Gastrodin can be a natural remedy for PTSD-related depression

Gastrodin, derived from the plant Tall Gastrodia (Gastrodia elata) and a primary component of Oriental herbal medicine, has been previously shown to effectively treat various mood disorders. In a study published in the Journal of Natural Medicines, gastrodin has been found to be an effective herbal preparation for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

• Researchers from Kyung Hee University in Seoul, Republic of Korea aimed to determine whether gastrodin would reduce stress-associated depression-like behaviors in a mouse model of single prolonged stress (SPS)-induced PTSD.
• Being exposed to severe stress can result in the development of neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression and PTSD.
• Then, the mice received 20, 50, or 100 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) of gastrodin once a day for two weeks.
• The mice underwent forced swimming test in order to measure their norepinephrine levels in the hippocampus.
• The results revealed that daily treatment of 100 mg/kg of gastrodin significantly reversed depression-like behaviors and restored SPS-induced increases in hippocampal norepinephrine levels and tyrosine hydroxylase expression in the locus coeruleus.
• The treatment of gastrodin also improved levels of neuropeptide Y in the hypothalamus and mRNA expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus, which were previously decreased due to SPS.

The findings of the study suggest that gastrodin has antidepressant effects in PTSD and may be used as an effective herbal preparation for treating PTSD.

To read more studies on depression and how to treat it naturally, visit Psychiatry.news today.

Journal Reference:

Lee B, Sur B, Yeom M, Shim I, Lee H, Ham D-H. GASTRODIN REVERSED THE TRAUMATIC STRESS-INDUCED DEPRESSED-LIKE SYMPTOMS IN RATS. Journal of Natural Medicines. October 2016; 70(4): 749-759. DOI: 10.1007/s11418-016-1010-4