Research Revealed - Nature's Ingredients for Emotional Harmony

Here's a list of natural ingredients that I feel have the strongest evidence behind them for affecting stress, anxiousness and mood. I have provided a summary of what I feel are the strongest studies behind each ingredient, and footnotes for you to read more about each study if you like.

I'd love to hear about your experiences with any of these ingredients, and how they helped you, in the comments below!

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha helps to reduce stress and occasional anxiousness, and to improve mood. KSM-66 is the most researched variety.

In a study from 2021 by Gopukumar et al., 125 healthy, stressed adults received daily Ashwagandha supplementation. After 90 days, the treatment group had a 33% decrease in stress levels, a 12% increase in happiness levels, and a 30% decrease in cortisol levels.[10]

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study by Salve et al. in 2019 investigated the effects of Ashwagandha on stressed, healthy adults. The study had 58 participants who received Ashwagandha supplementation for 8 weeks.  The treatment group experienced a 38% reduction in stress levels, cortisol levels were reduced by 17%, and symptoms of anxiousness decreased by 15%.[19]

In a 2012 study by Chandrasekhar et al., 64 people with chronic stress received Ashwagandha supplementation each day. After 60 days, the treatment group had their stress symptoms decrease by 64%, anxiousness symptoms decrease by 76%, and depressive symptoms decrease by 77%. Additionally, their cortisol levels decreased by 28%.[4]

A 2020 double blind, placebo controlled study by Langade et al. involved 80 participants who received Ashwagandha supplementation for 8 weeks. Participants consisted of healthy volunteers as well as insomnia patients. Both groups had significant improvements in the following sleep parameters: sleep onset latency, total sleep time, wake after sleep onset, total time in bed, and sleep efficiency. Participants diagnosed with insomnia experienced even greater improvements in these parameters.[20]

Lemon Balm

Lemon balm helps to improve stress and occasional anxiousness, and to improve mood.

A systematic review and meta-analysis in 2021 by Ghazizadeh et al. found that lemon balm significantly improved mean scores of symptoms of anxiousness and depressive symptoms compared with a placebo.[9]

In 2013, a study by Chehroudi et al. examined the cognitive effects of lemon balm on 36 burn patients. The patients were given lemon balm supplementation for 20 days. The treatment group reported feeling less stressed after 20 days—78% had no stress (vs 50% prior), 11% had less mild stress (vs 22% prior), and 6% had moderate stress (vs 22% prior). They also reported a decrease in depressive symptoms—72% had no symptoms (vs 56% prior), 11% had less mild symptoms (vs 22% prior), and 6% had moderate symptoms (vs 11% prior).[5]

Curcumin

Curcumin helps to improve mood.

A 2019 meta-analysis by Fusar-Poli found an overall significant effect of curcumin on depressive symptoms (10 studies, 531 participants) and anxiousness symptoms (5 studies, 284 participants), with large effect sizes.[8]

A 2017 meta-analysis by Ng et al. (6 studies, 377 patients) also supported the effectiveness of curcumin in reducing depressive symptoms.[18]

Passion Flower

Passion flower helps to reduce occasional anxiousness.

A systematic review in 2020 by Janda et al. examined 9 clinical trials, with a total of 555 participants. They found that the majority of studies reported reduced symptoms of anxiousness following the administration of passion flower, with the effect less evident in people with mild anxiousness symptoms.[11]

A 2008 study by Movafegh et al. involved 60 participants undergoing dental surgery.  The treatment group received passion flower 90 minutes prior to surgery, and their anxiousness symptom ratings decreased by 68% from the administration of passion flower to just prior to surgery.[17]

L-Theanine

L-Theanine helps to decrease stress and occasional anxiousness.

A 2019 narrative review by Sakamoto et al. found that L-theanine was able to help provide anxiolytic and anti-stress effects in both acute and chronic conditions.[14]

A 2020 systematic review by Williams et al. found that supplementation of L-theanine may help to reduce symptoms of stress and anxiousness in people exposed to stressful conditions.[25]

Saffron

Saffron helps to improve mood.

A 2019 meta-analysis by Toth et al. states that data from randomized, controlled clinical trials support that saffron is significantly more effective than placebo in the treatment of mild to moderate depressive symptoms.[22]

A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis by Dai et al. examined 12 studies and found that saffron was more effective than placebo in decreasing depressive symptoms.[7]

B Vitamins

Vitamin B6, Vitamin B9 (Folate) and Vitamin B12 help to decrease stress.  Also, low levels of Folate have been associated with occasional moodiness.

In 2019, Young and colleagues conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, analyzing 16 randomized controlled trials with 2015 participants. The findings indicated that B vitamin supplementation had beneficial effects for stress in both healthy individuals and those at risk for stress.[28]

A 2011 double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled study by Stough et al. involving 60 participants examined the effect of 12 weeks of supplementation with a high dose vitamin B complex supplement. The treatment group experienced significant decreases in workplace stress as compared to the control group.[21]

A 2017 meta-analysis by Bender et al. found that Individuals with depressive symptoms had lower levels of folate than individuals without depressive symptoms.[2]

A 2003 study by Morris et al. also found that low folate status was detectable in people with depressive symptoms. They stated that folate supplementation may be beneficial in improving depressive symptoms.[16]

Vitamin D3

Vitamin D helps to decrease occasional anxiousness and to improve mood.

