Honokiol relieves stress without side effects

Honokiol, from Magnolia Bark extract, has a long history of use in traditional Chinese formulas that relieve anxiety without leaving you feeling like you've been drugged.  In a recent study to determine whether honokiol depresses the central nervous Honokiol and magnolol are 1000 times more potent than alpha tocopherol in inhibiting lipid peroxidation system in the same way as diazepam (commonly known as Valium), mice were treated with honokiol and diazepam before running through a maze.

The honokiol group was more relaxed, and finished without any change in motor activity or muscle tone.  On the other hand, the diazepam group exhibited several side effects,
including sleepiness, disrupted learning and memory, muscle relaxation, and withdrawal symptoms. The results suggest that honokiol is less likely than Valium to induce

physical dependence, central nervous system depression and amnesia when given at doses that produce an anti-anxiety effect.5

A similar test found that honokiol significantly prolonged the time the animals spent in a maze, suggesting an antianxiety effect.  Normally, when rodents are placed in a maze, they like to hide and not explore because they get anxious.  These rodents appeared to be more relaxed, and expressed curiosity about their environment. When the animals were given honokiol in various doses over a period of seven days, the effects remained the same: there was no change in motor activity or in the animals' performance. The animals receiving the diazepam (Valium), however, became dependent on the same dose, which hindered their performance.6

So to sum it up, when compared to pharmaceutical drugs such as Valium (diazepam), honokiol appears to be just as effective in its anti-anxiety activity, but without the strong sedative effect. This makes it an appropriate remedy to help relieve the damaging effects of stress, without the tranquilizing side effects of drugs.

Magnolia Bark Extract References