Ribes Nigrum-The Holy Grail of Anxiety and Adrenal Relief

Suffering from anxiety and adrenal fatigue for over 15 years I can tell you I tried everything to help me cope. I’ve tried several supplements and methods and nothing seemed to stick and I refused to try medication as I did not want to be reliant on it.

I wanted to pursue a natural alternative route. I tried every holistic method you can think of, and although I found results, nothing came close to Ribes Nigrum. I can honestly say that Ribes Nigrum is the holy grail of anxiety and adrenal relief, well at least for me. Below I’ll explain how I discovered this amazing treatment and how it works.

Homeopathy

When I was first introduced to homeopathy I just thought it was another spin-off from supplements. I then realized it is a whole lot more than that. It is really potent stuff, it utilizes the finest ingredients from plants, minerals, and/or animals. Homeopathy empowers your body to heal by using microdoses of those ingredients which nourishes the organs and body overall. There is a lot of controversy with homeopathy, some may view it as ‘quackery’ but that is because of the notion that our body can heal on its own is a controversial one. When we are given the proper nutrients in our cells and our cells are detoxified properly, our body can make room to heal those cells when they are nourished.

Whether you believe it or not, I truly believe there are different strokes for different folks and homeopathic methods is the one for me. To find out more about what homeopathy is, see my other post. I find homeopathic medicine to be gentle and very beneficial to the body in many different ways. There are many different types of homeopathic methods out there such as tissue salts, Unda drops to name a few, and of course Ribes Nigrum.

What is Ribes Nigrum?

Ribes Nigrum, otherwise known as Blackcurrant is a type of fruit found in central and northern Europe and northern Asia.

 

The raw fruit is rich in vitamin C and phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are “compounds recognized as essential nutrients, which are naturally contained in plants and are required for normal physiological functions, so this must be obtained from the diet in humans”. (Wikipedia) Blackcurrant or Ribes Nigrum can be eaten raw but usually cooked in a variety dishes, it can be used to make jam, syrup, juice of the variety.

Medicinal Uses

Since Ribes Nigrum is considered a good source of minerals and vitamins it is known to prevent infections and reduce inflammation. It is also known to enhance the immunity. But most importantly, it is believed that Ribes Nigrum aids the body in increasing the secretion of cortisol of the adrenal glands and stimulates the sympathetic nervous system. This is very helpful to relieve stress and anxiety.

How does it work?

When using Ribes Nigrum or Blackcurrant for the purpose of anxiety and adrenal relief it can be quite effective. As mentioned before, Ribes Nigrum can stimulate the adrenal cortex and adrenal glands. Although it is considered a stimulant of those organs, it is no shape or form cause anything to that effect of caffeine. Instead, it nourishes the gland and at the same time detoxes it. This process is called Gemmotherapy, a branch off of homeopathy.

Ribes Nigrum in Gemmotherapy 

Gemmotherapy is a fairly new method that uses parts of the plant such as the buds and plant tissues. It is used to help stimulate the elimination of toxic compounds in the body by opening up cellular pathways for optimal detoxification. Gemmotherapy is still considered a homeopathic regime when the buds and plant tissues are extracted from the plant at a very early stage, it is said that you can acquire the highest concentration of active growth hormones within the plant. These elements are very beneficial to our bodies. (Below is a great video describing what Gemmotherapy is)

Ribes Nigrum – the holy grail of adrenal relief and anxiety 

It is important to understand the concept of how anxiety and adrenaline fatigue works. I learned an unconventional way of how it reacts in our body to help me fully understand what I was experiencing and how to control the experience. 

I studied Lisa Wimberger, who is a neurologist that describes how the brain works in conjunction with the body and how it reacts to stress. What I learned was when we experience prolonged stress over the course of time, our bodies will become depleted and our adrenaline glands become fatigued, hence the term adrenal fatigue syndrome. There’s a number of factors that can contribute to this, but from my experience, experiencing anxiety and stress for years has definitely contributed to this syndrome.

When we experience prolonged stress in our body and we have adrenal fatigue, our bodies are in a constant state of fight or flight mode. It’s like a switch that is hard to turn off. Everything puts you on alert, even the slightest sounds from a car door slamming to an exciting sporting event will put your body through stress.

You may even experience heart palpitations, anxiety and sometimes dizziness during those times. When we have adrenal fatigue our body doesn’t know the difference between something that’s exciting or threatening, our bodies still react the same way. Want to learn more about adrenal fatigue and it’s symptoms? Check out the symptoms of adrenal fatigue post.

From the information I gained from Lisa Wimberger and the help of my naturopath I became more self-aware of my body and needed to address the root cause. I knew I had to detox the excess adrenalin coursing through my body and this is how I came to discover Ribes Nigrum. To see a complete review on how it has helped me see my other post.

How safe is Ribes Nigrum?

There are no major issues when using Ribes Nigrum to date. It is considered safe to use by all ages. However, there are still some side effects from large doses and prolonged use.

According to WebMD, these known side effects are:

• A headache
• Diarrhea
• Gas and belching

Other Alternatives

If Ribes Nigrum is not your thing, or you are looking for other methods. I recently discovered the Adrenal Fatigue Solution program that perked my interest, I have not used it yet but it does seems interesting. It seems it is a step-by-step approach to help you effectively get rid of adrenal fatigue and anxiety. Developed by Fawne Hansen, an author and wellness coach specializing in the treatment of chronic stress and adrenal fatigue and Dr. Eric Wood who is a licensed Naturopathic doctor.

The program covers all the bases, it provides meditations to help you relax, a meal plan to guide you on how to eat properly so you can cleanse and nourish your adrenal glands, as well as detailed video lectures on how to bring back the vitality in your life. I invite you to check it out and see how it goes.

Conclusion

I have never experienced any issues when taking Ribes Nigrum, other than getting overly energized at night if I take too much. However, everyone can respond differently. For me, I take Ribes Nigrum on an as-needed basis. When I start to feel anxious or I’m about to be in a situation where I will feel anxious, I take several drops underneath my tongue. Within 15 minutes I feel stabilized.

Ribes Nigrum has given me the chance to feel normal once again and given me new found confidence regardless of what situation I face. I use it in moderation and it does the trick.

Want to see if  Ribes Nigrum works for you? Check it out on Amazon.

 

Have you tried Ribes Nigrum before for anxiety and/or adrenal fatigue? How did it work for you? Share your thoughts below!