Depression, anxiety, and stress are all interrelated and are majorly responsible for balancing one’s mental health. Proper counseling and medications are some of the conventional ways to alleviate the symptoms that disturb your mental health. These are serious mood disorders with symptoms that can range from being mild to debilitating. Sometimes mental illness can also be potentially life-threatening.
Complementary therapies are continuing to gain more and more popularity, as people all around the world are looking for more natural remedies for managing their health. There are a few herbs and supplements that are known to help fight mental illness. However, just because something is herbal does not mean that it will be effective or safe for you. You need to know which products you must choose and why. There are a lot of natural products and supplements that can help to treat mild to moderate depression.
Here are some of the signs of mental disorder:
- feeling hopeless or sad all the time
- Excessive frustration
- Excessive irritability all the time
- Loss of interest in activities or hobbies that were once your favorite
- Insomnia or excessive sleep issues
- Too much fatigue or tiredness
- Sudden changes in your appetite
- Trouble in concentrating
- Thoughts of self-harm, death, or suicide
- Some physical symptoms also include headache and backache
As per doctors, if a patient should experience at least five of the above-mentioned symptoms, to a disruptive extent, for about 2 weeks or more, then he/she should start proper treatment.
In this article, we will be discussing some of the best supplements and herbs that can help to balance mental health problems. So, without delay let’s get started:
- St. John’s wort
St. John’s wort or Hypericum perforatum is one of the commonly used plants that can support the balancing of mental health. This herbal treatment has been used for more than 100 years to reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety. According to a 2016 systematic review, it was found that this herbal remedy worked as an antidepressant and was able to treat mild to moderate depression in a lot of people.
- Omega-3 fatty acids
As per a lot of studies conducted around the world, it was found that omega3 fatty acids can be beneficial to reduce mild to moderate depression. Consumption of fish oil tablets or other omega3 fatty acid foods can help to elevate your mood and improve the functioning of your brain. Patients suffering from postpartum depression, minor depression, or suicidal ideation usually have lower levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and (docosahexaenoic acid) DHA. The omega 3 supplements are the best source of both EPA and DHA. These supplements can easily move through our brain cell membrane and help in improving mood.
- Saffron
Saffron is also considered one of the effective and safe natural ingredients that can help to improve your mental health. This bright-colored spice is packed with antioxidant compounds, like carotenoids crocin and crocetin that acts as a natural treatment for depression. Consumption of saffron can help to increase the levels of the mood-boosting neurotransmitter serotonin in our brain. This natural spice is known to inhibit serotonin reuptake that is essential in mood-boosting.
- Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea)
Rhodiola is another herb that is linked to an array of potential health benefits when taken in the form of supplements. The most important health benefits include reduction of symptoms of depression and improvement in stress response. It can act as an antidepressant by enhancing nerve cell communication and reducing overactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis.
- S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe)
S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe), a sulfur-containing compound that is known to help in the treatment of depression. This compound is found naturally in our body and plays a significant role in improving the functioning of our brain. This acts as an antidepressant and when consumed in the form of supplements it can support people with major depressive disorder.
- Magnesium
Supplements that contain magnesium are excellent in elevating your mood and reducing signs of depression. As per a report consumption of 248 mg of this mineral for around 6 weeks can help to reduce mild to moderate depression symptoms.
Conclusion: Most of these herbal products and supplements have the potential to interact with commonly used medications. Therefore, you must be extra cautious while taking such products. Most of these herbs and supplements can only treat mild to moderate depression or anxiety and are not suitable if you have severe mental health issues. The best thing to avoid any potential side effects is to consult a doctor and know the right dosage and type of medication needed for your condition. Depression or anxiety is a mental disorder that affects millions of people around the world every year. However, we should never take these symptoms lightly and should consult a doctor immediately to know the proper path of treatment and get rid of mental illness.
