Life is filled with emotional highs and lows, from joyful moments to stressful moments when every situation can trigger anger or sadness, and sometimes even depression.
If you’re going through an incredibly difficult time in your life, a mood boosting supplement may aid in easing the burden.
The best mood boosting supplements improve your feelings and thoughts in several different ways, from increasing your production of mood-enhancing chemicals , to improving your mental function and performance.
Although these supplements shouldn’t be thought of as treatments for mental health conditions such as major depression or anxieties, it is true that they can serve as an important part of your personal arsenal of tools for maintaining your mental health.
Below, we’ve covered what mood boosting supplements and vitamins can do, and the ways they can improve your feelings, thoughts and mood.
We’ve also listed some of the best supplements for boosting your mood and making progress in life when the odds seem to be stacked against you.
Mood boosters are prescription items that are intended to boost your mood and thoughts, as well as certain aspects of your general cognitive functioning. They’re often referred to as “brain supplements” as well as “mood supplements.”
A majority of the supplements that help improve your mood and emotions contain vitamins, minerals, nutrients as well as herbal ingredients.
Before we dive into the specifics of mood-enhancing supplements and other health supplements for the brain, it’s important to get this one point out from the equation. These supplements don’t constitute medication and aren’t intended to treat mental health issues.
This means that should you be diagnosed with a mental health condition, you shouldn’t use the mood-boosting supplements to substitute for your medication, or for proven mental health treatments like psychotherapy.
Instead, it’s best to look at natural supplements for your mood as tools that may help to keep you in a positive, steady well-being in everyday life.
It’s equally important to know that the science behind the various nutrient supplements may not be perfect, and we’re working on understanding what these substances might work to aid your mental well-being.
Simply put, mood-boosting supplements are optional extras that might assist you in feeling better, but they are not “cure-alls” to treat issues such as anxiety or depression.
How do Mood Supplements for Mood Boosting Work?
So, how can these supplements really work? Over the years, scientists have looked at a wide range of substances to see if they have beneficial effects on mood and the quality of life, with numerous intriguing discoveries made along the way.
The majority of ingredients in mood-boosting supplements seem to improve your body’s ability to produce neurotransmitters. These are chemical compounds involved in controlling your feelings and thoughts.
Two neurotransmitters that frequently pop in the research are dopamine and serotonin. The first of these neurotransmitters, serotonin, is thought to reduce your levels of happiness, anxiety, focus and general emotional stability.
The low levels of serotonin are associated with certain mood disorders, like clinical depression and anxiety.
Dopamine is, in contrast is the main component of the mental processes of learning and reward, as well as memory. It’s also known as a “feel positive” chemical which is responsible for managing your emotions, directing your attention and providing motivation to continue with tasks.
Many mood boosting supplements work — or, at least claim to work — by increasing your levels of one or both of these neurotransmitters.
Others help to improve your overall health of your brain. Some examples include: many supplements for improving your mood include omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins , and other components which are associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment.
Overall, mood boosting supplements adhere to the common “rule” of dietary supplements which is that the active ingredients are greater over the name brand.
We’ve identified specific ingredients that you should be looking for rather than brand-name pills, drinks and other items which claim to help you feel more relaxed, boost your energy levels and deal with issues such as depressive symptoms.
The Best Mood Boosting Supplements & Vitamins
There is no “best” supplement for mood for everyone, research suggests that some of the most popular ingredients in supplements could have benefits for the levels of serotonin in your body, moods , and overall mental wellbeing.
We’ve listed them below and have included scientific studies to back up each ingredient’s potential mood-enhancing effects.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a vital nutrient is utilized by your body for everything from maintaining strong and healthy bones to reducing inflammation, managing cell growth and metabolizing glucose.
Studies have suggested that the absence of vitamin D could play a part in depression symptoms. For instance, a review released in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine in 2020 concluded that serum D levels are not associated with the likelihood of a person developing depression.
The majority the vitamin D it needs from sunlight and dietary sources such as fish, mushrooms as well as fortified cereals, milk and milk.
There is evidence that vitamin D supplements may help to boost moods of people suffering from depression. In a meta-analysis of 4 research studies, the researchers discovered that people who used vitamin D supplements had improvements in their ratings of depression symptoms.
But, they cautioned that these findings should be considered tentative, as the number of studies on depression and vitamin D is limited at present, while the standard of research uneven.
B Vitamins
The B vitamins are a group of vitamins that play critical role in maintaining your health which includes allowing your body to form red blood cells , and generate fuel from nutrients found in foods.
Many B vitamin are associated with improvements in the brain’s function and mood. In a recent review by the Journal of Nutrients Researchers have linked to B vitamin folate (vitamin B9) B6, B6 or B12 to neurotransmitter production or general healthy brain function.
A few studies suggest that supplementing B vitamins could help reduce the severity of depression symptoms among people taking antidepressants.
For instance in a controlled, randomized trial that was published in The Open Neurology Journal in 2013 revealed that people suffering from depression with low regular vitamin B12 levels who received a vitamin B12 treatment along with antidepressants showed larger improvements over their peers.
However, this doesn’t mean that B vitamins can treat depression symptoms if they’re taken without medication.
