Mental health – important self-care for your mental balance!

A stable psyche is essential not only for the quality of life, but also for the stresses of everyday life! After all, the list of psychological stress factors in everyday life is long - a high workload, constant availability or stressful situations in the family are just a few examples.

Our modern lifestyle is increasingly causing us to struggle with stress and anxiety. To make matters worse, the Corona crisis and its extensive impact on social life have exacerbated this development.

Whether negative media, social isolation, professional and economic uncertainty, fear of infection with Covid-19 or various other additional burdens – all of this takes its toll on mental health. It is therefore high time to practice self-care to strengthen yourself and support mental balance.

Read now what mental health is all about, what role serotonin plays in it and how you can naturally support your mental well-being.

Mental health – what is it?

The psyche of a person is an extremely complex structure. It is the inner life of a person that remains hidden from outsiders.

All conscious and unconscious processes of the brain can be defined as a person's psyche. This primarily includes human feelings, sensations and thoughts.

Serotonin – the “happiness hormone” and its influence on mental balance

Serotonin is a kind of mood enhancer and therefore literally the key to happiness! Serotonin is a neurotransmitter or messenger substance that is responsible for transmitting information in the human nervous system.

As a neurotransmitter, serotonin influences, among other things, a person’s emotions, mood and drive, which is why serotonin is colloquially referred to as the “happiness hormone” or “feel-good hormone”.

The biochemically correct name is 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT). Serotonin is mainly found in the gastrointestinal tract - namely around 95% of the total amount. Serotonin is produced here in the enterochromaffin cells of the gastrointestinal tract. But serotonin can also be found in the central and peripheral nervous system and in the thrombocytes (blood platelets).

The “happiness hormone” is formed from the essential amino acid tryptophan, which is therefore known as a serotonin precursor. However, tryptophan is not an immediate precursor from which serotonin can be formed directly.

Rather, tryptophan serves as a precursor to 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan), from which serotonin can then be produced directly. Vitamin B6 is also required for the synthesis of serotonin. It is also interesting in this context that low vitamin B levels are associated with the symptoms of depression. (1)

Chronic stress, too little vitamin B6 or even serious illnesses can lead to a serotonin deficiency. If a deficiency exists, this condition can have a noticeable effect on a person's emotional stability.Classic symptoms of serotonin deficiency include:

• Increased fatigue
• Lack of drive
• Increased irritability
• depression
• anxiety
• lack of concentration

In addition to its influence on mood, drive and emotions, serotonin also affects, among other things, bowel movements, body temperature, appetite and the sleep-wake rhythm as well as the perception of pain.

Strengthen your psyche and increase your well-being – with these measures you can support your mental health!

A healthy lifestyle creates the best conditions for maintaining mental health. This includes a healthy and balanced diet characterized by nutrient-rich foods.

Some foods can even help stimulate serotonin production. These are foods that are rich in tryptophan!

As already mentioned, tryptophan is the amino acid from which serotonin is formed.

Since tryptophan is an essential amino acid that the body cannot produce on its own, it is necessary to obtain sufficient amounts through food. Cheeses such as Parmesan, Emmental and Edam contain a lot of tryptophan.

Legumes such as peas and sunflower seeds or fruits such as bananas, pineapples and plums are also rich in the serotonin precursor.

Magnesium can also help strengthen the psyche and nerves. Magnesium is an important mineral that is involved in many processes in the body, including the regulation of the nervous system and muscle contraction.

A magnesium deficiency can lead to a number of problems, including muscle cramps, sleep problems, anxiety and depression.

These symptoms can be improved by taking magnesium supplements or by increasing magnesium intake through diet.

An adequate supply of B vitamins also plays an important role in mental health. B vitamins have been proven to support normal functioning of the nervous system.

B vitamins have also been shown to contribute to normal psychological function and help reduce tiredness and fatigue. A meta-analysis also found that vitamin B supplementation can help reduce stress.

This is especially true for people who did not have an adequate supply of nutrients or who were susceptible to stress due to their mood. (3) In addition, vitamin B6 is needed for serotonin synthesis (1), which underlines the importance of an adequate supply.

After all, serotonin is an important messenger substance for mood.

But it is not only the supply of nutrients that is important for a healthy psyche, because exercise and sport are also balm for the soul!

This is the conclusion reached by several studies examining the effects of physical activity on well-being, anxiety and depressive symptoms. (4, 5)

Exercise most likely stimulates the release of serotonin and is therefore a real mood enhancer with antidepressant effects.

Therefore, in the interest of your own mental health, it is important to keep your body active on a regular basis.

Conclusion: A healthy diet and plenty of exercise support mental health

In order to cope with the numerous stresses of everyday life, a stable psyche is essential.

Physical activity also helps to improve well-being and alleviate or even eliminate anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Proteins also play an essential role in the nervous and psychological functions of the body. Here are some important proteins:

• Neurotransmitters: Proteins such as dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine and GABA are important neurotransmitters responsible for transmitting signals between nerve cells in the brain and body.
• Neuropeptides: These are special proteins that act as neurotransmitters and neurohormones. They play an important role in regulating mood, pain sensation, hunger and sleep.
• Enzymes: Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions in the body. Some enzymes are important for the synthesis of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides.
• Structural proteins: Structural proteins such as tubulin, actin and myosin are important components of cells and tissues in the body. They are also involved in the formation and function of nerve cells.
• Receptors: Proteins that are found on the surface of nerve cells and mediate the effects of neurotransmitters and other signaling molecules. An example of this is the GABA receptors, which are activated by the neurotransmitter GABA.

It is important to have a balanced diet to get enough protein and other essential nutrients for nerve and mental health.

Recommended protein sources include lean meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds.

To supplement this, we recommend our natural proteins from plant sources such as almonds, peas, hemp, linseed and sunflower.