3 Herbs to Enhance Your Mood Naturally

Do you know a misery merchant? The sort of person that no matter what happens, is always feeling down, unhappy or blue?

While it is natural to have days when you’re feeling a little out of sorts, regular problems with mood can really make life, well miserable… pardon the pun!

Mood disorders are a common problem our Naturopathic team hear about every day. This really is not surprising when you consider the many nutrients needed to maintain adequate levels of neurotransmitters and hormones that control our mood. Unfortunately, correcting these nutritional deficiencies can take some time; however, there are a number of herbs that can help to quickly and easily boost your mood.

Sage – More Than Just Sore Throats

Most folk herbal remedies involving sage focus on its role as an antiseptic in the treatment of sore throats and coughs. Sage, however, is also a valuable herb for the treatment of mood disorders, stress and anxiety. Chinese medicine has traditionally used sage as a nerve tonic. One key benefit of sage, is the rapid response with some studies showing reductions in stress and improvements in mood in as little as one hour (1).

If you’ve ever tried sage tea, you will know it doesn’t make the nicest cuppa. This taste though can easily be masked by the addition of other strong flavours such as peppermint or liquorice. Alternatively, some health food stores stock powdered sage in capsules that can make this herb a little easier on the stomach.

The use of sage oil internally and strong sage preparations should be avoided during pregnancy. It may also exacerbate some gastric disorders and complaints.

Passion flower – Beautiful & Effective

Passion flower has a long history of use in traditional medicine, and not just in the treatment of mood disorders and anxiety. It has been suggested that the early North Americans used passion flower in the treatment of epilepsy; and like a lot of other herbs in human history, it didn’t take long for us to figure out it could be smoked.

Research has shown passion flower’s effectiveness on mood is not just folklore. Studies comparing passion flower extract with a common benzodiazepine have found it to offer similar results (2) without the risk of addiction found in pharmaceutical medications.

We regularly use herbal preparations of passion flower in our clinic with great results. Anxiety, insomnia and stress symptoms all respond well and results can be obtained in as little as two weeks of use.

Passion flower is readily available in most health food stores as either capsule or a loose leaf tea. We have found capsule and tablet forms most effective for stress and anxiety, while the tea, particularly when prepared with valerian, is a great way to prepare for bed.

Guarana – Not Just a Quick Hit

Most people are probably familiar with guarana as the healthy form of an energy drink. Did you know that in addition to giving a quick energy boost, guarana can also be beneficial for mood? It’s not just a caffeine boost either, as lower doses proved more effective than higher doses (3).

We tend to avoid the use of guarana in our clinic due to it’s stimulatory effect. It can however be useful where mood disorders are accompanied by high levels of fatigue or low energy and lethargy.

Make Sure to Consult a Naturopath

If you’re affected by mood disorders or anxiety, it’s important to consult with our Naturopaths. While herbal remedies can provide short term relief, lasting mood improvements will only come from addressing underlying nutritional deficiencies.

It is also important to ensure that your mood disorder, isn’t related to a more complex condition requiring treatment from a qualified psychiatrist or counsellor.

If you’d like to learn more about improving your mood naturally, talk to us today on (07) 3800 1993.