Best Supplements for Mood

We all struggle with our emotions from time to time. Some days our energy is low, our mood feels off, and we can’t seem to escape the negative feelings that are affecting us. Some of us may also struggle with more serious mood disorders like anxiety, depression, chronic stress, and others.

 

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), nearly 10% of all adults will experience a mood disorder in a given year.

 

Our mental and emotional health depends on many factors—our mindset and attitude, our way of thinking, our self-talk, our social relationships, our level of exercise, our quality of sleep, as well as our diet and nutrition.

 

Addressing all of these factors together provides a holistic way to approach improving your mental health, and can help you find out where you may need to focus more of your attention on.

 

Have you been getting enough sleep or has your sleeping schedule been erratic? Have you been eating nutritious meals or lots of snacks and junk food? Have you been exercising regularly or not at all? Do you have healthy social relationships? Do you take time to do things that you enjoy? Have you spent much time outside in nature?

 

All of these are important things to consider if you are struggling with mental and emotional health. Another helpful tool can be to utilize certain supplements known to support mental health.

 

Different supplements work in different ways, but many mood-enhancing supplements work by supporting the production of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a role in how we feel pleasure. It is also associated with cognition, motivation, memory, sleep regulation, attention, and decision making.

 

Your nervous system typically regulates the production of dopamine, but there are certain factors and conditions that can cause dopamine levels to drop significantly. Thus can lead to mood imbalances, loss of pleasure, and a lack of motivation.

 

In this article, we’ll discuss the best supplements for mood.

 

1. Probiotics

 

Gut health is at the root of your health—both physical and mental. Within the gut, numerous hormones are produced. About 50% of dopamine is produced in gastrointestinal tract by enteric neurons and intestinal epithelial cells. While gut bacteria manufacture about 95 percent of the body's supply of serotonin—which is the key hormone that stabilizes our mood, feelings of well-being, and happiness.

 

This is why having a healthy gut is key to having a healthy mind and a stable mood.

 

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that play many important roles in our health. They not only support digestive and immune health, but also play an essential role in hormone production and mood regulation.

 

Poor gut health, harmful bacteria, and a lack of beneficial bacteria have been shown to decrease dopamine production. Probiotics, however, have the ability to increase dopamine production, as well as serotonin production, which may have a powerful effect on your mood.

 

Many people have poor gut health due to dietary and lifestyle factors like eating junk food, processed foods, foods grown with pesticides, foods containing added chemicals, alcohol, cigarette smoke, high stress levels, and more.

 

Restoring balance to your gut starts with recolonizing your gut microbiome with beneficial bacteria. Once your gut is balanced, it will have a huge effect on your mood. This is why a good quality multi-strain probiotic complex is one of the best supplements for mood and anxiety.

 

 

2. Mucuna

 

 

Mucuna pruriens is a type of tropical bean native to parts of Asia and Africa. It has commonly been used in Ayurvedic medicine for various nervous system and mood disorder. Mucuna also goes by the names of monkey tamarind, velvet bean, Bengal velvet bean, and Florida velvet bean.

 

Mucuna pruriens contains a unique amino acid called levodopa (L-dopa), which is needed for your brain to produce dopamine. Research on Mucuna pruriens in humans has shown that it helps to boost dopamine levels, which suggests that it may help with certain mood disorders.

 

The unique ability that Mucuna has to enhance dopamine production makes it one of the best supplements for mood support.

 

3. L-Theanine

 

 

L-theanine is a unique amino acid found in the green tea plant. Just as adrenaline causes the release of cortisol, L-theanine acts as the precursor to dopamine in your brain. Dopamine is the second largest brain chemical, and plays a key role by preventing your brain from accessing adrenaline. Since the brain is unable to access adrenaline, cortisol release is restricted.

Not only does L-theanine prevent the body from elevating cortisol, but it rewards you by stimulating relaxing alpha waves in your brain. This allows your brain to focus, prioritize thoughts, improve concentration, and increase learning ability while you’re awake.

At night, L-theanine helps your brain shut down, and allows you to get a better night’s sleep instead of racking your brain with a slew of problems. Although L-theanine can’t repair its effects, the amino acid can also help alleviate anxiety and stress from adrenal exhaust.

 

4. Brain Flow

 

 

Our Zuma Nutrition Brain Flow Tonic is a unique herbal nootropic supplement that may provide many benefits to cognitive health—including mood. Ginkgo biloba, one of the primary herbs in this formula, is a plant native to China that has been used for centuries to improve mood, memory, focus, and mental clarity.

 

Studies on mice have found that supplementing with Ginkgo biloba helps to increase dopamine levels. Ginkgo biloba also has powerful antioxidant properties. Additional studies have shown that these properties help to increase dopamine production by reducing oxidative stress caused by free radicals.

