European Skullcap
Native Americans as well as traditional European herbalists have used European skullcap (Scutellaria laterifolia) to induce sleep, relieve nervousness, and moderate the symptoms of other diseases related to the nervous system. In addition, skullcap functions as an herbal sedative. Placebo-controlled research found that skullcap reduced general anxiety levels in healthy volunteers.64 Additionally, a meta-analysis of skullcap determined that the flavonoids baicalin, baicalein, and aglycone, along with the amino acids GABA and glutamine found in skullcap play a role in its anxiolytic activity. In particular, baicalin and baicalein are known to bind to the benzodiazepine site of the receptors in the brain associated with anxiety.

Kava
Kava (Piper methysticum), has a long history as a remedy for anxiety and has been extensively researched. A study at Jena University in Germany found that use of kava for up to six months was safe and effective. In another study, kava was just as effective as benzodiazepines.75 A review of several studies concluded that kava was one of a number of herbs that "have significant use in psychiatry." Rare cases of interactions have occurred with pharmaceutical drugs that share one or more mechanisms of action with the lactones in kava. For example, kava may cause serious problems if combined with benzodiazepines because they have a similar action in the body. Kava was widely used in Europe as a medical treatment for anxiety until 2002 when in was banned in the U.K. after concerns that it can cause liver toxicity. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is still investigating kava's continued use.78 Because kava has caused liver damage in some people, it should be taken with strict medical supervision.

Passion Flower
Research has shown that passion flower (Passiflora incarnata) has the ability to markedly reduce the symptoms of anxiety disorders. A trial at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran studied 36 individuals with generalized anxiety disorder to compare passion flower with the drug oxazepam, a medication used for anxiety. At the 4-week mark, both treatments proved equally effective. Moreover, passion flower showed a comparative advantage in terms of side effects because oxazepam can cause considerable impairment of job performance. A second follow-up study by the same researches had the same findings; that passion flower was as effective as the drug oxazepam.

References
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