4 natural remedies to control anxiety and depression

Natural Antidepressants – Boost Your Mood with Herbal Extracts and Amino Acids

The number of people suffering from low mood states or depression is growing. According to the National Institutes of Health, more than 6 Million American men suffer from depression, and one in four adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. While a significant amount of people depend on pharmaceutical antidepressant drugs; there are a growing number of people that look into other alternative ways to boosting their moods. Changes to lifestyle can benefit as can the supplementation with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbal extracts.

Rhodiola Rosea

Originally from the high altitudes of Siberia and other cold climates, Rhodiola Rosea (also known as Golden Root or Roseroot) provides a wide range of benefits. It’s most famous for its properties to alleviate depression and improve mood; but this special herb has also been linked to improved immune function, better focus, as well as its anti-stress properties.

Rhodiola Rosea can improve your mood and alleviate mild forms of depression through two different pathways that affect the central nervous system. The active ingredients in Rhodiola Rosea can stimulate the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. In addition to that, other research has shown that Rhodiola Rosea increases the permeability of such neurotransmitters across the blood brain barrier.

5-HTP

The naturally occurring amino acid 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan) can be extracted from the Griffonia simplicifolia plant which is native to West and Central Africa. 5-HTP has been associated with the increased production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin and other neurotransmitters are responsible for proper nerve functioning and decreased levels have been associated with depression, anxiety, and even excess anger.

While 5-HTP acts as a building block for the increased production of serotonin; the active compounds in St. John’s Wort contribute to elevated levels of neurotransmitters by inhibiting its reuptake.

St. John’s Wort

The natural compound Hyperforin can be found in St. John’s Wort. Researchers have found that this natural compound positively affects the levels of neurotransmitters and therefore acts as an antidepressant. Hyperforin inhibits the reuptake of the neurotransmitters serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine and the resulting increase in levels of those neurotransmitters has a positive effect on mood and mental wellbeing.

L-Tyrosine

Even though L-Tyrosine is a non-essential amino acid it is still a very important one. It’s only non-essential in the sense that our body can produce is by converting the amino acid phenylalanine into L-Tyrosine and therefore we don’t directly depend on its consumption.

L-Tyrosine can be converted into L-DOPA which further can be used to synthesize the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine.

Research has suggested that L-Tyrosine may help alleviate depression. Since this amino acid can also be converted to norepinephrine (a “stress hormone”) it may also help reduce the impact of psychological and physical stress.

This article was written by Daniel De Carolis. Daniel has a background in Pre-Med, Nutrition and holds a degree in Exercise Physiology. He is the co-founder of Monarch Nutrition and MoodBoost Drink, a healthy drink mix supplement for mood support and energy.