WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW WHICH NEUROTRANSMITTERS FOR MOOD ARE OUT OF BALANCE IN YOUR BRAIN?

Various forms of emotional imbalance or dysregulation such as anxiety, depression, stress, overwhelm and more are linked to imbalances of neurotransmitters in your brain (many of which are also linked to gut-brain axis imbalances too, but that's another story).

From looking at the symptoms you are experiencing, we can often get an indication of neurotransmitters are out of balance. And from this, we naturopaths and herbalists know which herbs or lifestyle suggestions to make.

Serotonin (calm and happy neurotransmitter)

Low mood, feelings of sadness or irritability for no clear reason, craving carbs and sweets, difficulty falling or staying asleep.

Herbs that increase serotonin: St. John’s wort, kava, rhodiola, albizia, lavender, saffron.

Dopamine (pleasure and reward neurotransmitter)

Feel unmotivated, pleasureless, struggling with focus, seeking out stimulating activities, feeling flat or bored easily, need caffeine or stimulants to feel normal.

Herbs that increase dopamine: pukatea, rhodiola, albizia, St John wort, saffron.

GABA (calming neurotransmitter)

Chronically tense, anxious or hard to relax, struggle with physical signs of anxiety such as racing heart, tight chest, muscle tension, suffering from insomnia or finding it hard to wind down, feeling wired but tired.

Herbs that increase GABA: albizia, St. John’s wort, kava, skullcap, passionflower, lemon balm, saffron, Californian poppy, lavender, zizyphus.

Glutamate excess (excitory neurotransmitter)

Migraines, brain fog, mentally overwhelmed or scattered, prone to panic attacks or feeling buzzed in the brain, chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia symptoms.

Herbs to calm glutamate: kava, lavender, zizyphus.

Acetylcholine deficiency (plays a role in memory, learning, attention, motivation and arousal)

Word recall, brain fog, forgetfulness, dry eyes and mouth, lowered digestive function.

Herb to increase acetylcholine: albizia.

Norepinephrine dysregulation (similar to adrenalin, a fight & flight neurotransmitter)

Easily startled, on high alert, racing thoughts, trouble calming your system, crashing hard after stress, emotional volatility, mood instability.

Herbs to calm norepinephrine: lavender, saffron.

Which of these neurotransmitter/s are you showing signs of dysregulation? Would you like to receive information on how you can balance your neurotransmitters through diet, herbs and supplements?

BOOK A CONSULTATION

Shine bright!

Nic

Image: Albizia leebeck (wikipedia).