Stress is inevitable in life. Many events occurring in daily life bring challenges that impinge upon our minds, bodies and emotions to different extents subjecting us to stress of various types namely mental, physical and emotional. The term ‘stress’ generally points towards an internal (i.e., infection, psychological condition) or external (i.e., physical danger or damage) circumstance that threatens the homeostasis of the organism. Thus stress results in a discrepancy, either real or perceived, between the demands of a situation and the organism’s resources (Cota, 2008). These circumstances/factors that produce stress are called stressors. Stressors are the cause, stress is the effect. There are two type of stress, the first eustress or enabling – where stressors producing eustress enhance longevity, productivity and life satisfaction e.g. stress of examination, exercise. Likewise, unpleasant stress is called distress and results in maladaption, sickness and even death; for instance - stress of chronic pain, lack of meaningful relationship and living in an unpleasant environment (Sharma, 2008). Some of the disorders associated with stress are anxiety, high blood pressure, headache, depression, weakened immune system, high cholesterol level, sleeplessness, impotence, diarrhoea, loss of heightening appetite, cancer, respiratory disorders, accidental injuries, cirrhosis of liver, and attempted suicide etc. Throughout history, many drugs all over the world have been used to alleviate stress, anxiety and depression. Now a days, the sale of drugs like Paxil, Prozac, Effexor, Cymbalta, and Zoloft have skyrocketed for treating stress. But these drugs don’t solve the problem. Infact, these have various unpleasant side effects like fatigue, weight gain, digestive system upset, insomnia and sexual dysfunction. One of the leading drugs used to treat anxiety even lists anxiety as one of its side effects. Since time immemorial, plants have been used in treatment of various ailments due to having bio active compounds and these plants may serve the same purpose without causing side effects.Depression can be treated with an imaginative remedial regimen that incorporates herbal based medicines, social support and psychological intervention.
After all, knowledge about the healing properties of plants and herbs has been age old and used by generations of people across the globe, while pharmacological antidepressants have only been around for a few decades. However, scientific credence is an essential prerequisite to prove the efficacy and safety of the plant based products before clearing their remedial usage in depressive tendencies