As vitamin D is, many B vitamins can be found in food items, including leafy greens and protein sources like poultry, red meat, fish, as well as dairy products. Many multivitamin supplements also have B vitamins.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are naturally-occurring fats that are present in certain food items, such as fatty fish, plant-based cooking oils, as well as some seeds and nuts. They’re also widely available as supplements, and are also found in fish oil capsules.
Although omega-3 supplements are mostly appreciated for their benefits to heart health, some research suggests that omega-3 acids could also play a key role in providing protection against some mood disorders.
For example, research has identified that deficiencies in some omega-3 acids are a contributing to the development of mood disorders and that supplementation with omega-3s could be beneficial in treating depression in certain types.
However, since doses or study designs and omega-3 ratios differ between studies and researchers are still trying to figure out exactly how omega-3 fatty acids might be incorporated into treating depression or other mood disorders.
Creatine
If you’ve heard about creatine before you’re likely to associate it with better performance in exercise and increased muscle mass.
While creatine is best known as a supplement to fitness However, there’s some research-based evidence suggesting that it could aid in boosting spirits and improve mental clarity.
For example, research has revealed that creatine has antidepressant effects.Other research has found that taking creatine orally may improve short-term memory and different aspects of cognitive performance.
But the precise relationship between creatine and potential improvements in mood isn’t known.
St. John’s Wort
Hypericum perforatum, or St. John’s wort, is a flowering plant utilized as an ingredient in traditional European medicine for hundreds of years. It’s widely advertised as a supplement for boosting mental health and treating light forms of depression.
While the evidence isn’t unanimous regarding St. John’s wort overall however, some studies have proven that it is beneficial for people with mild to moderate depression. However, the scope of these studies is a bit limited and it’s not clear what the duration of these benefits could last.
One thing to be aware of about St. John’s wort is that it can potentially interfere with medications, including the most commonly prescribed antidepressants. Some of these interactions could cause serious and potentially life-threatening health problems.
It’s important to talk to your physician prior to using St. John’s wort to boost your mood, particularly when you are taking any other medication for anxiety or depression.
NAC (N-Acetylcysteine)
N-acetylcysteine, or NAC, is an amino acid that’s offered as a nutritional supplement. It’s a treatment for various health conditions such as acetaminophen-related overdoses and chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD).
Experts have studied the effects of NAC and mental well-being for decades with promising results for mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and substance abuse disorders.
There is also evidence to suggest that NAC might be beneficial to people with mood disorder such as bipolar disorder however the results differ from study to study.
Currently, experts believe that more research is necessary in order to examine the effectiveness of NAC as a enhancer of mood.
Zinc
Zinc is a vital mineral your body requires to support a myriad of processes, including promoting optimal brain health and metabolic processes in the cells. It’s in numerous different foods, including oysters crab, and red meat.
Over time, researchers have studied a possible connection between zinc and the signs of depression, with intervention studies demonstrating that supplementation with zinc can boost positive mood among people suffering from depressive conditions.
Despite this, the potential mechanisms that link zinc to mood regulation aren’t totally clear and studies are ongoing into zinc’s potential effectiveness as a remedy for low moods.
Magnesium
Magnesium is another essential mineral. It’s actually required to support more than 300 functions inside your body, such as helping to boost the immune system, helping you maintain a steady heart rate and supporting normal nerve function.
Studies have linked magnesium to brain regions within the limbic system. This is the part of your brain that’s responsible for regulating emotions. There’s also a link between magnesium deficiency as well as the signs of depression.
Although the results of research are not entirely positive However, some studies have found that magnesium may help improve mood and treat depression.
Magnesium is found in many of the foods we eat like nuts, fruits and milk, whole grains such as peas and soya products. It’s also an ingredient commonly found used in minerals supplements.
What to Do If You Find It Hard to Feel Happy
If you’re feeling tired and stressed or unhappy, adding one of the supplements above to your daily routine can assist in promoting better moods and improve your mental health.
If you’re experiencing the symptoms of depression that are common in women, such as constant negative mood, a decrease in interest in your hobbies and relationships, or even thoughts of suicide, it’s important to seek help from a licensed mental health provider.
For help, try consulting your primary care doctor for a referral to a mental health specialist to a mental health professional within your region or connecting with an approved provider online using our services for mental health, such as our online psychiatry support.
If you have a depressive disorder, your doctor might suggest taking medication, participating in therapy, or a mix of methods to treat your symptoms and help you to feel better.
If you are currently using supplements to boost your mood, be sure to inform your healthcare physician prior to using any type of medication for depression since certain mood supplements can create or cause adverse effects and/or drug interactions.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of severe depression and need urgent help, you can use the services on our list of mental health crisis and crisis hotlines to seek professional treatment right away.
The Bottom Line on Mood Boosting Supplements
The most effective mood-boosting supplements can aid in stabilizing your mood, decrease the intensity of anxiety and depression symptoms as well as provide additional positive effects. Other products, like our Mood mental health probiotic can aid in improving healthful digestion and well-being.
We have an article on the use of probiotics in treating anxiety and depression here for those who want to know more about it.
The benefits of these supplements can make right mood boosting supplements valuable elements of your daily routine, particularly if going through a tough time in life.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that mood boosting supplements aren’t drugs that are approved as treatments for anxiety or depression.
If you suspect that you could be depressed or affected by other mental health disorders, it’s important to get professional assistance. You can seek help through a conversation with your primary care provider or from home using our online services for mental health.
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