Best supplements for mood

Chronic stress can wear down the body and lead to more serious conditions like anxiety and depression. To help prevent or treat this mood problem one may consider taking some of the great natural supplements available.

Selenium

Selenium is a mighty antioxidant that helps fighting free radicals. It is crucial for proper immune functions and may efficiently reduce risks of certain cancers, especially in the prostate, colon, and lungs. Rich sources of selenium are meat, wheat germ, nuts (particularly Brazil nuts), eggs, oats, whole-wheat bread, and brown rice. However, soil is washed-out of selenium due to the modern farming practices, so it might be difficult to obtain sufficient amount of selenium from normal diet. Supplementing with selenium is thus recommended especially for people suffering from digestive conditions.

Selenium should be supplemented with vitamin E to gain the best results. Vitamin C should be used separately, because it may negatively affect absorption of selenium. Recommended daily dose is 200 micrograms.

Chasteberry

Chasteberry is well known as a hormone balancer. It may relieve symptoms of PMS and help in some kinds of infertility. It is particularly successful in helping lessen symptoms of cyclic breast tenderness and fibrocystic breast disease. Chasteberry helps the body boost its own normal levels of progesterone. One 400-milligram capsule should be used each day. It is good to remember that chasteberry may influence the effectiveness of oral contraceptives. It should not be used in pregnant and nursing women and treatment should discontinue at any sign of nausea, rash, headache, or agitation.

Inositol Hexaniacinate

This is a complex made of two vitamins from the B vitamin family - niacin and inositol. Niacin may often cause unpleasant side effects like hot flashes or liver problems. Inositol hexaniacinate is one of the best-tolerated forms of niacin supplements and only a small number of people that use it experience flushing and liver toxicity. It would be best to start with 500 mg twice a day, and slowly increase over two weeks to 1,000 mg three times a day. Any niacin products should be taken under the command of a health-care provider.

Cordyceps

This is a rare mushroom, also known as caterpillar fungus, which improves sexual function, energy and endurance. It has antioxidant properties and increases blood flow to the organs. Two 400 mg doses should be used once or twice a day. It is not advisable to use it during pregnancy or while having a fever. This mushroom may influence glucose metabolism so patients with diabetes should use it carefully.

5-HTP

This is a derivative of the amino acid tryptophan that helps relieve depression, anxiety, and insomnia while improving mood and easing migraines. 5-HTP assists the body to synthesize more serotonin- a substance that decreases depression and promotes the feeling of happiness. Some researches show that, it may also lessen carbohydrate cravings.