Mood Enhancer & Seasonal Affective Disorder

A recent study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that zinc “supplementation may be effective in reducing anger and depression”.

This study by T Sawada, K Yokoi, provided 30 women with a daily multivitamin. During the ten weeks, half the women received a multivitamin only while the other half received the multivitamins plus Zinc. It’s no surprise that Zinc supplementation resulted in increased zinc serum levels for those individuals that supplemented with 7mg of Zinc per day. It is noteworthy though that the group of 15 women that supplemented with Zinc did show significantly lower scores on anger-hostility assessments as well as lower scores on depression evaluations.

Another study at the Tygerberg Hospital and Stellenbosch University found that there is a link between Zinc absorption and Vitamin A and D levels. Inadqeuate intake of those two vitamins can negatively affect Zinc absorption and result in a secondary deficiency of Zinc. It might therefore be beneficial to find a supplement that provides Vitamin A and D in addition to Zinc.

In summary, if you are suffering from some sort of depression you might want to evaluate your zinc serum levels and add a Zinc supplement to your diet for mood benefits. Doing so with a supplement such as MoodBoost Drink that also provides Vitamin A and D3 (Cholecalciferol) could further enhance Zinc absorption and provide additional mood enhancing benefits.

Research Studies:

T Sawada, K Yokoi.  “Effect of zinc supplementation on mood states in young women: a pilot study.” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 64, 331-333, 20 January 2010; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2009.158.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17171460

…or does depression make you eat more chocolate?

A recent study found that people that are depressed eat more chocolate. However, the study did not reveal why that is the case.

The results:

“Subjects who screened positive for depression, defined as a CES-D score of 16 or higher, reported consuming significantly more chocolate than those not screening positive for depression (8.4 vs 5.4 servings per month; P = .004).”

It could be that depressed individuals crave more chocolate for its endorphin boosting properties; or it could be that that individuals that are predisposed to eat more chocolate are also at a greater risk of being depressed.

Monarch Nutrition launched an interesting product called MoodBoost Drink. It’s a powdered drink mix supplement that comes in individual servings and promises mood support and energy. The drink is tasty,  fruity and refreshing at the same time and cannot be compared to what we know from other instant vitamin supplements. The serving packs however, are handy and convenient like what we know from others such as Emergen-c. So it doesn’t matter were you go, you can always bring a pack of mood enhancer with you. The instructions recommend to mix it with 8-12oz. of water.

One serving can help you lift your mood by providing your body with natural ingredients such as rhodiola rosea, gingko biloba, magnesium, chromium, and more. The MoodBoost Drink also comes with lots of vitamins and essential minerals.

This all naturally flavored mood enhancer drink is low in calories (only 20 calories per serving) and makes for a healthy alternative with a twist of energy. For more information about this supplement you can visit www.moodboostdrink.com. It might be your energy and “anti-depressants drink“.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects many million people globally. Lack of sun exposure, colder temperatures, and more time spent inside can be a contributor to seasonal depression. Lack of energy and motivation are often consequences. With fewer light entering your home it can help to light up some candles. Scented candles can transform your home [...]

A 2009 research study showed that there is a correlation between perinatal depression and low levels of certain key nutrients. The study showed that there are links between low levels of folate, vitamin B12, calcium, iron, selenium, and zinc, and mood in general. Post-Pregnancy-Depression can be attributed to the depletion of those key nutrients.
“Perinatal depression: prevalence, [...]

Morganton.com of North Carolina had an article about 6 ways to boost mind and mood.
“The American Academy of Family Physicians estimates that as many as half a million people in the United States suffer from winter-onset depression and that another 10-20 percent may experience mild SAD. According to Mental Health America, women suffer from SAD [...]

The Wall Street Journal had a recent article on Winter Depression.
Here are some paragraphs from that article, for the full lenght article visit the WSJ directly to read the article titled “Bright Ideas for Treating the Winter Blues”
“Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, affects an estimated 6% of Americans, causing depression, lethargy, irritability and a desire [...]

Care2.com had an article titled “A better way to Improve Mood“. Here are a couple of interesting article highlights:
““We’re facing a bad-mood epidemic”
“Of course, neither amino acids nor antidepressants work for everyone, but a 1991 head-to-head comparison published in the medical journalPsychopathology found that the amino acid 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) actually outperformed the antidepressant Luvox in [...]

“Between 4 and 6 percent of the U.S. population suffers from Seasonal Depression, while 10 to 20 percent may suffer from a more mild form of winter blues.

SAD is a depression that occurs each year at the same time,starting in fall or winter and ending in spring or early summer.”
For full article, click here.

A recent article by UPI talks about how a large percentage of the US population has insufficient Vitamin D levels. While the article doesn’t make a connection to depression we thought it was nevertheless worth sharing as research already made the connection between Vitamin D and depression. So if you are suffering from seasonal affective disorder [...]