5 Supplements That May Improve Your Mental Health

Typically our diets are evaluated to improve our physical health. However, research tells us that when we are depleted of specific vitamins and minerals, mental health conditions can develop or be triggered. Things like stress, lack of sleep, and aging can be damaging to our bodies, but they can also cause serious havoc on our brains. We have to intentionally support them as well.

Dietary supplements have been a part of facilitating that. More products are being formulated to boost, relax, and stimulate our brains, which is refreshing to see.

Do you believe that overall well-being is created from the inside out? Let’s take a look at how five specific supplements could help.

1. Ginkgo Biloba 

Most of us have heard of this ancient natural remedy, but did you know it comes from a tree species once eaten by dinosaurs? Pretty cool, right?

Ginkgo biloba is a symbol of longevity and can be used to help with:

Depression (1)

Anxiety (2)

Stress (3)

ADHD (4)

With very little risk potential and much evaluation, ginkgo biloba may help reduce inflammation, improve blood circulation, support healthy aging, and boost brain performance. Egb 761 is a standardized extract, ideally containing 24% flavonoids (ginkgo flavone glycosides), 6% terpenoids (5).

2. Lion’s Mane

Hericium erinaceus is a mushroom that has been used for thousands of years. Its delicious culinary uses and medicinal benefits make it great for a variety of supplement products, but let’s highlight why it’s known as a brain nootropic.

Research is constantly being done to see how mushrooms can help humans. However, there are studies that show promise for enhanced memory (6), anxiety relief (7), cognitive support (8), and antidepressant effects (9). Lion’s mane also increases energy, and improves gut health, as well as nerve health. Be sure to look for supplements that use the fruiting body vs mycelium.

3. Vinpocetine 

Alright, so there is a chemical in the periwinkle plant called vincamine. Vinpocetine is the synthetic creation of that and boosts blood flow within the brain. It is prescribed in Europe for therapeutic stroke treatment and other brain disorders under the name “Cavinton”.

In America, it is sold over-the-counter as a dietary supplement for enhancing cognition (10), memory (11), and mood. It’s a powerful anti-inflammatory not many people are familiar with, and stacks well with other specific nootropics such as ginkgo biloba. 

4. Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral we add to our diets, usually through whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and leafy greens. These are mainly crop foods that deal with intensive agricultural practices that rob the soil of magnesium (12), so we can start to understand why many of us are not receiving the recommended amount. 

Depression (13) and ADHD (14) are closely correlated to low magnesium, but other conditions can stem from it as well. 

Since there are several forms of magnesium, it’s important to know what type you should personally take. For increased brain function, consider looking into magnesium L-threonate, as it crosses the blood-brain barrier.

5. L-theanine

This amino-acid, most commonly found in green tea, can encourage better mental performance while relaxing the mind when taken at a higher dose (15). Sounds like a zen experience, right? 

L-theanine increases GABA, serotonin and dopamine. It releases alpha brain waves, which promotes a calming state of creativity, and protects brain cells against stress and age-related damage (16).

Supplementing this has shown to improve depression, cognitive impairment, and sleep disturbances (17), as well as stress, anxiety, and possibly schizophrenia (18).

Finding the Right Support

It can be overwhelming to address our issues head-on, but it’s vital to speak with your healthcare provider if you are dealing with any feelings you can’t shake. Your quality of life matters. Have resources in place to get yourself back on track. 

What is Mental Health? | SAMHSA

NIMH » Help for Mental Illnesses (nih.gov)

NAMI HelpLine | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness

For more information on supplements that may help, follow Factory6 on Instagram.

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Wellness Tips to Help Enjoy the Holidays — Factory6 Contract Manufacturing (factory6mfg.com)

A Guide to Keeping Your Cool: Tips to Help Manage Anger — Factory6 Contract Manufacturing (factory6mfg.com)

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are  not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Reference List

1. Ginkgo biloba Extract 761: A Review of Basic Studies and Potential Clinical Use in Psychiatric Disorders - PubMed (nih.gov)

2. Ginkgo biloba special extract EGb 761 in generalized anxiety disorder and adjustment disorder with anxious mood: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - PubMed (nih.gov)

3. Reduction of rise in blood pressure and cortisol release during stress by Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) in healthy volunteers - PubMed (nih.gov)

4. Ginkgo biloba for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents: a double blind, randomized controlled trial - PubMed (nih.gov)

5. Antioxidant Properties of Ginkgo biloba Extract: EGb 761 - ScienceDirect

6. Neurotrophic properties of the Lion's mane medicinal mushroom, Hericium erinaceus (Higher Basidiomycetes) from Malaysia - PubMed (nih.gov)

7. Hericium erinaceus Extract Reduces Anxiety and Depressive Behaviors by Promoting Hippocampal Neurogenesis in the Adult Mouse Brain | Journal of Medicinal Food (liebertpub.com)

8. Dietary Supplementation of Hericium erinaceus Increases Mossy Fiber-CA3 Hippocampal Neurotransmission and Recognition Memory in Wild-Type Mice - PMC (nih.gov)

9. Erinacine A-Enriched Hericium erinaceus Mycelium Produces Antidepressant-Like Effects through Modulating BDNF/PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β Signaling in Mice - PMC (nih.gov)

10. Vinpocetine restores cognitive and motor functions in Traumatic brain injury challenged rats - PubMed (nih.gov)

11. Psychopharmacological effects of vinpocetine in normal healthy volunteers - PubMed (nih.gov)

12. Magnesium: The Missing Link in Mental Health? — Integrative Medicine for Mental Health (immh.org)

13. Magnesium and depression - PubMed (nih.gov)

14. Magnesium status and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): A meta-analysis - PubMed (nih.gov)

15. L-theanine, a natural constituent in tea, and its effect on mental state - PubMed (nih.gov)

16. What You Need to Know About L-theanine | Psychology Today

17. Effects of chronic l-theanine administration in patients with major depressive disorder: an open-label study - PubMed (nih.gov)

18. Psychotropic effects of L-theanine and its clinical properties: From the management of anxiety and stress to a potential use in schizophrenia - PubMed (nih.gov)