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Writer's pictureArielle Caruso

Natural Remedies for Anxiety and Depression

Updated: Mar 11, 2022



What Is Xiao Yao San?

Xiao Yao San is an herbal formula, otherwise known as the free and easy wanderer. The name comes from a book written one thousand years before the formula was created. The chapter was about being a butterfly and how to break free out of your perspective, so you are no longer trapped by anxiety or depression.


The formula was designed to bring blood back into your organs. When you are stressed out or in shock, blood moves away from your extremities, causing cold hands and feet. This is a lifesaving mechanism, as your body is trying to protect itself. It is a shock response. If you are feeling stressed and you take Xiao Yao San, the herbal remedy gives you some space and perspective to reflect on that may not have been there before.


How Does Xiao Yao San Help with Stress?

This herbal formula works through the process of oxidation and has a downstream effect on dopamine, your MAO inhibitor, and your stress hormones. Its main mechanism is to work with inflammation. Oxidation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) from nitric oxide are thought to contribute to depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. We need a balance of both oxidation and anti-oxidation as we need our body’s endogenous antioxidants to be functional. NRF2, also known as a regulator of cellular resistance to oxidants, signals endogenous antioxidants to start being produced in the body. This is where Xiao Yao San and NRF2 come together.


Xiao Yao San and Depression

Depression has been linked to chronic inflammation and oxidation. Stress interferes with NRF2, which could be why anxiety and depression is linked to stress. It prevents your body from producing its own antioxidants. Xiao Yao San helps your body catch up in the process, thereby linking it to improvements in depression. Long states of inflammation damage the brain and the neurologic system, thereby increasing pain sensation. Xiao Yan San has been proven in studies to modulate these biomarkers.


Xiao Yan San is not just for depression. It can be used for physical pain, menstrual problems, fibromyalgia, and many others. That said, it is not for everyone. Please speak with an acupuncturist or herbalist to see if this formula would be good for you.


Contact us online today or call 619-356-1225 to schedule a session to discuss if herbal formulas might be a good option for you.



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