Education, Wellness / Self-Care

The news is bleak: Do Mood boosting Supplements even work?

If I take this, will I be happy?

words by: Natasha Marsh
Aug 3, 2022

Lately, we have been bombarded with the bleakest of news: Abortion has been overturned, school shootings, murders within the Black community, the January 6th hearing of Agent Orange, and so much more really difficult news to digest. It’s no wonder that 10 million Americans are affected by depression and anxiety, and why so many have started seeking therapy, advice, love, help, and guidance. We want to so badly help, but feel crippled in doing so. We don’t know how our help can make a difference if our senior leaders in this country could care less.

 

It is really hard, no doubt about that. And although some find therapy helpful, others look to physical exercise and the act of getting out aggressions. Others look to aids like alcohol or weed to chill TF out. There’s mood boosting supplements, along with the worry about if they have a purpose in today’s world.

 

Mood boosting supplements are supplements formulated with certain fatty acids or microorganisms known to help with better moods. Traditional mood boosting supplements contain dopamine, the chemical that regulates the motivation, memory, mood, and attention in your brain. It also helps sleep regulation and decision making. But can they really instantly uplift our moods and make us happy? Can they regulate our emotions to all the loss, hatred, and anger occurring in this country and world?

 

Although there are minimal studies done on mood boosting supplements, many swear by the effects. Like anti-depression or anxiety pills, they help calm high emotions of stress or unhappiness and regulate it to a normal level of emotion. Of course, take this information with a grain of salt, as you would be the best judge of how it affects you.

 

But say you did want to try it, what would be some mood boosting supplements? Probiotics, the microorganisms that line your digestive track, are the most common supplement to boost your mood. This is the good gut bacteria that will help regulate your gut health, which is a good thing, as dopamine can decrease with a poor gut system.

 

FYI: If you don’t want to go out and buy probiotics or don’t believe in taking pills, you can also consume probiotics through foods like yogurt, kefir, and kimchi.

 

Check on your mood health today.