Does Skullcap Work?

Many people may wonder, "Does skullcap work?" Although the dietary supplement is claimed to be effective for many conditions, including anxiety, epilepsy, and insomnia, scientific evidence is lacking to support the effectiveness of these uses. Information about the effectiveness of skullcap is probably from individual testimonies and from traditional or historical uses of skullcap. However, this information is not considered to be reliable scientific evidence.

Skullcap Herb Information

Does Skullcap Work?

Skullcap is an herbal supplement. As with most other supplements, people use skullcap for many different purposes. Skullcap supplements are sometimes claimed to be helpful for the following conditions:

Anxiety
Insomnia
Nervousness or tension
Chorea, a condition involving unusual involuntary body movements
High cholesterol
Epilepsy
Fever
Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis)
Inflammation
Allergies
Muscle spasms
Rabies
Strokes, as well as paralysis caused by strokes.

Skullcap Studies

Skullcap studies are lacking. One study demonstrated that a single dose of skullcap could help healthy people feel more calm and relaxed. This should be interpreted to mean that it also will be effective when used on a daily basis to treat anxiety disorders. There is no reliable scientific evidence to suggest that skullcap is effective for any of the other claimed skullcap uses, either.

Since there is a lack of scientific evidence suggesting that skullcap works for any purpose, people usually rely on information from individual testimonies or traditional or historical uses of skullcap. While such information may be interesting and may serve as a basis for future studies, it is not valuable as reliable scientific evidence.

(Does Skullcap Work? Continued: Page 2)