Our mood is mostly, and perhaps entirely shaped by ourselves.
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What we eat (and do not eat), can help or hinder our mood. A positive step with nutrition can lift our spirits and catalyze other positive steps. Some other self- sourced things that influence our mood include how we treat others, how we treat ourselves, and what we say to ourselves in our internal dialogue. Exercise is a major mood influence, as are internal practices like meditation, and our faith and beliefs. Do we have a positive faith and belief? Are there negative attitudes about our abilities, deservability, or others? One author who has helped me tremendously, with her simple and powerful mental self-exercises is Louise L. Hay. I lent a book of hers to a friend, who felt that the work of Luise Hay helped her greatly, as well. Although I like all of her work that I have seen, the book I used the most was 'I can do it', which I know sounds like a kid's book, which reminds me- some of the best books are for
kids. Dr Seuss is still one of my favourite authors. Louise Hay's books are definitely for adults, who are dedicated to or desiring of, their own personal growth.
We can work on and improve the health of our mood, just like we can work on our fitness, or other aspects of our health. The rest of this article will outline powerful nutritional influences and requisites for healthy mood, and brain function.
Mighty B Complex
All of the B complex vitamins are like spark plugs for our brain. We need them to make neurotransmitters, the substances that make communication between our brain cells (neurons), and the whole nervous system possible. A deficiency in any B vitamin can lead to depression, anxiety, irritability, and brain function decline, as well as more severe symptoms, like schizophrenia and seizures (1,2,3,4,5, 6). The B complex vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12; the cofactors choline, inositol, and PABA, and the lesser- known B15 and B17) work together, so supplementing with a complete or nearly complete B complex is a better bet than taking a few of the B’s separately. My favourite B complex is by New Roots herbal, specifically the 100mg dose. I have found it to be the best for myself, and have heard similar feedback from other practitioners.
B’s; How much do we need?
You can easily meet your DRI; daily required intake (formerly RNI; recommended nutrient intake) of B vitamins from a healthy diet. The problem for many is that meeting minimum requirements is not nearly enough to feel their best. Many find that taking an extra 50mg of all the B vitamins (except folic acid, which is limited to 1 mg, legally) is helpful for their mood and energy. Some people notice more benefit by taking 100 to 300mg of B’s. Trying different doses is one way to see how much you need for optimum effect. Dr. Abram Hoffer, was one of a few orthomolecular practitioners who helped many people in his practice with ‘untreatable’ mental conditions make full recoveries using grams of certain B vitamins. Orthomolecular therapy was named and first described by the late Dr. Linus Pauling, who led the modern idea of using the right natural substances, in the right quantity, for a particular condition, even if it means using very large doses of certain vitamins. Other forward thinking psychiatrists have also had impressive treating patients with orthomolecular therapy, often involving large doses of B vitamins, when appropriate to the case.
Rich food sources of B vitamins are dark meats, organ meats, raw nuts and seeds, and dark vegetables, as well as food supplements like spirulina, and other algae. Whole grains are a lesser source, but significant if eaten in quantity and unprocessed (not flaked, puffed, or refined).
Zinc and magnesium are also crucial for optimum brain function (7,8, 9).
Magnesium
Magnesium is the premiere anti stress mineral. Physical and mental stress deplete our levels of magnesium (10, 11, 12). Low levels contribute to anxiety, while supplementation can calm it (13,7, 8). Signs of severely depleted magnesium in the body are muscular cramps, excessive menstrual cramps, and heart arrhythmias (palpitations and racing).(13. 14).
Omega 3 Fats
Your brain is mostly water, by weight, so being well hydrated is key for good brain health. Omega 3 fats are second only to water in the make up of the brain. We need to get all of our omega 3 fats from our diet or supplements, since our bodies cannot make them. The most powerfully beneficial, researched omega 3 fats for brain function are EPA and DHA.
Dietary or supplemental omega 3 fats help alleviate depression, anxiety, PMS, and other mental symptoms. (15,16, 17, 18).
Getting your Omega’s
Eating fish two to four times per week provides a good amount of omega3 fats. To ensure that you are not dining on excessive levels of contaminants, choose wild caught fish. Many fish, like mackerel, sardines, herring, and anchovies, are always wild caught.
Supplementing with 2-4 grams per day of (wild) fish oil provides a good amount of DHA and EPA Omega 3 fats. I often recommend a liquid by Ascenta, called NutraSea, the original version. It actually does not have much fish taste at all (I know- I didn't believe it either, until I tried it).
Flax oil and Hemp oil provide LNA, a less potent, less researched omega 3 fat. These plant oils are definitely beneficial; they just are not as potent or proven in supporting mood and general brain health. They do provide benefits like improved fat metabolism and circulation, and reduced inflammation and blood clotting, as do the fish oils.
The Thinking Brain
Neurotransmitters are what brain cells use to ‘talk’ to each other, and optimum levels of neurotransmitters mean optimum mood and outlook.
Serotonin is one neurotransmitter that many have heard of. There are others like dopamine, GABA, and endorphins which are at least as important.
Low levels of neurotransmitters (NT’s) means low mood, libido and focus.
The good news is that you can safely raise NT levels safely and effectively with nutritional supplements from your health store.
St. John’s wort raises Serotonin, as does 5 HTP (5-hydroxy tryptophan). They are both tend to help mood and reduce anxiety. 5 HTP also tends to lower people’s carbohydrate cravings.
Dopamine is important for mood and libido, or sex drive (19, 20).
L-Tyrosine boosts dopamine levels, as well as thyroid hormone levels, which can cause depression if they are low.
Some people with depression have had good results increasing their serotonin and dopamine levels, taking both St. John’s wort and L-tyrosine.
Ginkgo (the Kroeger brand of Ginkgo is great!) is a very valuable herb to help restore receptor receptivity to both serotonin and dopamin. It is a good brain antioxidant, and general tonic that has been helpful for depression by some first hand accounts, even taken alone.
GABA
This amino acid metabolite, available as a supplement, is actually a neurotransmitter. It is calming, and supplementation raises Growth Hormone levels, a welcome side effect for those of us over 30 (21).
DETOX
I said it before, and it totally applies here- detox is everything! Every time I do any sort of detoxification, I feel happier, calmer, and more energetic. More alive! So do it. Check out the detox pages on my site, and start with the easy stuff first if you like- just actually do it! You will be glad you did.
In closing, let us remember that depression is not ever due to a deficiency of Prozac. Or Paxil, or Zoloft or any designer drug of the hour. A deficiency of one of many nutrients can cause depression, partly by affecting natural levels of neurotransmitters. Also- check your attitude, beliefs, mental habits. Meditation, Tai-Chi, Yoga, Falun Dafa, and "working on yourself", with the help of others or groups are some ways to check out, possibly balance, and raise self-awareness about what we are doing to ourselves, with our thoughts.
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