Top 10 Nutrients that Lift Your Mood: Supplements That Work

by Evelyn Montgomery Feb 13, 20220 comments

10 Nutrients that Lift Your Mood

I think we all accept that nutrients can help keep us well. We need them for our bodies to function properly. Lack of vitamins has been linked over hundreds of years to many physical illnesses.

For instance the latest research in 2020 found that Vitamin D3 helps to support our immune systems [16].

Your brain is just another organ of your body so it follows that nutrients also have an impact on how well your brain functions.

Poor brain functioning impacts your mental health.

Did you know that for your brain to work at an optimal level it needs a constant supply of 30 nutrients - 15 vitamins and 15 minerals?

When your body and brain start running low on certain indispensable nutrients – energy, neurotransmitters, and essential hormones levels start to fall and your mood and thoughts are negatively impacted.

You start to struggle with your mental health.

There are certain things that can be clues that your nutrient reserves are running low and that your brain functioning is impaired:

depression

exhaustion

sensitivity to stress

poor sleep

anxiety

low physical and mental stamina

irritability

cognitive decline

learning difficulties

memory problems

A simple nutrient boost can truly turn your life around.

I thought it would be useful to write about the nutrients that can naturally improve your brain health and lift your mood.

One of the most powerful ways to boost your mood is to boost your levels of serotonin.

Serotonin lifts your mood

There are many researchers who believe that an imbalance in serotonin levels may influence mood in a way that leads to depression.

Possible problems include:

low brain cell production of serotonin,

a lack of receptor sites able to receive the serotonin that is made,

inability of serotonin to reach the receptor sites,

or a shortage in tryptophan and B vitamins, the chemicals from which serotonin is made.

If any of these biochemical glitches occur, researchers believe it can lead to depression, as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, panic, and even excess anger.

Would you like something to naturally boost your serotonin levels?

Are you struggling with low mood, depression and low energy levels would like something natural to help?

Are you feeling flat and numb and would like something to bring back the joy in your life?

Then it may be that you are low in serotonin and it makes sense to try to lift your mood by increasing the amount of serotonin ingredients in your body.

To produce serotonin you need a combination of ingredients that work together to support your brain health to help you feel happier, balanced and recharged [1].

It’s important to balance serotonin with dopamine and other neurotransmitters in your brain for you to feel happier and more energised.

Better mood and mental health starts with the right ingredients for your brain.

So I thought I would put together my Top 10 nutrients:

The Best 10 Nutrients to Lift Your Mood

L-Tryptophan

Helps produce serotonin and melatonin, which have several health benefits including helping to promote better sleep, providing relief from anxiety and depression, providing increased emotional well-being. It alleviates the symptoms of low serotonin which include negativity, depression, seasonal affective disorder, worry, anxiety, obsessive thoughts, and irritability [17].

5 HTP

5 HTP originates from from the seeds of an African plant known as Griffonia simplicifolia. It’s part of the tryptophan pathway and is used in the regulation of mood, appetite, gut function and sleep. It plays an important role in reducing anxiety, stress and depression [35].

L-Tyrosine

Turns into dopamine which helps you feel joyful, energised and motivated [31]. Dopamine also influences serotonin, and together, they play a central role in regulating your mood [19].

L -Glutamine

Is a vital nutrient for the brain helping you to feel calm and relaxed as it reduces anxiety, depression and improves sleep.

DL- Phenylalanine

Helps produce dopamine, reduces brain fog, balances hormones, lifts depression, overall enhances mood, reduces pain and promotes greater feelings of happiness and fulfilment [30].

Vitamin B Complex

Taking B vitamins is crucial to brain health - especially methylated B vitamins.

What is methylation?

Methylated vitamins are the active versions of vitamins which your body can readily make use of, while un-methylated vitamins must go through a conversion process before your body can actually use them.

The problem is that many people are unable to make that conversion in their bodies because they have a genetic mutation that prevents it.

All humans have a gene called the MTHFR gene which is responsible for converting some vitamins into their usable state by the body.

60% of the U.S. and 40% of Australian and British people population have a mutation to this gene.

For all individuals who have the gene abnormality, the absorption of B-complex vitamins is either largely inefficient or lacking altogether.

So those vitamins remain mostly unabsorbed, and can simply build up to the point of toxicity.

Taking methylated B vitamins means that you can absorb them in a body ready form.

Sometimes this is the key that unlocks the optimal functioning of our brains and bodies.

The most important B vitamins are:

Vitamin B9 (Folate acid L-5 MTHF)

B9 is essential in the brain for making neurotransmitters and DNA. Supplementation has been shown to reduce depressive symptoms in people with normal and low folate levels [3]

It also helps with female fertility, reduces inflammation, and helps to balance blood sugar levels.

