A-Z mood enhancement Articles

Cacao beans come from a small evergreen tree called the Theobroma Cacao tree. It is the key ingredient of most high-quality chocolates. It however is different than cocoa and chocolate. Many commercial cocoa and chocolate are stripped of the health benefits of the cacao bean due to its bitter taste.

What is Cacao?

Cacao is the raw form of what is used to make commercial chocolate.

The less refined or raw form of Cacao is highly medicinal and is available in most health food stores. It’s made by cold-pressing unroasted Cocoa beans. Once roasted it loses much of its medicinal benefits.

Cocoa powder for baking and making chocolate is made from raw Cacao that has been roasted.

The healthiest form of Cacao is the raw unroasted version.

Key Medicinal Properties In Cacao

It is rich in agents that enhance the production of ‘feel-good’ chemicals in the brain, notably serotonin and dopamine. This means Cacao possesses anti-depressant and mood-elevating properties.

One of these mood-modifying compounds is Anandamide (from the Sanskrit ananda meaning ‘bliss’). This is a naturally occurring substance found in Cacao known as a cannabinoid, a member of the same psychoactive substances found in cannabis. It binds to the same sites as THC, the active chemical in marijuana, and produces a global feeling of euphoria.

Another constituent in cacao which alters mood in a pleasurable way is PEA or Phenethylamine. PEA stimulates the production of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurochemical directly associated with sexual arousal and pleasure. It’s also found to be increased in the brain when we are in love and is especially amplified during orgasm. The feeling is similar to the ‘high’ experienced by runners and the endorphin release after exercise.

Health Benefits of Cacao

Helps Increase Production of Serotonin

It is also high in the amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan increases the production of serotonin, the brain’s ‘feel-good’ chemical. It promotes a highly desirable mood state and is often the target of anti-depressant drugs. No wonder it makes us feel so good!

Improves Cardiovascular Health

Flavanols have been found in high concentrations in certain fruits and vegetables, wine, grape juice, and berries. Flavanols are particularly high in Cacao. Epicatechins are thought to be the flavanols responsible for many of the health benefits of Cacao, especially for cardiovascular health. Studies have shown that Epicatechins in Cacao have a short-term benefit on LDL (commonly referred to as 'bad') cholesterol, has been shown to reduce blood pressure, improve vascular platelet function, as well as decrease insulin resistance, indicating Cacao in the treatment and prevention of metabolic syndrome.

Potent Antioxidant With Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Epicatechins in Cacao are potent antioxidants and have both anti-inflammatory and Nitric Oxide (NO) synthase-activating effects. NO activation may play a role in the reduction of stroke, heart failure and diabetes; all of the major causes of death in North America.

Some data has linked a deficiency in epicatechins to these diseases, which explains why Cacao is so protective in preventing these diseases. Island-dwelling populations off the coast of Panama who consume an abundance of raw Cacao have been shown to have lower blood pressure levels and no age-related decline in kidney function, as well as overall significantly less mortality resulting from cardiovascular events. This protective effect is lost on the same population when they migrate to nearby cities where there is less raw Cacao consumption.

Cacao Nibs As a Superfood

As a superfood, it is a good source of minerals, particularly magnesium, zinc, iron, calcium, and potassium. These minerals are all important for healthy muscle function, especially for the heart and blood vessels. They help the heart to pump efficiently and the blood vessels to dilate and constrict as needed, which helps blood pressure.

It is also a low-glycemic food, high in fibre and lowers blood sugar and insulin resistance.

Cacao is high in Resveratrol, a strong antioxidant which can cross the blood-brain barrier and protect your brain from oxidative damage. Antioxidants are also very important to protect against unwanted cellular damage from stress, environmental toxins and metabolic waste, which our bodies produce daily.

Cacao Supplements: Powder, Paste and Nibs

Cacao comes in powdered, paste and nib forms. It is great added to baked goods, curries, yogurt, hot cereal and health shakes. By adding it to your food it increases the nutritional value up to tenfold!

