Hall-Flavin, M.D. Vitamin B-12 and other B vitamins play a role in producing brain chemicals that affect mood and other brain functions. Low levels of B-12 and other B vitamins such as vitamin B-6 and folate may be linked to depression.
Magnesium is an important mineral that helps maintain a healthy mood. Low levels of magnesium are associated with fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Research shows that adults, as well as children, don't get enough magnesium and that this may be linked to climbing rates of mood and mental health problems.
Research suggests that while not all people with depression have low magnesium, those that do might be more likely to see symptom improvement with magnesium supplements. This may also suggest that getting enough magnesium in your diet can possibly help to prevent depression.
turkey and other tryptophan-containing foods, such as eggs, dark chocolate, cheese, pineapple, bananas, oats, and tofu. nuts, especially almonds — an excellent source of vitamin E that may help prevent vitamin E deficiency, which is linked to mood disorders. chia seeds, which are a good source of omega-3s.
Nutrition-related mood swings are often caused by high amounts of sugar, processed foods, and refined carbohydrates such as donuts, cakes, cookies, and white bread. Many of these foods lack an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals, and can cause blood glucose to fluctuate and trigger mood shifts.
A little activity every day
If you can, doing little things every day to be more active – like taking the stairs instead of a lift, or standing up to stretch your legs every so often when sitting down for long periods – can really lift your mood.
Sometimes low mood can be brought on by external factors such as the loss of a loved one, living with an illness, or stress at school, university, or work. However, you can also experience low mood without there being an obvious external cause.
Simple activities like watching sports with a friend, having a soak in the bath, or meeting up with friends for coffee can all improve your day. Doing something you're good at, such as cooking or dancing, is a good way to enjoy yourself and have a sense of achievement.
Natural mood stabilizers include treatments and coping methods but are not prescription medications. What are some natural alternatives to mood stabilizers? Adaptogens, exercise, nutrition, meditation or mindfulness, omega-3 fatty acid, and vitamin D are some examples of natural mood stabilizers.
The practice of relieving your stress, anxiety, or any other negative emotion through physical stimulus is known as self-soothing. The best stress-relieving drinks include ginger, chamomile tea, valerian, black tea, coconut water, milk, green tea, coffee, lemon balm tea, water, and vegetable and fruit juice.
The researchers narrowed down the top 10 raw fruits and vegetables they found to be associated with better mental health and fewer symptoms of depression. These include carrots, dark leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, cucumber, apples, bananas, grapefruit, other citrus fruits, fresh berries, and kiwifruit.
Get active. Virtually any form of physical activity can act as a stress reliever. Even if you're not an athlete or you're out of shape, exercise can still be a good stress reliever. Physical activity can pump up your feel-good endorphins and other natural neural chemicals that enhance your sense of well-being.
Magnesium deficiency symptoms include: Fatigue. Leg cramping or twitching. Unexplained muscle weakness.
But when should they be taken? Ideally, you should take magnesium at the same time every day, whether that's in the morning with your cup of coffee or in the evening right before you go to bed. The time of day doesn't matter so much—it's the consistency of taking magnesium daily that matters most.