Vitamin B12 (Methylcobalamin)

Vitamin B12 is crucial for the release of energy, for the production of neurotransmitters and for the normal function of the brain and the nervous system. It is also involved in the formation of red blood cells and helps to create and regulate DNA [15].

The metabolism of every cell in the body depends on vitamin B12. It helps with the release of energy by helping the human body absorb folic acid.

(This is especially important for vegans and vegetarians as the main source of B12 in food is in meat)

Many people who are depressed are deficient in B vitamins, so it’s important take vitamin B12 and folate (especially in the form of L-5 MTHF) at the same time.

They are effective usually within one week of starting to take the supplements, it doesn’t interact with prescription medications and has few side effects compared to antidepressants.

Vitamin D3

(Cholecalciferol)

Vitamin D3 is more effective than vitamin D2 at raising blood levels of Vitamin D.

Some types of vitamin D are not vegan-friendly. Vitamin D2 is always suitable for vegans, but vitamin D3 can be derived from an animal source (such as sheep’s wool) or lichen (a vegan-friendly source).

You can find supplements with vegan friendly D3 which activates genes that regulate the immune system and release neurotransmitters (like dopamine and serotonin) that affect brain function and mental health.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a mood disorder featuring depressive symptoms, may be due to decreasing levels of vitamin D3, which can be helped by taking supplements.

Vitamin D deficiency impairs and prolongs recovery from depression [6]

Magnesium

(Bisglycinate, Citrate, Taurate)

Did you know that there are many types of Magnesium?

Not all magnesium supplements are created equal. Some forms are better for energy, while others are better for mood.

It’s especially to take magnesium to support your brain, your mood, to help you relax, to ease anxiety and to help you sleep better.

Magnesium Citrate is an essential mineral known to play a crucial role in mood and sleep regulation. Studies show this form of magnesium is easier to absorb, promotes mental and muscle relaxation.

Supplements containing magnesium citrate are known for their calming properties. Magnesium Citrate reduces stress, improves focus and helps you feel calm and collected.

Magnesium Bisglycinate has 80% bioavailability, meaning the body can more readily absorb the nutrient which raises your levels quickly. It has a calming effect on your brain due to the presence of glycine.

It can help relieve anxiety and promote better sleep.

It reduces premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms.

Magnesium Taurate helps decrease the risk of depression, improves overall cognitive function, memory, migraines and PMS [33].

It has been shown to help induce calmness during times of high stress or anxiety due to the presence of taurine.

Microbacteria Blend

(Probiotics)

Lactobacillus Acipophilus, Bulgaricus

Bifido Breve, Longum, Infantis

Saccharomyces Boulardii

Psychobiotics are a group of probiotics that improve not only our gut and digestive function but also our brains and moods with antidepressant and anti-stress effects [18]

Did you know that 90% of our serotonin and 50% of our dopamine is made in our gut and not the brain? And that our gut influences our mood, cognition, and mental health.

Stress can lead to changes in both the numbers and types of bacteria. This can have a knock-on effect for mood via the gut-brain communication system known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

Probiotics are not just supplements. Probiotic bacteria actually live in the gut microbiome and have science-backed benefits for mental health.

Species of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus are found in the colon where they exert a positive influence on whole body health including alleviating anxiety, memory, and cognitive symptoms and improves our stress resilience.

There are particular probiotics that have an important role in alleviating negative emotions, improving cognitive function, and also relieving psychological stress.

Omega 3

Healthy brains and nerve cells depend on omega 3s because the nervous system is made mostly of fat. The signals —feelings, thoughts, commands to our bodies—travel along nerve cells where the membranes are about 20 percent fatty acids which seem to be crucial for keeping your brain operating well.

Other top nutrients to lift your mood

It’s hard to reduct the list to only 10 as the brain needs a combination of so many nutrients to work so here’s a few more that I couldn’t ignore:

Vitamin C (Calcium Ascorbate)

Vitamin C deficiency has been linked to depression and anxiety [7] and adding extra Vitamin C has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and low energy levels [8].

It has also been shown to improve thinking and memory.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine HCL)

Thiamine is very important to our brain for energy, positive mood, its powerful anti-stress properties as well as being useful for focus and concentration. Low energy, depression, fatigue, PMS and sleep disorders may be signs of mild deficiency (low levels of B1) which can be corrected with supplements [12]

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin 5’-Phosphate)

Riboflavin helps our brain with energy, mental clarity and a healthy mood through being an important factor in the production of serotonin as part of the tryptophan and Vitamin B3 pathway [13]

Vitamin B3 (Niacin Nicotinamide)

Niacin helps our brain with energy, mental clarity and a healthy mood through being an important factor in the production of serotonin as part of the tryptophan and Vitamin B2 pathway [36].

