Improving Your Mood the Natural Way

We all know it, but we hate to admit it. We're living in a quick fix society. People in this country have become indoctrinated by drug company advertising to believe that if there is something that ails you, your doctor has a new drug to correct it.

With the stresses and pressures of every day living combined with poor diets, your mood can fluctuate. In fact, these mood swings can be quite natural. Say you've lost your job and you're feeling blue, you don't need to worry because your doctor can make it better. You will likely get a prescription for Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, Effexor or any number of anti-depressant drugs on the market.

Although there are no firm numbers, it is estimated in excess of 20 million people in the United States are on anti-depressant drugs. You may be very well taking one of these drugs, and if not, there is a high likelihood that you know at least one person who is on these medications. As a neurologist I use these drugs to successfully treat chronic headaches and other painful conditions. However, the idea of prescribing an anti-depressant medication because you are feeling somewhat down is very unfortunate.

The drug companies would make you believe that these drugs have few potentially dangerous side effects. Don't kid yourself. Just look at the recent COX-2 (Vioxx, Celebrex & Bextra) disasters. In point of fact, there are many side effects associated with the newer generation anti-depressant medications called SSRIs. Perhaps one of the most common is sexual dysfunction. Although the PDR (Physician's Desk Reference) would suggest that this is not very common (less than 5%), it is my feeling that this side effect may occur upwards in 20% to 25 % of patients. There are a host of other side effects as well including weight gain.

Perhaps one of the more controversial side effects to these drugs is the possibility that they increase your risk of suicidal and homicidal activity, especially in adolescents and children. These drugs were tested primarily in adults with very little data in younger age groups. They are not approved for use in children. You're probably aware of a current trial that is taking place in Charleston, South Carolina regarding a fifteen year old adolescent who killed his grandparents when he was twelve years old. Some expert witnesses contend that this irrational behavior was from Zoloft that he was taking at the time. Numerous other children have committed suicide and/or murder after taking these drugs. The FDA was considering warning language which indicated that these drugs could actually cause suicidal behavior in younger patients, although recently the FDA came out on the side of the pharmaceutical industry, apparently after months of lobbying by this very powerful group.

It is sad that we have been sold on habitually turning to drugs as our "way out" of our problems. There are frequently natural alternatives for many health concerns. I have said on countless numbers of times to patients, family and friends that our bodies are not made up of molecules of Prozac and Lipitor, but rather require minerals, essential fatty acids, vitamins, amino acids and other nutrients. So is there a natural way to improve mood? The answer is a resounding YES.

In an article just published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers from Australia found that in 49 adults with major depression, these individuals had significant lower levels of vitamin E than previously noted in healthy Australians. It was further noted that the alpha tocopherol levels were actually inversely related to the level of depression. The lead researcher noted that it seemed possible that the lower vitamin E in the blood may be a marker of increased physiologic stress in depression. My recommendation is that you maintain a healthy balance of the correct forms of vitamin E in your diet. It may not only provide benefits for positive mood, but it is one of the most important nutrients you can take for your overall health. See my recent article on vitamin E here.

Another nutrient that is critically important for your mood concerns the omega 3 essential fatty acid docosahexanoic acid (DHA). Previous studies have shown that individuals with major depression have marked depletions in omega 3 essential fatty acids, especially DHA. There have been some interesting correlations between rate of suicide and fish oil intake in different countries around the globe. Not only does DHA appear to have some beneficial effect for mood, but also it appears to help maximize brain function and cognition. Think about it for a moment…if our brain cells are made up in large part from essential fatty acids, doesn't it stand to reason that our brain cells will not function optimally if we have inadequate amounts? I highly recommend that you consume at least 1 gram a day of omega 3 essential fatty acids with a high concentration of DHA. Please remember, it is important that the product be free of any contaminants or toxins that can be found in fish products, such as hazardous mercury. Use only molecularly distilled fish oil.

Another important nutrient is of the herb St. John's Wort. Over the years, this herb has been on a roller coaster. Several years ago it was widely accepted and recommended by many individuals, including physicians, for mild to moderate depression. There have been some controversial studies in the medical literature questioning the efficacy of this nutrient. However, I believe that the vast body of studies does indicate a favorable benefit for improving mood. It is critically important when taking St. John's Wort that it be standardized to 0.3% hypericin and 3% hyperforin. These are the two active ingredients that provide the mood enhancement benefits. My recommended dose of St. John's Wort is 450 mg twice a day based on published medical studies.

SAM-e is an amazing wonder nutrient that improves mood, joint and liver function based on numerous published medical studies. SAM-e improves mood by boosting neurotransmitters in the brain. I recommend starting with 400 mg per day and after two weeks if you need additional benefits, you can increase the dosage to 800 mg per day. You must use the enteric coated tablets of pharmaceutical grade quality from Europe for optimal results.

There are other nutrients that can have beneficial effects for your mood including gingko biloba, magnesium, B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, phosphatidylcholine and others as well. Further, a recent study indicated exercise was as effective as drugs in reversing depression. I highly recommend that you follow your doctor's advice and if acceptable include an exercise program to improve your health.

Of course, I wanted to create for you one formula that makes it simple to get virtually all of these important mood-supporting, safe, natural supplements in an easy-to-use product. I've carefully formulated, with the expert scientific staff and other medical doctors at Nutraceutical Sciences Institute (NSI), what I consider to be the best natural mood enhancing product called NeuroLift. It contains a daily dose of 900 mg of standardized St. John's Wort along with 240 mg of standardized gingko biloba, 1 gram of molecularly distilled fish oil with a high level of DHA in a soft gel and 400 IU of natural vitamin E succinate. NeuroLift also contains numerous other antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that make this an excellent multivitamin in addition to providing support for a healthy mood. It is an incredible value with a price less than $40 for a month's supply of 240 capsules and soft gels. Finally, each dose is in easy to carry packets for those who like the ultimate in convenience and are on the go or travel a lot.

NSI has recently launched pharmaceutical grade European SAM-e in enteric coated tablets for about 50% less than other brands in both 200 mg and 400 mg dosages. NSI uses gross 800 mg to achieve the 400 mg elemental level in its 400 mg SAM-e product and gross 400 mg to achieve the 200 mg elemental level in its 200 mg SAM-e product. Beware of companies that do not list both gross and elemental levels; you may only be getting 50% of what you think you are getting.

So assuming that you are feeling down but your depression is not severe which may require intense medical supervision with powerful drugs, I would strongly recommend that you consider NeuroLift and SAM-e as natural safe alternatives.

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