Kanna: The World's Most Powerful Antidepressant Herb

Meditation in a Bottle

Conventional medicine fails many patients because it approaches the human body as a solely material object, rather than an interactive subject. Because of the highly organic nature of the human mind, an allopathic view can be particularly devastating when it is applied to mental health. I have suffered from depression and anxiety my entire life, and I was largely drawn to a career in alternative healing by my own experiences seeking failed treatment in allopathy.

Many consumers, including myself, are justifiably concerned about the side effects associated with the pharmaceutical drugs used to treat depression and anxiety. While well-known herbs like Saint John's Wort and chamomile have been investigated for their use in treating mood disorders, the herb that I have found most effective in treating depression is also one of the least known.

Kanna, or Sceletium tortuosum, has been used for millennia by the San and Khoi tribes of Southern Africa (historically referred to as Bushmen and Hottentot, respectively). The San associate kanna with the eland antelope, a traditional icon of calmness and meditation, and they use the herb extensively in religious ritual. While kanna does not have powerful sedative properties like those associated with valerian or chamomile, it helps to soothe symptoms of insomnia, anxiety and tension.

Few medical journals have published investigations of the plant's complex pharmacology, but preliminary studies have been fascinating and encouraging. In 1996, the Journal of Ethnopharmacology identified at least nine compounds that might be responsible for kanna's psychoactive effects. One of these, mesembrine, actually acts as a serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)-- similar to popular antidepressants like Prozac and Paxil. Since it has many other co-supporting nutrients, and does not function through any single compound, kanna may be more effective than conventional tricyclic and SSRI antidepressants.