Skullcap - Scutellaria lateriflora

Skullcap is perhaps the most relevant nervine available to us in the Western materia medica. It effectively soothes nervous tension while renewing and revivifying the central nervous system. It has a long history of traditional use for the control and treatment of petit mal seizures. Skullcap may be used to treat any condition associated with exhaustion or depressed states, and can be used with complete safety to ease premenstrual tension. A recent clinical trial demonstrated that the herb is an effective anxiolytic, with a proposed mechanism involving flavonoid interactions with the GABAa receptor. - Hoffman "Medical Herbalism"*