Best Supplements for Mental Health

I'm writing this post because there are so so many supplements to choose from when it comes to mental health. I personally am I bigger believer in resolving the mental emotional blocks via Holistic Counseling rather than supplements, however supplements do have their place in mental health.

So instead of continuing to blather, in my opinion, the "best" supplements most people can take for their mental health are magnesium (ideally bisglycinate) and vitamin D. Why? Because both are common nutritional deficiencies and have their place regulating brain activity. Moreover magnesium is actually required to convert vitamin D to its active form in the body.

In some studies vitamin D status has been shown to be lower in those with anxiety and depression. While an association between vitamin D and depression doesn't necessarily mean that these symptoms are caused by a lack of vitamin D, it is a good idea to get your vitamin D up to par as it has so many functions in the body. While helping maintain bone health, muscle health, immune function, etc., it may also be helping your brain health.

Now to get vitamin D working properly we need magnesium. While it's possible to get the required amount of magnesium through your diet, it's still a common deficiency. Moreover there is also an association between low magnesium status and anxiety and depression. Magnesium bisglycinate taken before bed can also help some people relax and get a better sleep.

That's about it for this post... I wanted to keep it simple, and I also like to keep it simple in my practice and not have patients taking a burden of supplements.

However on some finals notes, an honourable mention goes to a good multivitamin, especially for those with a poor diet (lots of fast and processed food), as well as fish oil. Fish oil is not a required nutrient, but is one of those things that pretty much anyone can take and achieve some benefit through lowering inflammation, which is also associated with depression. A fish oil with a high dose of EPA and DHA can help offset inflammation and improve mental health symptoms.

B12 is another important nutrient for mental health as it plays a role in producing certain neurotransmitters and is a nutrient that some people have trouble absorbing in their gut. If you're a vegan or vegetarian then it is more likely that you will be deficient in vitamin B12.

Before prescribing most of these supplements I like to first see a patient's status in their blood work. That may be something you already have that we can look over, or it is something that I can give you a requisition for.

Lastly a non-supplement "supplement" that is beneficial for truly everyone is exercise. Exercise can have short-term benefits by providing that post-exercise high, but also long-term benefits on brain health and overall health. I am a big fan of resistance training, i.e. using weights at the gym or bodyweight exercises, however any form of exercise will be beneficial even if it's just taking a walk outside. I like resistance training, especially as we age, because it helps promote bone health, strength, and joint mobility... all things that diminish with age. Always remember to use proper form when lifting and not lift too heavy. If you've never done strength training before you may considering hiring a personal trainer.

Now what about things like St. John's Wort, Valerian, Passionflower, Ashwagandha, Kava Kava, 5-HTP, etc. etc.? I generally don't like prescribing these because as I said above I am a bigger believer in releasing mental emotional blocks via Holistic Counseling rather than dosing with too many supplements. The supplements I did mention above I like because they are nutrients that the body needs that are commonly deficient.

Additionally, in my experience these supplements have questionable efficacy and sometimes poor control in their manufacturing. Moreover you will come across different concentrations and doses of these supplements in brand you come across. Perhaps one brand of St. John's Wort has 600 mg of this herb in it, but at what concentration has the manufacturer made the product? Different companies use different concentrations of the active medicinal parts of these plants, and I'm not sure if there is any "best" dose and concentration that has been published in research.

Lastly, I believe it's dangerous to mess with serotonin-altering medicines. Each person's response to a serotonin medication is so different that it's basically a guessing game as to whether it will work, and which dose to use. Prescription medications in my opinion are different and can have a place in mental health support as they are very tightly controlled. This is a controversial topic I know and I will write about it in another blog post coming soon.

All the best for now,

Matt