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Kava Side Effects & Adverse Reactions (List)

Kava (Piper methysticum) is an herb that is commonly cultivated in island nations such as the Republic of Vanuatu, Fiji, Micronesia, and the Samoan islands.  Historically, it has been utilized as a form of alternative medicine for hundreds (if not, thousands) of years.  The herb is regarded as sacred by indigenous tribes and often consumed …

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Valerian Side Effects & Adverse Reactions (List)

Valerian is a dietary supplement that was first sold in the United States in 1994, but has been historically utilized as a medicinal herb since the days of ancient Greece and Rome.  It is understood to possess anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) and hypnotic (sleep-induction) properties and has been subject to investigation for the treatment of anxiety disorders …

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Valerian For Anxiety Disorders

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is a perennial plant named after the Latin term “valere,” which roughly translates to “strong and healthy.”  The plant is considered native to Europe and various regions of Asia and tends to bloom pinkish and/or whitish flowers in the summer seasons.  Upon blooming, its flowers are universally known to have a sweet, …

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Inositol Side Effects & Adverse Reactions (List)

Inositol is a non-essential nutrient and natural sugar present within phospholipids of cell membranes, plasma lipoproteins, and the nuclei.  Chemically, there are 9 subtypes of inositol each with distinctive stereoisomers, the most common of which is known as “myo-inositol.”  Within the human body, myo-inositol is synthesized from glucose and accounts for 95% of total free …

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Inositol For Anxiety Disorders: An Effective Treatment?

Inositol (cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol) is a non-essential nutrient synthesized within the body from glucose and is abundant within spinal fluid.  Although inositol exists in the form of 9 distinct stereoisomers, the most abundant format within cellular membranes is myo-inositol, accounting for approximately 95% of free inositol within the body.  Myo-inositol was initially isolated by researchers in 1849, …

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Hydrafinil (Fluorenol): A Modafinil Analogue with Questionable Safety

Hydrafinil (Fluorenol) is an unregulated research chemical originally synthesized by Cephalon Pharmaceuticals (now owned by Teva) as a eugeroic (wakefulness-promoting agent).  After its synthesis, fluorenol was one of several agents to be considered as a hypothetical successor to the popularized and FDA-approved drug, Provigil (Modafinil).  Comparative data from animal trials indicated that fluorenol exhibited ~39% …

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Adrafinil Side Effects & Adverse Reactions (List)

Adrafinil (Olmifon) is a eugeroic agent originally synthesized in the 1970s by chemists at Group Lafon, a pharmaceutical company based in France.  Following its synthesis, researchers discovered that adrafinil induced wakefulness in humans, and by the mid-1980s, it was being marketed as an experimental treatment for narcolepsy.  Though its exact pharmacodynamics aren’t fully elucidated, adrafinil …

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