the body and it should be noted here that taking care of your mental health topmost priority. This is because if you lose your mind, you have lost everything. Your mind is powerful and this is a call to pay attention to it through the use of African herbs.