Jasmine is a shrub indigenous to Old World European Mediterranean countries such as France, Italy and Greece. Its vines climb the sides of trees and buildings. This shrub is very well known for its beautiful white flowers which smell similar to orange and lemon tree blossoms…

Jasmine's Medicinal History

Jasmine is used as a medicinal herb and has long been used in Aromatherapy, the art of using herb macerates in oil medicinally and as a tea for centuries. This herb is frequently mixed with Green Tea and labelled Jasmine Green Tea to give it its characteristic odour and taste.

Parts of the Jasmine Plant That Are Used

This herb is used mostly to flavour Green Tea. The flowers are picked during the day and laid over the green tea leaves so at night when the flowers open and emit their beautiful fragrance it scents the tea leaves.

As an essential oil, Jasmine is used mixed with a carrier oil like Jojoba or Grape Seed Oil and used in massage therapy around the globe. You can also find it as an alcohol extract for oral consumption.

Key Health Benefits of Jasmine

This herb has been used for many ailments. When used topically, the oil can treat joint pain and inflammation. As a tea, it has been used for digestion, cough and to soothe the throat. 

Studies show that the Jasmine fragrance affects your nervous system. It affects your autonomic nervous system creating the feeling of relaxation and elevated mood due to its medicinal property called linalool and through your olfactory nerves in your nose. Specifically, Jasmine decreases heart rate and produces a calming effect. 

Jasmine can also increase circulation, specifically your heart circulation and circulation to your extremities. Given that it is a sedative which calms your autonomic nervous system it will slow your heart rate and dilate blood vessels, making it a great cardiovascular herb. 

Tips For Using Jasmine In Your Daily Routine

This herb can be drunk daily in Green Tea to give you a sense of relaxation but with a little extra energy which Green Tea provides.

In an alcoholic extract, Jasmine can be ingested in a little water to improve circulation and digestion and for its calming effects.

As an essential oil, Jasmine can be put into an infuser and emitted into your office or home to make the air smell delightful and provide a calming environment for your coworkers and family. It can also be put in natural unscented cleaning solutions like vinegar and water to clean your household. Jasmine oil, like Lavender oil, can be added to water and spritzed onto your pillows to have a calming effect at bedtime. This is great if you suffer from insomnia or if your kids have trouble settling at bedtime. Or if you simply enjoy the smell of this flower you can use the essential oil as a perfume.

Saffron extract comes from the stigmas (the long thin hair-like projections in the middle of the flower) of the saffron crocus plant (Crocus sativus). This extract has long been used in traditional Persian medicine for the treatment of depression. It was recently shown on Dr. Oz's self-titled show as one of the belly-fat-busting supplements. Dr. Oz stated that this extract can "annihilate your urge to over-eat". Reviewing the literature, this extract has far more potential than just that (although it does that too). It has also been found to help cognition and healthy cell development.

Top Benefits of Saffron

Weight Loss – Reducing Emotional Eating

A recent study in a journal called Nutrition Research showed a significant benefit of saffron extract in promoting weight loss in slightly overweight women. It was found that this particular extract reduced snacking and enhanced satiety or the feeling of having had enough. They showed that this extract combats emotional eating. It was found to trigger the same chemical cascade in the brain that creates the feeling that you get in the short-term from eating carbohydrates. Thus, supplementing can give you the ability to say "no", even when faced with tempting foods.

Alzheimer's Disease

One study found that 30mg of saffron extract daily was equally as successful at treating mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease as donepezil, a common pharmaceutical drug used in these cases. Thus, this extract can help to protect mental function in those afflicted with Alzheimer's disease.

Healthy Cell Growth

Preliminary research shows successful promotion of apoptosis ("cell-suicide") in lung and colon cells. A number of studies have successfully examined saffron extract as a treatment against several unhealthy cell lines in test tubes. Further research is required, but saffron extract may have beneficial effects.

