Swinging moods...anger...frustration and related...

Someone I love has mood swings. Anger. Frustration. Lashing out at times. She gets upset at herself after an outburst and gets down about it. Most of the time she's a joy. This is not a situation where therapy would help although she is seeing someone. She's young, and this may be a stage, could be related to hormones to some degree. 

I decided to do some research for some possible herbal and supplemental solutions or assistance. May find some foods that also help but I'm not going down the yoga, exercise, meditation route as that's not an option for our girl and most of us already know they are good for our overall mental and physical health.

I'm going to just pop things I find on here and will circle back to this blog with updates on what helped or more things to consider. 

You'll find that many, if not all, of these help with sleep also. Stands to reason that if you're calm you're going to sleep better and vice versa! (Note: for more on sleep check out the blog I have on the sidebar and do a search on here for sleep...it is one of my ongoing research areas and I'm always adding things about improving deep and REM sleep.)

Magnesium - we know it's good for sleep, for our brain, but it's also listed as one that helps with stabilizing moods. It is an anti-stressor and studies have shown that it reduces stress levels and anxiety. Magnesium citrate powder is easily absorbed and the magnesium version I keep seeing as being the best for this particular issue.

Vitamin D - thinking getting outside in the sun for our minimum 20 minutes a day is usually the best way to get our D. Especially if combined with some movement like walking or riding a bike. Might not be the best way if you live in an area with heavy pollution.

5-HTP - mood swings, depression, and sleep issues.

Ashwagandha - great for your brain, memory also. (ha --- spellcheck tried to turn ashwagandha into "handwashing".)

Ginseng - mood, anger, focus, energy and more.

Rhodiola Rosea - I bought some and it's a sticky kind of herb, hard to cut up and use. I need to see if there are other versions I can buy, just haven't gotten around to it yet. I wanted to add it to my anti-anxiety tea blend that I make up for a friend but the type I bought turned out to be too hard to incorporate in a tea mix.

Passion Flower - helps with sleep and calms moods.

St. John's Wort - one that is mentioned over and over for mood swings, anxiety, similar issues. One said it is "the top herb" in this area.

Kava Kava - sleep, calmness, relaxation of nerves, anxiety, mood swings.

Chamomile - sleep, anger, skin swelling, stomach cramps.

Valerian Root - mood swings, sleep, restlessness, depression.

Sam-E - also good for your joints

Omega 3 - eat a lot of wild caught salmon! 

B Vitamins - B5, 6 & 12 in particular.  

These are some I came across that I'll update as I find out more. Listing so you can look into them before I do if you'd like:

• Catuaba
• Eleuthero or Siberian ginseng
  
• Ginkgo biloba (I use the herb in some of my teas for reasons other than mood)
  
• Maca root or Peruvian ginseng
• Mulberry bark tea (I eat dried white mulberries...will have to look up to see if they also have a positive mood impact)
  
• Schizandra (Wu Wei Zi)
  
• Shilajit
• Tribulus terrestris
  
• Yohimbine
  

Some additional comments, my own thoughts after years of working to improve my mind and body naturally:

I believe there are many things in our foods and diet that contribute and/or cause a lot, if not most, of our health and mind issues. Allergies to additives like red dye (disputed but there are many children who have had complete mood changes for the good when foods with red dye were removed from their diets). Gluten sensitivity. All those additives we can't pronounce in our processed foods. The list is long...pesticides, fast foods, preservatives, etc. 

Sugar in our foods is a big contributor to mood swings. They use it as a cheap filler...plus it is addictive so we keep going back for more and often don't like things that don't have sugar included. [Who puts sugar in mayonnaise? blue cheese dressing? Mass producers of those products. You won't find sugar in the recipe books. Check out my blog on sugar: https://ramblingjan.blogspot.com/2021/01/cutting-out-sugar-good-luck.html] 

Doubt me on how addictive sugar is? Try going sugar-free for a couple of weeks. I'm not talking about just ditching sodas and cake, I'm talking about looking at labels and taking anything out of your diet that lists any of the hundreds of names they give to sugar to hide it from you. 

I've done a number of blogs on sugar and mention it often in my health posts. I also have a Facebook group, private, called Little Life Hacks (https://www.facebook.com/groups/littlelifehacks) where I post things of interest so maybe I posted on there. You're welcome to join the group, just let me know you heard about it on here.

Our sedentary lifestyle also has a negative impact. The fact that we hang out more inside than outside. The wacky light exposure we now get throwing off our circadian rhythm. So many things we consider "normal" that truly aren't good for our bodies.

I eat organic as much as possible and definitely stay away from the "Dirty Dozen". 

Some suggested reading:

https://whatsgood.vitaminshoppe.com/supplements-mood-support/

https://ehowremedies.com/health/natural-herbal-supplements-to-control-anger-and-mood-swings/

https://globalhealing.com/natural-health/top-5-herbs-for-controlling-mood-swings/

https://urbol.com/natural-mood-stabilizers/

Vitamin C is just vitamin C, right? Updated 1/2/2020

We've all heard about needing vitamin C, how it is in fruits and veggies, how it is good to take when you're ill, and many other great things about its value. I'm betting that most of us take it either alone or in a multi-vitamin. 

