Plants can have wide ranging effects on the brain and behaviour. The results of a number of studies highlighting the potential of plant-based treatments are brought together and were presented at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference in Brighton. Findings include:
• St John’s Wort leads to improvement in both physical and behavioural symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (to be presented by Sarah Canning and Louise Dye, University of Leeds)
• Naturally occurring chemical substances (polyphenols) in chocolate can lead to improved cognitive function (according to research by Crystal Haskell and colleagues from Northumbria University)
• Reservatrol, a polyphenol found in red wine, is linked to changes in blood flow to the brain and improved cognitive functioning (according to research by Emma Wightman and colleagues from Northumbria University)
• Lavender can decrease anxiety amongst adults in an audience watching a scary film (according to Belinda Bradley and colleagues from the University of Central Lancashire)
These results will be presented in a symposium convened by David Kennedy (Northumbria University) entitled ‘Plants and the Brain’, which will explore the evidence supporting the potential benefits to brain function of herbal extracts and naturally occurring substances derived from plants.
Other papers in the symposium provide reviews of research which indicates cognitive benefits of plant substances (such as extracts of sage) for patients suffering from dementia (David Kennedy, Northumbria University and Ed Okello, Newcastle University).
Commenting on the findings David Kennedy says: “Many prescribed drugs were originally derived directly from plants, and we’re used to the notion that chemicals from plants, in the form of most social drugs, can affect the functioning of our brains. The results presented in the symposium show that medicinal herbal extracts and plant-derived chemical compounds from common foodstuffs can also improve cognitive performance and mood.”
Source: The British Psychological Society
