Natural Mental Health Supplements

Many people who suffer from sadness and anxiety turn to natural mental health supplements for mental well-being. The best natural mental health supplements should make you feel calmer, happier, healthier, and more successful. Positive results are widely promoted, however part of the data is anecdotal, relying on personal experience rather than thorough scientific studies.

When recommending drugs and supplements for mental health, your doctor or therapist considers your unique circumstances, nutrition, health, psychiatric history, and many other aspects.

Counseling is frequently required to get to the base of the issues that cause melancholy, tension, or anxiety.

omega 3 for mental health

Food Supplements for Mental Health

Our primary supply of vitamins and minerals, particularly those associated with mental health, is the food we eat. Taking mood supplements may help if you don’t get enough of these vital nutrients from your diet. However, effective treatment is much more involved than popping a pill. 

You’ll find details on some of the greatest natural mental health supplements below.

1. Omega-3 fatty acids

Depression and anxiety can be effectively treated with omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids help grow brain cells and help prevent heart disease and stroke. They are vital to your diet because the body does not manufacture them naturally.

Low amounts of omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to an increased risk of depression in studies. A 1% increase in stored omega-3 was linked to a 59 percent reduction in self-reported depression in one study.

Taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements has low danger, but the best approach to obtain the most benefit is to take the correct quantity. Before using omega-3 supplements, people with seafood allergies and blood thinners should visit their doctor.

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include:

  • Flaxseed oil
  • Chia seeds
  • English walnuts
  • Salmon
  • Herring
  • Canola oil

2. Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a variety of illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and depression. It could be one of the most accessible and cost-effective natural mental health supplements for mood disorders. Vitamin D may be increased through diet and sun exposure, which allows the body to create the vitamin. 

Vitamin D has been extensively researched for the treatment of depression, particularly seasonal affective disorder, caused by a lack of sunlight. Adolescents, the elderly, the overweight, and persons with chronic illnesses are among those who are depressed and have a high frequency of vitamin D insufficiency.

Vitamin D can be found in:

  • Cod liver oil
  • Rainbow trout
  • Salmon
  • White mushrooms
  • Fortified milk
  • Sardines
  • Eggs

3. Magnesium

Many depressed people have low magnesium levels indicating the usefulness of magnesium as a food supplement. There’s also evidence that magnesium can help people who suffer from anxiety. Magnesium is a healthy supplement to consume, with few adverse effects when taken at the correct dose.

According to a research of 8,894 participants, those with the lowest magnesium levels had a 50% higher likelihood of depression. After only one week of supplementing with magnesium, people suffering from depression and anxiety reported significant improvements in both. According to research, having enough magnesium in your body can help antidepressants work more successfully.

Magnesium can be found in the following foods:

  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Almonds
  • Spinach
  • Cashews
  • Peanuts
  • Shredded wheat cereal
  • Soymilk

4. Zinc

Zinc is a mineral that is required for all of your body’s functions, including brain cell activity. Low zinc levels can be caused by a variety of factors, including senior age, dietary inadequacies, drug use, and alcoholism. Antidepressants and other drugs that impact zinc levels in the blood should take a zinc supplement, according to recent research.

Stress and inflammation generate a lack of zinc, which results in less accessible serotonin, a hormone that causes emotions of happiness. An antidepressant is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that permits serotonin to stay in the brain for extended periods. This is an example of how a multivitamin and an antidepressant can be used in tandem to treat depression.

Zinc can be found in:

  • Beef
  • Crab
  • Lobster
  • Pork
  • Baked beans
  • Fortified breakfast cereals

5. St. John’s Wort

This antidepressant supplement is not found in food. St. John’s Wort is a yellow-flowered herb with a long history of medical usage dating back to ancient Greece. St. John’s Wort has been demonstrated to be beneficial for mild to moderate depression in studies. It interferes with many drugs, including birth control pills, heart medications, and cancer treatments, which is a severe disadvantage.

Because of the two-sided character of St. John’s Wort, it’s critical to use supplements in combination with medical guidance. There is a lot of guidance and information on utilizing natural mental health supplements on the internet. Unfortunately, some of the advice is inaccurate, inadequate, or overstated to promote a product.

Conclusion

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to anxiety and sadness. The treatment of these mood disorders is a holistic (whole-person) approach. 

Your doctor considers your health, nutrition, life circumstances, and other aspects while making treatment options. 

A combination of treatment, medicines, and natural supplements is frequently the most effective method to improve mental health.

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