As always, foods are the best way to get any vitamin or mineral but most of us don't eat enough, or eat right, to get everything we need. And sometimes we're battling issues where an extra bump is needed either temporarily or ongoing. There are tons of ways to add some extras to your foods (that'll be another blog, of course :-)).

When buying Vitamin C in supplement form, if you're like me, you opted for a well-known label and thought nothing more about it. Knowing it's water soluble and that your body uses what it needs and flushes the rest you may have opted for time release or small dosages to take throughout the day. 

A while back I picked up some powder form by NOW at Sprouts and have been adding it to my smoothies (doing whatever I can to decrease the number of pills I take!). I have never given it a second thought. I just finished off the large bottle and, coincidentally, came across a short blurb about vitamin C that spurred me to look into it a bit more.

Can NOTHING be simple? :-) 

It turns out that there are a variety of types, some absorb better than others and...and...and... In looking into Vitamin C I also found that it does much more than I thought! Who knew it was good for your memory? 

First the types, then the benefits.

Types

Ascorbic Acid - 

Synthetically made but identical to natural C. It's also the cheapest. Acidic and causes some to have stomach issues due to the acidity. From what I've read it is derived from fermented GMO corn...thus I would not be an advocate of using this one.

There are a number of mineral ascorbates that SOME say are less troublesome to those with gastrointestinal issues. They are considered "buffered". However, you need to look at the max daily (or cumulative) dosage for the mineral, especially if you are taking multi vitamins or take the minerals individually.

- Calcium Ascorbate (may be good for bone health but there's some debate about calcium so do some research),
- Magnesium Ascorbate (good for leg cramps, pooping regularly and other things),
- Sodium Ascorbate (be careful with this one if you have salt issues, high blood pressure - 1,000 mg of sodium ascorbate contains roughly 111 mg of sodium).
- Potassium Ascorbate
- Zinc Ascorbate
- Manganese Ascorbate
- Molybdenum Ascorbate
- Chromium Ascorbate

I probably missed a few...the list is long.

Studies have shown that there doesn't seem to be any clinical difference between the synthetic and natural and both are equally bioavailable. Yours truly thinks natural, "real" is always better.

Ascorbate and Vitamin C Metabolites -  

Ester-C is patented calcium-ascorbate with a bit of calcium threonate, xylonate, lyxonate, and dehydroascorbic acid. The maker claims it had higher absorption rates into the blood but a 2008 study showed equal amounts with regular Vitamin C. However, there was a higher concentration in the white blood cells.

Vitamin C with Bioflavonoids (antioxidants; polyphenolic compounds found in plants)

One study showed it had a 35% higher absorption rate than regular ascorbic acid. However there are numerous studies that show no difference. Purportedly easier on the digestion system also. Again, there are those who disagree with that statement. I suppose it is up to you to discover whether it's true or not for your particular stomach!

Liposomal Vitamin C

It has a fat-soluble coating that increases absorption. Saw a number of studies showing increases in absorption.

Ascorbyl Palmitate

Typically this one is used in skin creams, lotions, etc. as it is absorbed better. The formulation makes it fat soluble rather than water soluble. I've read quite a bit about Vitamin C being great for our skin and use a cream that includes it. I'll be checking to see which Vitamin C is used after I finish this post! This type is also used to preserve food.

Vitamin C with Rose Hips (the fruit of the rose plant)

Rose hips are high in Vitamin C and numerous other antioxidants and is easily absorbed. Typically they combine synthetic ascorbic acid with rose hips.

D-Isoascorbic acid (Erythorbic acid)

Used as a food antioxidant in the United States.

Ascorbyl palmitate

Used to increase the shelf-life of things with vegetable oils like chips, etc.

The benefits of Vitamin C

• Increases iron absorption
• Helps improve memory
• Supports the immune system
• Helps with periodontal health
• Helps to prevent colds & respiratory problems
• Good for heart health
• Helps to prevent seizures
• Helps to prevent blood infections
• Great for skin
• Supports the formation of collagen and L-carnitine
• Has been shown to slightly lower blood pressure
• Helps reduce the chances of getting gout
  

Who should take Vitamin C?

Well, I'm definitely not a doctor or trained practitioner but unless you're eating a good supply of veggies and fruits I'd posit that most of us need extra. Especially if you smoke, are stressed, bruise easily, have toxin issues like exposure to mercury (fillings in teeth?) and lead, live in areas with higher pollution, have joint pain or bleeding gums.

