with nervous tension, sleeplessness, seizures, epilepsy, drug withdrawal, and
much more. A good food nerve nutritive, similar to nerve tonics, would be
oats, which nourish, balance, and stabilize.
Nerve relaxants are herbs that quickly calm the person to a state in which
the body and mind become relaxed. Chamomile flowers are a familiar herb
for this purpose, ideal for babies, children, adults, and the elderly
alike. Lime tree (Tilia) flowers are taken on an everyday basis in
France for head aches or migraine, or simply to soothe away a fraught
day. In the United States, California poppy flowers are used in a
similar way. Other herbs include hop strobilus (a very British option),
black cohosh root, vervain leaf, wood betony leaf, cramp bark, laven-
der leaf and flower, passionflower, St. John’s wort flower, and skullcap
leaf. Wild yam root is a digestive nervine, relaxing muscle fibers,
soothing the nerves, and providing pain relief for the bowel, stomach,
gallbladder, and uterus. Valerian root is a very strong herbal relaxant and is
useful if all else has failed. But please note that it should be used only for a
few weeks, during the initial crisis, otherwise it can become overly sedative.
Other food nerve relaxants include nonactive yeast flakes and spirulina.
Nerve sedatives are the strongest form of nerve relaxants and are illegal in
Britain, though used legally by herbalists in some countries. They are opium
poppy and marijuana. Opium is very strong, as it contains codeine and
morphine. Both are traditionally used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis
(although, with this disease, nerve sedatives can sometimes be replaced by
nerve stimulants), cancer, and AIDS. Marijuana has recently gained popular-
ity for its medicinal benefits as a pain reducer; but as with any herb, correct
dosage is important. In the case of this herb, excesses can cause paranoia,
hyperventilation, and panic attacks. Pain relief herbs like corydalis tuber and
poppy leaf or resin can be tried, along with willow bark or cramp bark.
Nerve stimulants are traditionally the least-used nervines and are probably
underused in diseases in which there are neurological breakdowns, like mul-
tiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and myasthenia gravis. They are an abso-
lutely invaluable category of nervine herbs, as they directly stimulate ner-
vous tissue. A famous one is kola nut. Common daily nerve stimulants like
tea and coffee are, of course, completely overused and therefore lose their
potential as effective herbs for the above diseases. Guarana is a popular
nerve stimulant; it contains three times the amount of caffeine as coffee, and
was used to keep jungle hunters alert in South America. A herb for more
daily usage that is ideal in times of great stress, especially around exam
times, is rosemary, which wakens the brain and also acts as a nerve relaxant
and calmer. Prickly ash berry really moves the blood and has an almost in-
stantly recognizable effect on a fuddled brain. Kava and coca leaves are
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