Depression

A study of 40 depressed people, found that 30mg per day of saffron extract was found to be as effective as fluoxetine (Prozac) in the treatment of depression. Thus, in addition to its other benefits, saffron extract may also help with symptoms of depression. It is likely that these effects happen through similar alterations in the brains chemical pathways that allow for reduced food cravings. These effects are not surprising since saffron has been used in traditional Persian medicine for this purpose for centuries.

Taking Saffron Extract

Saffron extract is available in capsule and liquid form from a variety of manufacturers. It has been well studied at a dose of 30mg per day, often divided into 15mg doses given twice daily. This dose has been found to be safe and without significant side effects.

Tyrosine is considered a non-essential amino acid, meaning that your body can make it from another amino acid, phenylalanine. That being said, it can also be found in a variety of foods, including wheat germ, oats, cheese and other dairy products, pork, turkey, chicken, and other wild game. Tyrosine or L-tyrosine can also be taken as a supplement. PKU is a condition in which individuals cannot make this amino acid from phenylalanine; in these cases, supplementation is necessary.

Medicinal Uses For Tyrosine

Neurotransmitter Effects

One of the more important medicinal uses of this amino acid comes from its ability to be converted to the following neurotransmitters: dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine. These neurotransmitters play an integral role in memory, attention and problem solving, depression and mood, as well as our stress response. Studies have shown that tyrosine, most likely due to its ability to increase the levels of the aforementioned neurotransmitters, may have the ability to fight fatigue and improve memory and mental functioning, particularly under the influence of environmental stressors, including sleep deprivation due to stress. It has also been shown to calm anxiety and help to improve mood and outlook.

Thyroid Support

Tyrosine is also involved in the synthesis of the thyroid hormone thyroxine. It is commonly recommended that individuals suffering from thyroid dysfunction supplement with this amino acid to increase metabolic activity and help to alleviate hypothyroid symptoms. As a substance that increases or up-regulates norepinephrine, this amino acid can also cause relatively quick and significant increases in energy, especially useful for individuals suffering from chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia.

Tyrosine Supplement Varieties

Tyrosine can be found in capsule form, either alone or in combination with other amino-acids, or supplements formulated to support thyroid, mood, energy and attention. This amino acid is considered safe at high doses. Some research has shown it has been associated with increased blood pressure in some individuals. If you have moderately high blood pressure or are at risk for high blood pressure, consult a qualified healthcare practitioner before supplementing with tyrosine and have your blood pressure checked regularly.

What is Velvet Bean?

Velvet bean, also called Macuna, is a legume from Africa and Asia. It is a shrub with climbing vines which reach 15 metres in length. It has been used for centuries by traditional systems of medicine and in Ayurvedic medicine.

Different parts of the herb are used for many conditions, ranging from scorpion bites to erectile dysfunction. However, the main use in northern hemisphere countries is for symptoms of depression.

Uses & Benefits of Velvet Bean

Velvet bean has many traditional medicinal usages, including treating:

• Pain & Toothaches
• Infertility
• Scorpion & Snake bites
• Low testosterone & Libido
• Inflammation & Muscle spasms
• Parasites
• High blood sugar & High cholesterol
• Fever
• Stress

Different countries use it for various ailments. For instance:

Germany uses this herb for diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, intestinal gas, muscle pain, rheumatism, and intestinal worms. 

Brazil uses it for as an aphrodisiac, diuretic, for stress, edema, and intestinal worms.

India uses it for unhealthy cell growth, cholera, cough, debility, delirium, diabetes, diarrhea, dysentery, edema, fertility, gout, impotency, kidney stones, menstrual disorders, nervousness, scorpion stings, snakebites, tuberculosis, intestinal worms, as an aphrodisiac and uterine stimulant. 

Clearly, this herb is a useful and versatile medicine.

