Everyone experiences days where nothing seems to go right and you feel nothing but aggravation or sadness. And, when relaxing, meditating or exercising doesn’t work, you might wonder what exactly is causing you to be in such a bad mood. It could be due to a lack of vitamins or minerals. Vitamins play a vital role in not only our health but also our moods. Here’s why taking supplements for improving mood could be your answer.
Types of Supplements
There is a wide array of mood-benefitting supplements that can be taken. Each one has a specific use and provides different benefits. These supplements are found in many different types of foods, beverages and lotions. Some common mood-boosting vitamins and minerals include the following:
- Vitamin B-3: Also known as niacin, this vitamin helps with serotonin production, which helps your brain cells to communicate with each other.
- Vitamin B-9: This vitamin is also called folate or folic acid and helps with serotonin synthesis.
- Omega 3 Fatty Acids: These acids are essential for your brain’s function and health.
- Vitamin C: Vitamin C can help with not only your immune system, but also your brain’s cognitive function and your mood.
The Science of Bad Moods
There’s always going to be a time when someone experiences a mood swing. There are many reasons as to why this is. It might be because something unexpected happened or a fight occurred. A lack of sleep, poor diet or mental illness can also be behind bad moods. There can be even more severe reasons for sudden mood changes. The exact cause of a person’s bad mood varies widely.
Supplements have been shown to greatly benefit people due to the effects they can have. Let’s take omega-3s for example. Omega-3 fatty acids are mainly found in fatty fish, nuts and seeds. Omega-3s have been scientifically proven to greatly benefit those who suffer from depression, problems with cognitive function, and mood swings.
Brain Food
The list above may seem short, but the supplements mentioned are in plenty of foods. Although almost every food has these supplements to some degree, some foods have an abundance of them. For instance, oranges are packed with vitamin C, while eggs have a lot of vitamin D. These foods positively impact your brain’s function, which is why they’re called “brain food.”
A bad mood may not seem much, but it can actually cause a lot of harm. It increases our brain’s production of cortisol, which is commonly known as the stress hormone. A bad mood can also make us feel more tired than usual. Taking supplements can help combat this by giving your body and brain the proper nutrition.
Supplements can help with lots of different things. For some more supplement-related tips, read this article: Why You Should Take Supplements to Help You Sleep