The quarantine and social isolation measures that the authorities have decreed to reduce the spread of the coronavirus have exacerbated various disorders of the nervous system Rapé.
That being the case, can the therapeutic benefits of plants help us deal with some of these conditions?
According to the World Health Organization, the pandemic has generated an increase in demand for mental health services. Confinement, uncertainty, and grief have increased the consumption of alcohol and other drugs, as well as insomnia and anxiety problems. As we have all experienced, not getting adequate rest at night leads to signs of daytime exhaustion, drowsiness, and irritability. And although it is normal to suffer from temporary episodes of insomnia and anxiety, problems appear when they become repetitive and interfere with our normal activities.
Throughout history, cultures have used the properties of plants to reduce anxiety and induce sleep. In our environment we have a good variety of plants that have sedative and hypnotic properties. According to the List of Accepted Medicinal Plants for Therapeutic Purposes , published by INVIMA, we have at least ten types of them whose effectiveness and safety to treat these conditions have been proven through a long history of traditional use, together with evidence based on scientific studies. .
For the treatment of anxiety and sleep disorders of nervous origin we have citron, amansatoros, lemon balm, passionflower, curuba, quick relief, valerian and verbena. Likewise, lettuce offers us its therapeutic properties for the treatment of insomnia and hops contribute to the relief of mild symptoms of mental stress and helps to fall asleep.
A very important aspect to achieve effective and safe use of these medicinal plants is to have sufficient information about the appropriate conditions for their consumption. The therapeutic action of plants is based on the content of one or several chemical substances, called active ingredients, which have the ability to act on our body to counteract the effects of diseases, that is, to act as a botanical medicine.
In this sense, we must consume them according to the frequency and quantities that have been determined based on traditional knowledge and scientific studies. Prolonged use of a plant with sedative or hypnotic properties can cause dependence or excessive consumption can cause other alterations in the body.