Mood Support

Depression is another application for Velvet Bean. In North America, treating depression is one of the main uses for Velvet Bean. Depression has become a major concern in North America over the last 20 years. Antidepressants are one of the most commonly prescribed medications by MDs. There are many causes for depression, including a lack of daytime light (known as Seasonal Affective Disorder), poor sleep, emotional trauma, stress, chronic pain, substance abuse, hormonal disruption, nutritional deficiencies and even food sensitivities.

Symptoms of depression range in severity and in a combination of symptoms from person to person. Symptoms can include: fatigue, an increase or decrease in sleep, loss of ability to function in daily activities, anxiety, foggy thinking, irritability, anger, weepiness, pain, and reclusiveness.

Parkinson's Disease Support

In North America and parts of Europe, Velvet Bean is also being used for its L-Dopa content for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Parkinson’s disease is believed to be related to low levels of Dopamine in certain parts of the brain. Once L-DOPA, from Velvet Bean, has crossed from the bloodstream into the brain, it is converted into the neurotransmitter Dopamine. The resulting increase in Dopamine concentrations in the brain is thought to improve nerve conduction and to assist in lessening the movement disorders in Parkinson’s disease.

Diabetes Support

Another common application for the use of Velvet Bean is for the treatment of diabetes. Numerous laboratory studies have been conducted on the blood sugar-lowering effect of Velvet Bean. These studies consistently demonstrated that Velvet Bean can effectively lower blood sugar levels. An extract of Velvet Bean decreased blood sugar levels in rats by more than 30% and 50% after four months.

How Do Velvet Bean Supplements Work In The Body?

Velvet Bean naturally contains phytochemicals that make specific neurotransmitters in your brain, which results in a feeling of relaxation, clear thinking, and joy.

Its Link With Serotonin Production

Specifically, Velvet Bean contains small amounts of Serotonin, which increases your levels of naturally generated serotonin. Serotonin is one of the main neurotransmitters in your brain responsible for happiness. Velvet Bean also contains L-Dopa which goes into making a brain neurotransmitter called Dopamine. In addition to Dopamine being helpful in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, it also helps promote enjoyment and interest in life. This is helpful for those suffering from depression.

Dopamine Booster

Dopamine is widespread in the brain as well as the rest of the nervous system. This neurotransmitter plays a critical role in the control of movement. It has a stimulating effect on the heart, the circulation, the rate of metabolism, and is able to stimulate the body's energy reserves. It helps to balance brain activity, control coordination and movement, and regulate the flow of information to different areas of the brain.

When you have a lack of Dopamine you feel a lack of pleasure, an inability to feel love, a lack of remorse for your actions, difficulty focusing and a dislike of others.

When you have sufficient Dopamine you have feelings of pleasure, joy, attachment, and love, concern and empathy for others, and your thoughts and emotions are integrated and healthy. Research shows that Dopamine is just as important as Serotonin to have a sense of happiness and fulfillment in your life.

Blood Sugar Balancing Effects

How it works to reduce blood sugar is a little different than how it acts to help depression and Parkinson’s. Mainly, it works on the liver of diabetics. When looking at liver enzymes involved in sugar or carbohydrate metabolism, one study using diabetic rats found that the normal suppression of an enzyme called Glucokinase associated with diabetes was partially reversed with Velvet Bean. Glucokinase is found in lower amounts in diabetics and is associated with normal sugar metabolism. In diabetics, it can be decreased by up to 78.08%. But with the administration of Velvet Bean, Glucokinase was increased by 23.96%. Studies show a similar increase in other enzymes involved with sugar metabolism, namely Hexokinase and Glucose-6-phosphatase. It is thought that the part of Velvet Bean that is responsible for these effects is called D-Chiro Inositol.

Important Information

This herb may interact with medications for Parkinson's Disease, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and blood pressure drugs. It may also affect individuals with hormone-sensitive conditions. Side effects can include nausea, headaches, digestive upset, or changes in mood if taken in high doses. Velvet bean is not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting to take these supplements, especially if you have a medical condition or take prescription medications.