Green tea contains a small amount of caffeine to give you a sustained energy lift, but also contains theanine, which can have a relaxing effect on the mind, reduce anxiety and help with focus and concentration.

Matcha green tea, in particular, is said to contain a high percentage of calming theanine. For relaxation: chamomile.

For adrenal support: ashwagandha. Like holy basil, ashwagandha is considered an adaptogen, helping to balance the effects of stress on our body and mind. As the name suggests, adaptogens help the body adapt to daily stressors.

They help reduce negative changes during times of emotional and physical stress by strengthening the endocrine and nervous systems. Ashwagandha is in our Peace tea and our Wholistic Ashwagandha capsules. For brain health: turmeric. This golden super-spice is associated with a multitude of health benefits.

These include helping to protect the brain and memory, via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. But turmeric may also have a direct benefit for mood: because depression is thought to involve excessive inflammation, the anti-inflammatory effect of turmeric may help bring things back to normal.

qualified Ayurvedic practitioner and yoga teacher, Jo is passionate about bringing these two ancient sciences together to help people feel empowered about their health.

Jo has put her post-graduate certificate in education to good use, co-founding the Ayurveda academy to help others learn of the wonders of Ayurveda.

Herbs for Happiness: Plants to boost mood Managing stress, maintaining a sense of calm and clarity and looking after our physical wellbeing are all factors we can control.

A Note On Safety. St John's wort absolutely can interfere with medication. If you are on long term medication like the oral contraceptive pill, auto immune medication or blood pressure medication you should not take high dose St John's wort products.

This is due to its key constituent, hypericin which works on your liver enzymes, effectively making you metabolise your medication more quickly - which is not what you want.

Lemon balm Melissa officinalis is a part of the mint family making it a wonderful calming plant. It helps to relieve spasms in the digestive tract as well as helping with reflux and heart burn - which can become worse when we are stressed. It is a low bushy plant that has heart shaped leaves and tiny white flowers, its hardy but will die back in winter.

Bees love it! But it is most known for its supportive actions to the nervous system. Lemon balm has mild antidepressant properties , and can help with neuralgia, anxiety induced palpitations, sleep issues and migraines that are associated with stress and tension.

It can also support your circulatory system as it has a tonic effect on the heart and can support lowering blood pressure.

These reasons make lemon balm a great natural alternative for those looking for a mood boosting herb. What Scientists Say About Lemon Balm. Controlled trials show that lemon balm has the ability to support improved mood, and reduce anxiety related symptoms such as tension, palpitations, agitation and can help with PMS.

It has been also shown to help with memory, cognition and attention Perry, N. Lemon balm extracts increase the action of the brain calming signals GABA and its active constituents like citronellal help to support its antispasmodic and sleep supporting actions.

A Note On Safety Lemon balm has a high safety profile. There are no real side effects and children can take it. A lemon balm tea is a great place to start.

High doses are not recommended though if you suffer from hypothyroidism. Saffron Crocus sativus is a bulbous perennial native to India and the eastern Mediterranean.

It has narrow leaves, purple flowers and 3 deep red stigmas. It is a very expensive plant medicine as only the stigmas are used. Saffron has been used in culinary dishes for centuries, it imparts a beautiful colour to foods and dyes.

In western herbal medicine it is used to help counter depression, low mood, help to support the nervous system and also for nerve pain and shock and this is why we have added to our list of mood boosting herbs. What Scientists Say Saffron supplementation has been shown to help mild and moderate depressive symptoms - showing it was just as effective as antidepressants SSRIs without side effects.

It has also been trialled and used for cognitive decline in Alzheimer's patients and also clinically used to help treat PMS and for those suffering from sexual dysfunction from antidepressant use. A controlled trial in Tehran gave people either 15mg of saffron or 10mg of fluoxetine SSRI antidepressant morning and evening for 8 weeks.

Saffron was shown to be as effective as fluoxetine in the treatment of mild depression Perry, N. How It Works This plant helps to boost mood by boosting serotonin and dopamine and memory. The active constituent in saffron is crocin and safranal.

Crocin increases serotonin and dopamine and it helps to block the enzyme monoamine oxidase and is a powerful antioxidant for the brain. High doses can cause nausea but generally saffron is a safe plant with minimal side effects.

Advice : Use as directed. Discontinue if any irritation arises. If symptoms persist see your health care professional. Home News The 5 Most Powerful Mood Boosting Herbs. Recent Articles. Helpful Tips. Who Are We - Everything You Need To Know About Wild Dispensary What You Need To Know If You Are New To Herbal Medicine The 5 Things We Do To Ensure Sustainability The Truth About Naturopathy In New Zealand 7 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Immune System 8 Incredible Herbs To Help With Sleep.

The 5 Most Powerful Mood Boosting Herbs by Skye Macfarlane on Sep 03, 1 comment. Here are some great places to start: Mental Health Foundation Healthline Depression. org The Low Down Youthline 5 Powerful Mood Boosting Herbs Saint John's Wort Saint John's wort Hypericum perforatum is very well-known for mood.

How To Recognise It St John's wort has small dark green oval leaves distinguished by tiny perforations that are actually oil glands. What Scientists Say St John's wort is one of the most studied plants in herbal medicine. How It Works St John's wort is a nerve insulator, meaning it helps both our physical nerves this is why we use it in our Golden Skin Oil and our internal nervous system.

A Note On Safety St John's wort absolutely can interfere with medication. It is always b est to check with your health professional before trying any St John's wort product. Please note topical St John's wort will not have the same effect.

Also note that St John's wort is not recommended in pregnancy, or for those that are suffering severe depression please consult your medical professional if you need extra support. Lemon Balm Lemon balm Melissa officinalis is a part of the mint family making it a wonderful calming plant.

What Scientists Say About Lemon Balm Controlled trials show that lemon balm has the ability to support improved mood, and reduce anxiety related symptoms such as tension, palpitations, agitation and can help with PMS. Hawthorn You might not initially associate hawthorn as a mood boosting herb because traditionally it has been used to help with upset stomachs due to its astringent properties.

It also has a great affinity for the cardiovascular system in particular the heart. It can help support circulation, supporting healthy blood pressure. The German federal Ministry of health commissioned a study of Hawthorn over 4 years and then officially recognised Hawthorn as a heart remedy.

This makes it a viable and official treatment for some cardiac conditions in Germany. Hawthorn in a long term clinical trial of patients on conventional therapy for heart failure showed that it helped reduce symptoms Fisher, C.

It also helps with the muscle contractions of the heart supporting us as we age. But how does this make it a mood boosting herb?

Well when you are feeling low you need to support your circulation and it also imparts a tonic effect on your whole body, especially your heart. Hawthorn has a high safety profile and there are few side effects or contraindications.

As with every plant check before you start taking anything at high dose. It likes dry places, has oval leaves with greenish or yellow flowers that turn into bright red berries. These berries can be used to coagulate milk to make cheese! The whole plant is used which is amazing - but what we see and use mostly are the roots.

In several controlled trials ashwagandha has been shown to reduce anxiety and physical stress symptoms e. blood pressure and heart rate. It is also being studied to help support healthy ageing and the effects of ageing such as loss of muscle strength and function, joint and bone pain, and also helping with stamina and energy levels for people an athletes.

Studies show that this mood boosting herb modifies our neurotransmitters including those that calm us GABA , or work on mood serotonin , or help with pain and memory. They have even found it works on supporting our nervous and immune system by influencing stress and immune signalling via the release of the hormone corticosterone.