The type I'm going to look for (and will update this blog as I find)

- ones made from natural foods like camu-camu, acerola berry, orange peel, and/or rosehips

Things to watch out for when choosing a Vitamin C supplement

They love to put cheap fillers in vitamins, especially the chewable, that, in my opinion, negate the benefits. Sugar, sucralose, stearic acid, natural flavors, artificial flavors and colors, carageenan, vegetable magnesium stearate, rice powder (if you're on a low-carb diet) are ingredients that would have me putting it back on the shelf. You may pay more for quality but it's not really paying more if you're getting something that works AND doesn't have crap in it that will hurt you. 

There are other things I watch out for when buying vitamin supplements that may not be an issue with Vitamin C supplements. I'll let you know if I find them as I wander around on-line looking for a good Vitamin C. Right now I'm leaning toward buying either camu-camu or acerola powder. It looks pricey at first glance but when I cost it out it seems to be very reasonable.

What dosage?

Generally, from what I've read, it's safe up to around 3,000 mg a day. After that you'll probably be sitting on the toilet regretting those high doses. However, if you break it up throughout the day even higher doses can be tolerated without diarrhea. 

2,000 mg per day is what seems to be the general consensus on dosage that I ran across for prevention of gout, decreasing blood pressure, fighting infections. However, if you consistently take high doses it may increase your chances of getting cataracts and some say cause kidney stones. Conversely, studies have shown that Vitamin C helps to prevent cataracts. Balance. It's always about balance.

The "official" recommended minimum daily range is between 65 and 90 mg with smokers needing an addition 35 mg. Per ConsumerLab.com (where I do a lot of research; paid site) the dosage between 50 and 100 mg is "sufficient for most adults". 

The recommended dosages are set for the minimum requirements to live. You know how you eat, what you eat...if you're eating a lot of fresh organic veggies you're probably good to go without supplementation unless you've been exposed to some nasty virus or illness, or you feel yourself fighting something, or you're stressed, or you don't exercise, or you live with any kind of pollution, or if you are exposed to toxins, mold...or...or... OK, OK, take a supplement when in those situations! :-)

I'm an advocate of breaking it up through the day no matter what dose you take. That's one of the reasons I switched to adding a powdered Vitamin C to my smoothie or daily drink. I mix a large bottle in the morning with my C and other powders and drink it all day, adding water or herbal tea or ice to keep it fresh and filled. 

Little tidbits of interest

One study found that only 50% of time released Vitamin C was absorbed, another found that the slow release was equal to taking small doses. Could be some formulas are better than others?  

Vitamin C increases your bodies ability to absorb iron. (Personal note: I learned last year that I have a condition where I have high iron in my blood. Supposedly, from the research I did, the only way to get rid of the excess iron is to donate blood. I need to do a bit more research on it and, given the increased absorption rate with Vitamin C, may need to back away from taking it as a supplement. I do know that excess iron in your system can cause some not-so-good health issues.)

Your body can't manufacture Vitamin C so you have to get it in your foods or as a supplement

Vitamin C helps your body produce collagen

More info (and where I got some of my info):

https://www.iherb.com/blog/vitamin-c-forms/994

https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/vitamin-C/supplemental-forms

https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/vitamin-C/supplemental-forms

https://modernalternativemama.com/2015/10/19/how-to-choose-the-best-type-of-vitamin-c/

https://www.swansonvitamins.com/blog/lindsey/benefits-of-vitamin-c-and-vitamin-c-types

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/

Shankhapushpi (Dwarf Morning Glory, aloe weed, Convolvulus pluricaulis, Clitoria ternatea, Evolvulus alstinoides, Codonopsis pilosula, Canscora decussate)

Well, dingbat here, was digging through my refrigerator bin with powders and herbs and found my bag of powdered Shankapushpi (or Shankhapushpi). I have a tendency to get interested in something, buy it and USE it...but this is one I remember getting during a really stressful time, I tried it for a bit, and I put it in the fridge for "later". It slid to the bottom of the bin and my mind. 

The plus side to coming across it this morning is that I get to be excited about trying it again so it's a two-fer??? Not exactly excited but I'm off doing some re-research to re-learn why I bought it. If I remember correctly it didn't do much for my sleep but it could be that it needs to build.

It sounds really good but I've gotten a bit jaded when it comes to all the things out there that are said to do wonderful things, especially when they have such a long list of benefits. Not doubting they work but none of them are miracle workers and what works for one person may not for another. It could be that this will help me personally in one area but not another. Getting ready to start again and find out!

It has many reported benefits for the brain AND to a lesser degree for sleep, two big areas of interest for me. In reading about it the memory enhancement and cognitive benefits top the list as to reasons people use it. The list of what it purportedly does/helps with includes:

• Memory enhancement (long-term), improved concentration & mental fatigue, & focus
• Alzhiemer's disease & other dementias (here's an interesting bit about two of the different types of Shankhapushpi: https://www.jpionline.org/index.php/ijpi/article/view/827)
  
• Epilepsy
  
• Depression
• Ulcers
  
• 
  Stress & anxiety
• Sleep
• Headache prevention
• Skin health
• Digestion 
• Cardio health
  
• Learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism
  
• Liver disease
• