Natural Approaches for Mood Support

Mood health is usually a result of multiple factors and stressors which weave a web that ultimately affects physiology and brain function.

Directly , and physical factors which include sleep issues, digestive health, hormonal balances, healthy inflammation balance, food intake,diet quality, nutrient deficiencies, exercise levels, and healthy blood-sugar balance can either contribute to or help to resolve stress, when managed appropriately.

Additionally, overall health, mitochondrial function, genetic predisposition, epigenetic influences, environmental toxicity, healthy neurotransmitter balances, and more are also considered as factors of.

Appropriately addressing these many factors begins with listening to a person’s unique story and circumstances. Testing can then help assess nutrient status, healthy blood-sugar metabolism, healthy inflammation balance, hormones, toxic exposures, genetic predispositions, and neurotransmitter balances.

Once you’ve compiled all of that data, you can create a practical plan for your patient that addresses the following eight key areas of health.

Assure proper sleep. Sleep is a foundation for restoring brain and nervous-system balance. Sleep is also the time the brain and body can detoxify, balance inflammation, and build mitochondria.
Reduce stress and promote relaxation rituals. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help patients change stressful thought patterns that tend to recur. Meditation, yoga, tai chi, reiki, and other stress-management techniques help the conscious mind send signals to the primitive brain to calm and re-engage. Your patients will usually migrate toward one practice or another. Routine massage or acupuncture can further promote a sense of calm and relaxation.
Exercise appropriately. Exercise will help with your patient’s digestive function, reduce stress hormones, and improve sleep. However, excessive exercise can sometimes contribute to endocrine dysfunction and nutrient loss.
Consume healthy foods and water. An anti-inflammatory, Mediterranean-style diet that’s low in sugar, higher in protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats is a good place to start. Once you get to know your patient and his or her particular sensitivities, then an individualized diet plan may be more suitable. For many patients, removing gluten from their diet can improve mood outcomes. Meanwhile, proper hydration supports nervous-system function.
Check in on toxins. Exposure to mold, mercury, lead, arsenic, aluminum, and chemicals may catalyze or complicate mood issues. Epstein-Barr virus, Lyme disease, and many other infections can also create challenging environments for optimal nervous-system function.
Spend time in nature. Nature heals. Sunlight increases vitamin D and supports healthy serotonin levels. Fresh clean air provides more oxygen. It helps the lungs detoxify and helps the immune system. It has been noted that the essential oils in the air which are emitted from the trees and plants in fields and forests also have benefits.
Supplement as needed. While there’s usually no single supplement that can address all the factors that lead to mood concerns, an approach that synergistically addresses overall health and physiologic balances may yield the best results. Supplements may be used to support , motivation, concentration and .

Given the known impact of nutrition on mood it’s not surprising that the best place to start is with healthy diet, and some basic but important nutrition foundations may provide additional support:

A with active folate and other B vitamins. Patients with MTHFR gene mutation do not activate folate properly, which can lead to deficiency with mood effects.
Adequate support. Clinical guidelines from recommend omega 3 to help support healthy mood
Adequate status

Supplements that Support Healthy Mood

It makes it easier to think about as falling into two major categories – nutrients and botanicals. Although there is a lot of crossover, in general we can think of nutrients as the vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other essentials found in foods that provide the necessary building blocks for healthy physiological structures. And we can think of botanicals as “the caretakers” that help ensure the structures begin and continue to function properly. Botanicals contain phytochemicals that may support healthy normal function of our physiological structures. And that includes the brain, hormones and neurotransmitters.

Nutrients

Research has shown that regardless of the season, the level of serotonin in the brain is affected by the amount of sunlight on any given day. In addition, inadequate exposure to sunlight affects our. Both low serotonin and low vitamin D status can affect mood and many people find their mood changes with the seasons, due to the diminished amount of light available as winter progresses.