A 2020 meta-analysis by Cheng et al. examined 25 trials with a total of 7,534 participants.  They found that vitamin D supplementation can reduce negative emotions, especially for individuals with vitamin D deficiency and those with more depressive symptoms.[6]

A 2019 review by Casseb et al. also found that Vitamin D supplementation was associated with a reduction of depressive symptoms and symptoms of anxiousness, and that this effect was even stronger for people with more depressive symptoms.[3]

A 2022 literature review by Kouba et al. Found that vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of developing depressive symptoms as well as symptoms of anxiousness, and that individuals with these conditions have low levels of vitamin D.[13]

Vitamin K2

Vitamin K2 and vitamin D work together in the body synergistically in order to optimize a number of cellular functions.  Vitamin K2 helps to improve the absorption of Vitamin D.[23]

Zinc

Zinc helps to improve mood.

A 2022 meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials by Yosaee et al. found that zinc supplementation significantly lowered depressive symptoms, and that the improvement in depressive symptoms occurred only when zinc supplementation was prescribed as a monotherapy.[27]

A 2012 study conducted by Yary and Aazami involving 401 participants found that dietary intake of zinc was inversely associated with depressive symptoms. They stated that long-term intake of zinc may decrease depressive symptoms.[26]

A 2014 article by Vashum et al. reported on the results of two longitudinal studies involving middle age and older individuals.  Both studies showed an inverse association between dietary zinc intake and risk of depressive symptoms; lower dietary zinc intake was associated with a greater incidence of depressive symptoms in both men and women.  Compared to those with the lowest zinc intake, those with the highest zinc intake had a 30% lower chance of developing depressive symptoms in the larger study involving 9738 women ages 45-61, and a 50% lower chance in the smaller study involving 2092 men and women ages 55-85.[24]

Copper

Copper works in balance with Zinc in the body, in order to carry out many different cellular functions.[15]

Astragin

Astragin is a natural compound that helps to increase the absorption of nutrients. It is a proprietary blend of extracts from Astralagus membranaceus & Panax notoginseng. It was developed by NuLiv Science.[1]

Black Pepper Extract

Black Pepper Extract is derived from the fruit of the black pepper plant, and it helps to improve the absorption of nutrients by the body. [12]

REFERENCES

1.AstraGin® | Nutrient Absorption & Gut Health | NuLiv Science [1]

2.The association of folate and depression: A meta-analysis - PubMed (nih.gov) [2]

3.Potential Role of Vitamin D for the Management of Depression and Anxiety - PubMed (nih.gov) [3]

4.A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults - PubMed (nih.gov) [4]

5.Effects of Melissa officinalis L. on Reducing Stress, Alleviating Anxiety Disorders, Depression, and Insomnia, and Increasing Total Antioxidants in Burn Patients | Semantic Scholar [5]

6.The effect of vitamin D supplement on negative emotions: A systematic review and meta‐analysis - Cheng - 2020 - Depression and Anxiety - Wiley Online Library [6]

7.Safety and Efficacy of Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) for Treating Mild to Moderate Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis - PubMed (nih.gov) [7]

8.Curcumin for depression: a meta-analysis - PubMed (nih.gov) [8]

9.The effects of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) on depression and anxiety in clinical trials: A systematic review and meta-analysis - PubMed (nih.gov) [9]

10. Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha Root Extract on Cognitive Functions in Healthy, Stressed Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study - PubMed (nih.gov) [10]

11.Passiflora incarnata in Neuropsychiatric Disorders-A Systematic Review - PubMed (nih.gov) [11]

12.Piperine modulates permeability characteristics of intestine by inducing alterations in membrane dynamics: influence on brush border membrane fluidity, ultrastructure and enzyme kinetics - PubMed (nih.gov) [12]

13.Molecular Basis Underlying the Therapeutic Potential of Vitamin D for the Treatment of Depression and Anxiety - PubMed (nih.gov) [13]

14.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) [14]

15.Serum copper to zinc ratio: Relationship with aging and health status - PubMed (nih.gov) [15]

16.Depression and folate status in the US Population - PubMed (nih.gov) [16]

17.Preoperative oral Passiflora incarnata reduces anxiety in ambulatory surgery patients: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study - PubMed (nih.gov) [17]

18.Clinical Use of Curcumin in Depression: A Meta-Analysis - PubMed (nih.gov) [18]

19.Adaptogenic and Anxiolytic Effects of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Healthy Adults: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Study - PubMed (nih.gov) [19]

20.Clinical evaluation of the pharmacological impact of ashwagandha root extract on sleep in healthy volunteers and insomnia patients: a double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study (nih.gov) [20]

21.The effect of 90 day administration of a high dose vitamin B‐complex on work stress - Stough - 2011 - Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental - Wiley Online Library [21]

22.The Efficacy of Saffron in the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Depression: A Meta-analysis - PubMed (nih.gov) [22]

23.The Synergistic Interplay between Vitamins D and K for Bone and Cardiovascular Health: A Narrative Review - PubMed (nih.gov) [23]

24.The Influence of genetic factors on peripartum depression: A systematic review - PubMed (nih.gov) [24]

25.The Effects of Green Tea Amino Acid L-Theanine Consumption on the Ability to Manage Stress and Anxiety Levels [25]

26.Dietary intake of zinc was inversely associated with depression - PubMed (nih.gov) [26]

27.Zinc in depression: From development to treatment: A comparative/ dose response meta-analysis of observational studies and randomized controlled trials - PubMed (nih.gov) [27]

28.A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of B Vitamin Supplementation on Depressive Symptoms, Anxiety, and Stress: Effects on Healthy and 'At-Risk' Individuals - PubMed (nih.gov) [28]