Feeling Better With Nutrition – Natural Mood Enhancers

With the development of the 24/7, always on culture, stress has become one of the biggest problems in western society.

People are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the demands they face in their everyday lives, but find it equally difficult to manage the time to fit in the things that would help: good diet, regular exercise, maybe even meditation or yoga.

There are some natural supplements that may help deal with stress, anxiety and low mood without the potential side effects of pharmaceutical antidepressants.

Here are just three worth considering.

St John’s Wort

St John’s Wort is a traditional herbal remedy. The name actually refers to any plant species within the Hypericum genus, which has been prescribed for depression since Ancient Greek times.

It is probably the best known natural remedy for anxiety and depression and is used by many as a natural alternative to mainstream, pharmaceutical antidepressants without the side effects.

Some studies into the effectiveness of St John’s Wort have found positive results, but as ever, it all comes down to personal experience.

Theanine

Theanine is an amino acid that occurs naturally in the body and is primarily thought to help combat stress and anxiety by aiding in the production of the neurotransmitter GABA and alpha waves – both of which may help produce feelings of calm.

It is found especially in green tea, but as green tea consumption is generally low outside of Japan it is consumed by many as a supplement.

Studies have shown that Theanine is less effective for combating immediate anxiety, rather, it should be used in already unstressed people to induce (and/or prolong) feelings of tranquillity that may help better deal with upcoming stressful situations.

5HTP

5HTP is the abbreviation for 5-Hydroxytryptophan, another naturally occurring brain chemical. It is the intermediate stage between tryptophan and serotonin.

Serotonin is widely known as integral to producing and maintaining good mood, and the opposite is just as true – serotonin deficiency can lead to depression and insomnia.

There is evidence that high stress levels impede serotonin production, and that this may be because the body finds it difficult to produce 5HTP from tryptophan in such situations.

Therefore, ingesting 5HTP as a supplement bypasses this impass in order to aid serotonin production, making 5HTP a potential anti-depressant.

None of these supplements are guaranteed to help you cope with stress, anxiety and depression, but they are all considered safe, and as such, are worth trying to see if they can help you.