Vitamin D3 deficiency is associated with low mood, along with muscle aches, back pain and fatigue, which is why supplementation during the winter months is so important for all those at risk for deficiency due to lack of exposure to sunlight. supplementation has been shown to support healthy mood, and should be included in any foundational nutrition program for mood support.

There is research evidence that low levels of Omega 3s in our diet may be an underlying cause for an increase in brain and mood health concerns. is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which play a very important role in both brain structure and function. Omega-3 supports neurotransmitter synthesis and healthy pathways. It also supports health in the brain by improving the fluidity of the cellular membranes as well as supporting healthy inflammatory balance.

(5-HTP) is a metabolite of L-tryptophan and an immediate precursor to serotonin, which your body then changes into serotonin. It may support healthy mood by supporting healthy serotonin levels in the brain. Believe it or not, 5-HTP was studied for its clinical effectiveness way back in the 1970s. While simply supporting serotonin production works really well for many people, finding the right dosage is important because everyone is different. 5-HTP should not be used by those taking antidepressant medication.

is a unique amino acid found in green tea, known to support calm and focus, as well as supporting attention and concentration. You’ll see it in many mood and stress formulas.

L-theanine is absorbed in the small intestine via a sodium-coupled active transport process that allows it to cross the blood-brain barrier fairly quickly. Because of this, in most cases it can have an effect in about 30 minutes after ingestion. Research involving human electroencephalograph (EEG) results demonstrate that L-theanine may significantly increase alpha wave activity in the brain, which explains its calming effects. L-theanine binds to glutamate receptors that then block the binding of L-glutamic acid to glutamate receptors in cortical neurons which contributes to the calming effect. Some research also shows that L-theanine may support gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), serotonin and dopamine concentrations in the brain.

In addition to helping increase alpha waves in the brain, L-theanine also simultaneously helps decrease beta brain waves. Beta waves are associated with an excited state of mind. By influencing both alpha and beta brain waves, L-theanine has the ability to support a state of mental relaxation and calm, without drowsiness. L-theanine can be useful for those seeking to break the cycle of “monkey mind” and repetitive stressful thoughts. It can also be helpful in the evening when calm and relaxation are needed in preparation for restful sleep. There have been a few studies indicating that L-theanine can help support sound sleep.

Botanicals

has a long history of traditional use for mood support and is frequently used in Germany by medical doctors. A lot of independent research and clinical studies have verified it’s value and is still often the first choice for mood support for many patients.

Lavender, long known for its relaxing properties, has been used historically to, stress management, and mood. Again, recent research has verified the value of a relatively newer form of standardized extract (SLO) for oral use for mood and stress support.

A 2017 review published in The Mental Health Clinician journal evaluated several double blind and randomized controlled trials using SLO in a variety of populations. The researchers concluded that the SLO product provides stress and mood support without sedation, as well as a lack of dependence, tolerance, or withdrawal. According to a 2017 review published in Frontiers of Pharmacology regarding SLO mechanisms of action, researchers found that the compounds in lavender essential oil have affinity for the glutamate NMDA-receptor and are also able to bind to the serotonin transporter (SERT). The researchers conclude that the active health-supporting properties of lavender oil come from effects on the NMDA-receptor and inhibition of SERT.

Saffron is another herb recently evaluated in several human clinical trials for its role in mood support. A 2013 meta-analysis, published in the Journal of Integrative Medicine, identified five randomized, controlled trials of saffron in adults. The meta-analysis reported a greater effect for saffron for supporting mood when compared with placebo control.

Saffron contains more than 150 volatile and nonvolatile compounds—three of which are well described. Saffron’s golden-yellow color is due to a carotenoid called crocin. Its bitter taste is attributed to picrocrocin, and its characteristic fragrance is attributed to safranal. These compounds have also been shown to support healthy levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. And crocin has been found to support healthy corticosterone balance in stressed mice by blocking receptors in the adrenal cortex. Further research is needed to confirm whether saffron directly influences antioxidant status, neurotransmitter levels, or adrenal function in humans.