Vitamin B5 (Calcium Pantothenate)

Vitamin B5, also called pantothenic acid, is one of the most important vitamins for human life. It’s necessary for making blood cells, it helps you convert the food you eat into energy, it enhances memory, it reduces brain fog helping with focus and concentration as part of the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine [14].

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxal 5’-phosphate)

Helps our brain function and the body make the hormones serotonin (which regulates mood) and norepinephrine (which helps your body cope with stress) [32]. Vitamin B6 also helps our body make melatonin, which is important in helping regulate your internal clock and your sleep

Vitamin B7 (Biotin)

Depression and fatigue are symptoms of low Biotin levels [2] and it is one of the vitamins that is indispensable for the normal functioning of the brain. The brain needs biotin to make neurotransmitters that keep you feeling mentally alert, happy and attentive.

L-Carnitine

Improves mental and physical energy, improves brain power, lowers inflammation, boosts circulation, increases mental focus and increases fat burning [28].

DL-Methionine

Has antidepressant effects due to increasing brain levels of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine [37]. It needs vitamin B12 and folate to make serotonin.

Copper (Citrate)

Copper, and keeping it balanced with Zinc (below), stimulates production of the neurotransmitters serotonin, epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine. Low copper level symptoms include panic attacks, insomnia, phobias, migraines, depression and anxiety [34].

Manganese (Citrate)

Required for the normal functioning of your brain and nervous system. Low levels of zinc, copper, and manganese have been linked with depression and anxiety [10]. It’s also important in fertility and collagen production.

Selenium (Methionine)

Studies have shown that selenium improves mood and diminishes anxiety and confusion [4] and lowers the risk of depression [5]. Selenium is also a powerful antioxidant that fights oxidative stress and helps defend your body from chronic conditions.

Has antidepressant effects due to increasing brain levels of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. It needs vitamin B12 and folate to make serotonin. Many people who are depressed are deficient in B vitamins, so it’s important take vitamin B12 and folate (especially in the form of L-5 MTHF) at the same time.

It is effective usually within one week of starting to take the supplements, it doesn’t interact with prescription medications and has few side effects compared to antidepressants.

Zinc (Citrate)

Zinc is very calming and sedating, as it enhances GABA activity in the brain.

Deficiency causes depression and anxiety symptoms, and supplementation has successfully been used as a treatment [9].

It’s also fantastic for your fertility and immune system, fighting off viruses better than vitamin C

It’s pretty amazing how nutrients can help isn’t it?

We all tend to eat the same sorts of foods each week which means that over time we start to miss some crucial nutrients.

It means that we end up with deficiencies and gaps without even realising it.

This has a huge impact on how our bodies and brains work. We adjust and just think that it is our normal. It’s just what we have to put up with.

But this isn’t the case.

You can make a change.

That’s where a high quality supplement can help fix the deficiencies and fill the gaps.

Your health and your life feel transformed.

You have abundant energy and joy comes back into your life.

Is this a choice you are ready to take?

It can seem overwhelming to try to take all these supplements as well as trying to eat well and live a healthy lifestyle.

So many people find that they start taking supplements with all good intentions.

They want to take care of their brain and mental health without having to take medication.

They don’t want to have the side effects of anti-depressants either.

So they try supplements but then have problems taking so many. They end up feeling like they rattle!

It’s expensive too.

So that’s why I designed 360ME - a multi-nutrient range with all the amino acids, vitamins, minerals and probiotics to help you lift your mood all in one place. Just 2 easy to swallow capsules a day.

Happy Me contains the perfect mix to naturally boost your serotonin levels, to lift your mood, ease your anxiety, to help you relax and sleep better.

Happy Me is a pioneering and unique superblend of nutrients to support your mental health especially if you are struggling with depression, low mood, feeling flat and poor sleep.

It is designed to naturally boost your serotonin and dopamine levels and ease your symptoms of depression if you would rather not take an antidepressant.

It's amazing how taking care of your brain health today can change your tomorrow and make up for a whole lot of yesterday.

Take care,

Evelyn

REFERENCES

1 https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/the-role-of-micronutrient-for-depressed-patients-2472-095X-1000116.php?aid=92980

2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4772032/

3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1123448/

4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4884624/

5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4884624/

6 https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-british-journal-of-psychiatry/article/vitamin-d-deficiency-and-depression-in-adults-systematic-review-and-metaanalysis/F4E7DFBE5A7B99C9E6430AF472286860

7 https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-020-02730-w

8 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26353411/