Atypical depression, Monoamine oxidase and herbal remedies

The short and simplified version:

• Low levels of Serotonin might lead to depression.
• Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is an enzyme that breaks down serotonin and other neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine.
• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors inhibit the monoamine oxidase from breaking down neurotransmitters thus leading to higher serotonin levels and less depression/enhanced mood.
• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors are usually not prescribed because they have food interactions (e.g. cheese, wine and basically everything you probably consume on a daily basis).
• These interactions might lead to a high blood pressure (hypertensive crisis) and increased risk for stroke and heart attacks.
• The list of food-lists from different sources are contradictory, so it is not clear which foods should be avoided completely and which foods should be eaten in moderation.
• By looking at the smallest common denominator all lists I’ve looked at seem to agree that:
  chicken – eggs - carrots - celery - fennel – zuccini
  have NO interactions and can be eaten without concerns.

Natural herbs that display MAO-inhibiting properties:

Gentiana lutea – english: Great yellow gentian – deutsch: Gelber Enzian

“Three MAO inhibitors have been isolated from Gentiana lutea.”

Ginkgo bilboa – Ginko – Gingko - Ginkgo

“The Ginkgo biloba leaf extract on rat brain produces in vitro inhibition of rat brain MAO-A and B. The Ginkgo biloba extract components responsible for the activity are kaempferol and isorhamnetin.[12]”

Panax ginseng – Ginseng

“Ginseng attenuates pentylenetetrazole-induced decrease in rat brain MAO activity, confirming its anxiolytic activity”

Nicotiana tabacum - english: tobacco – deutsch: Tabak

“Our results show that tobacco smoke exposure is associated with a marked reduction in brain MAO A, and this reduction is about half of that produced by a brief treatment with tranylcypromine.”

Have you ever heard about a positive effect of smoking before ?

Hippophae rhamnoides – english: Buckthorn – deutsch: Sanddorn

Passiflora - english: Passion Flower - deutsch: Passionsblume

Anethum graveolens - english: Dill – deutsch: Dill

Levisticum officinale – english: Lovage – deutsch: Liebstöckel

Glycyrrhiza glabra – english: Liquorice – deutsch: Süßholzwurzel

Glycyrrhiza uralensis root – english: Chinese liquorice - deutsch: Chinesische Süßholzwurzel – chinese: Gan Cao

Cyamopsis psoraloides/synonym: Cyamopsis tetragonoloba – english: Cluster bean / Guar – deutsch: Guarbohne

Herbs, spices, tea and food supplements I’ve used:

Alchemilla – english: Lady's mantle - deutsch: Frauenmanteltee - available on Amazon

Melissa officinalis - english: Common balm - deutsch: Zitronenmelisse – Capsules available on Amazon – contains small amounts of harmaline otherwise also found in Syrian rue.

Curcuma longa – english: Turmeric – deutsch: Kurkuma – available in some supermarkets. You do not need to peel turmeric. The whole root can be eaten.

“(Turmeric) dose dependently inhibits the immobility period, increased serotonin as well as dopamine levels and inhibits both MAOA and MAO-B in the mice.[23]”

Peganum harmala – english: Syrian rue - deutsch: Steppenraute- available on Amazon

Syrian rue can also be used to brew Ayuhasca:

Ayuhasca recipe 1:

Peganum harmala – Syrian rue (MAO-inhibiting).

• Phalaris arundinacea – Reed canary grass - the plant, not the seeds contain DMT.

Ayuhasca recipe 2:

Banisteriopsis caapi – Ayuhasca liana (MAO-inhibiting).

• Psychotria viridis – Chacruna contains DMT.

Ayuhasca is legal in some european countries. (shops: azarius.de [Netherlands]; queerbeet.at [Austria])

Petroselinum crispum – english: Parsley – deutsch: Petersilie

Foeniculum vulgare – english: Fennel – deutsch: Fenchel

Myristica fragrans - english: Nutmeg - deutsch: Muskatnuß

“Myristicin, 3-methoxy,4,5-methylendioxy-allylbenzene, is a natural organic compound present in the essential oil of Myristica fragrans (Nutmeg).”