 

Neurotransmitters are often referred to as the body's chemical messengers. They are the molecules used by the nervous system to transmit messages between neurons, or from neurons to muscles. A neurotransmitter imbalance may play a role in mood disorders. Our Brain Flow formula helps to balance neurotransmitters in the brain, resulting in more efficient transmission between neurons, and more mental clarity and focus as well.

 

Hormonal imbalances also play a significant role in mood disorders. Ashwagandha, another key ingredient in this formula, has a long history of use for balancing the endocrine glands and the health of the body’s hormones.

 

5. Happy Hormones

 

 

Hormonal imbalances are increasingly common among women today, as exposure to hormone disrupting chemicals increases. Chemicals in plastic, pesticides in food, heavy metals, environmental pollutants and other toxins—all of these affect hormones and have a detrimental impact on the endocrine system.

Hormones are the chemical messengers of the body. They travel through your bloodstream to different tissues and organs, delivering messages that tell the organs what to do and when to do it.

A hormonal imbalance occurs when you have too much or too little of a certain hormone in the bloodstream. Even small changes in hormones can have serious effects throughout your entire body.

 

Hormones play an essential role in your mood and feelings of well-being. A hormonal imbalance can cause you to feel more easily irritated and subject to unstable mood swings.

 

Our Zuma Nutrition Happy Hormones Tonic contains a synergistic blend of medicinal herbs designed to support women’s hormonal health and to help restore balance to the endocrine system. This is why we recommend this as one of the best supplements for mood swings.

 

6. Curcumin

 

 

Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric. While it is commonly associated with its powerful anti-inflammatory properties, it also increases the release of dopamine. Studies on curcumin show that it actually boosts dopamine and serotonin production.

 

Curcumin is one of the most researched herbal compounds, and numerous studies have demonstrated that it has the ability to enhance mood by increasing dopamine and serotonin release. It also lowers inflammation and helps protect the body from damage caused by oxidative stress, which may further support dopamine production.

 

7. Magnesium

 

Magnesium plays an essential role in keeping your body and mind healthy. Research on magnesium suggests that magnesium deficiency may contribute to decreased dopamine levels and an increased risk of depression.

 

Furthermore, one study showed that supplementing with magnesium boosted dopamine levels and produced antidepressant effects in mice.

 

Many people struggle with magnesium deficiency, so supplementing with a good quality magnesium supplement is often recommended, not just for boosting mood, but more many other essential roles that magnesium plays in the body.

 

8. Shilajit

 

 

Shilajit is a rare mineral-rich mixture of organic compounds found primarily in the Himalayan mountains. This compound has developed over centuries from the slow decomposition of plants. Shilajit is commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine where it is considered a heal-all and is known as “the destroyer of weakness.”

The 84 organic minerals in shilajit are carbon-bonded, making them extremely bioavailable and easily absorbed by the body. Because of this, shilajit is one of the best ways to naturally boost mineral levels and replenish mineral deficiencies.

Shilajit is also rich in fulvic and humic acids, substances produced by microorganisms in soil that chemically bind to toxins in the body, and help to enhance immune system health. Additionally, shilajit is high in dibenzo-a-pyrones, which have strong antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

 

Research on shilajit shows that it may also help to enhance testosterone production in men. Shilajit is a nutritional powerhouse, and the many nutrients that shilajit offers can reverse mineral and nutrient deficiencies, making it one of the best supplements for energy and mood.

 

9. Zinc

 

 

Zinc is an essential mineral that is vital for immune system function. It helps your body fight off invading bacteria and viruses and also plays an important role in making proteins and DNA, the genetic material inside all your cells. As an antioxidant, zinc is important for healthy aging and supports the body's ability to repair everyday "wear and tear" on DNA caused by environmental factors such as harmful toxins, free radicals, poor diet, alcohol, and stress.

 

Interestingly, zinc has been shown to be useful for certain mood disorders, especially for people struggling with mood disorders. Many Americans suffer from low zinc levels. One of the signs of zinc deficiency is mood swings. Because of this, new research suggests that low zinc levels can be linked to a decreased mood.

 

 

Summary

 

Mental and emotional health is important, and we all need to take proactive measures to protect ourselves and keep ourselves feeling well. We all struggle with our emotions from time to time, but knowing what influences your mood—what negatively impacts it and what positively impacts it—can empower you to make confident decisions that are in your best interest.

 

Our mental and emotional health depends on many factors—our mindset and attitude, our way of thinking, our self-talk, our social relationships, our level of exercise, our quality of sleep, as well as our diet and nutrition. It is important to address all of these factors when struggling with your mood.

 

Supplements may also offer great mood support due to the unique properties they provide. Just be sure that you don’t neglect the other basics of self-care. When approached holistically in this way, a good self-care routine with additional supplements can be the perfect combo for stabilizing your mood and optimizing your well-being.

 

 

 

 

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