Mood

Natural Remedies for Mood Swings

A mood swing is an extreme or rapid change in mood or personality. Mood swings can last a few minutes, a few hours, or a few days. If mood swings are happening frequently, are disruptive, or lasting for longer periods of time, it might be helpful to seek support in getting to the root cause.

What are Common Causes of Mood Swings?

Healthy brain function requires many important nutrients as well as an active, social lifestyle. Factors such as aging, emotional stress, and exposure to free radicals affect cognitive health and memory function.

Hormone and Neurotransmitter Imbalances

Hormone and neurotransmitter imbalances are often at the root cause of mood swings. Your brain and body chemistry affects the way you think and the way you react, and can make you both more emotional and more prone to rapid negative emotions. Low levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, GABA, and norepinephrine can lead to anxiety and mood changes. Hormone imbalances (thyroid and sex hormones) can also play a major role in mood swings.

Mental Fatigue

When people experience more stress than they are able to handle, adrenal and mental fatigue can occur. As a result, people can become much more reactive and emotional when they lose the ability to cope with stressful events.

Stress, Anxiety, and Fear

Stress and anxiety can also create fear, which is a powerful emotion. When you encounter a fearful thought, or a fear-inducing problem, it is easier for you to have an emotional response. Fear can be so pronounced that you ultimately become more prone to sadness, anger, etc. as a result and experience mood swings.

Depression

Low mood can often be expressed as sadness, agitation, or irritation. With the mental health condition, bipolar disorder also called manic depression, people vacillate between very high and low moods. 

Lack of Sleep

Getting too little sleep or poor quality sleep can cause irritability, lack of focus, and rapid mood changes. Studies show that sleep deprivation produces a hyperactive brain response and can negatively affect mood.

Poor Dietary Choices and Low Blood Sugar Levels

When blood sugar levels drop, irritability, fatigue, and agitation can occur.  Eating foods high in sugar or carbohydrates are most likely to cause the blood sugar crash and burn effect. Eating frequent, nutrient dense snacks and meals (high in protein, healthy fats, and fiber) support optimal health and promote healthy blood sugar levels.

Diet and Lifestyle Support

Healthy Diet

Experts agree that a healthy diet is an important factor in maintaining good health. One key reason is that our diet provides the building blocks for the chemical messengers in our body. When stress depletes nutrients, a good diet can help to replace them.

Enhance sleep

Create an environment that is suitable for the body to transition to sleep. Suggestions include:

• Make your bedroom as dark as possible, as darkness signals your brain to sleep
• Remove sounds
• Cover digital clocks
• Limit TV, computer, and phone use prior to going to bed
• Avoid caffeine before bedtime. Caffeine is a chemical that stimulates your brain, making you more awake and alert.
• Use relaxation techniques such as yoga, as they have been shown to help the mind and body transition to a more tranquil state, setting the stage for good sleep.

Practice Healthy Coping Skills

• Exercise regularly
• Practice yoga, meditation, and qi gong
• Create “me” time
• Declutter your living space, work space and unhealthy relationships
• Trust yourself
• Spend time with friends
• Consider counseling support

Natural Supplements for Mood Swings

Pathway SUPER OMEGA-3

Pathway SUPER OMEGA-3 Super Omega-3 is molecularly distilled for purity and contains high concentrations of the essential fatty acids Omega-3s EPA & DHA (300 mg & 200 mg respectively). Omega-3 fatty acids are very important, supportive nutrient of cardiovascular health as well as brain, mood, skin, and ocular health.

Pathway RELAXATION SUPPORT

Pathway RELAXATION SUPPORT combines a soothing blend of relaxing herbs, vitamins, minerals and amino acids. It contains Relora®, a patented blend of Magnolia officinalis and Phellondendron amurense, studied for its calming and focusing effect as well as stress-induced weight management problems. SunTheanine® is also incorporated in the formula, which aids in relaxation.  Also included are calming herbs, such as chamomile, lemon balm, valerian, skullcap, hops and passionflower.

Pathway B-COMPLEX 50

B vitamins are involved in a large and important group of metabolic functions in the human body and must be replaced on a daily basis. That is because B vitamins are water soluble, and therefore do not build up a reserve in the body. Pathway B-Complex 50 contains the full complement of B-complex vitamins as well as coenzyme forms.

Pathway SLEEP SUPPORT

A restful night’s sleep is so important to one’s health. Pathway SLEEP SUPPORT provides a soothing blend of calming herbs and relaxing nutrients to promote a peaceful night’s sleep. Key ingredients include vitamin B6, magnesium, melatonin, L-theanine, passion flower, and valerian.

Pathway ADRENAL SUPPORT

Stress can weaken health by demanding excess work by endocrine, nervous, and immune systems. Taking nutrients that help the body to adapt to stressful challenges can greatly help to restore energy and vitality. Pathway ADRENAL SUPPORT contains key adaptogenic herbs along with select B vitamins to support the body’s stress response.

Pathway WHEY PROTEIN POWDER

Quicktein powder provides whey protein in a low fat, vegetarian drink mix. Whey protein is among the most valuable kinds of protein available and scores very high in all measures of protein value. It contains all of the essential amino acids in biologically significant amounts and is simply one of the most complete sources of proteins and amino acids available. This formula is great tasting, and is available in chocolate and vanilla. Pathway WHEY makes a great snack or meal replacement and can help to balance blood sugar levels.

Holistic Treatment for Mood Swings

At Village Green Apothecary, we believe in taking a comprehensive approach to supporting your stress and mood swings by addressing the underlying root causes and triggers. We recommend vitamins, minerals, herbs, and homeopathic remedies. Our health experts also suggest specific diets, lifestyle tips, and specialized testing.

We’re here to help! 

Schedule a consultation with one of Village Green’s naturopathic doctors or certified nutritionists for a personal assessment of your unique situation. During your appointment (either by phone or in-person), our professionals will:

• Review your mood swing symptoms and health history
• Examine your diet and lifestyle
• Recommend specialized testing
• Assess possible drug-nutrient interactions or depletions
• Answer any questions you may have
• Evaluate memory loss options
• Create a customized plan that includes natural solutions, diet and lifestyle recommendations, and custom compounding

  Contact a Village Green nutritionist by calling 800-869-9159.

  Learn more about our nutrition counseling and wellness services.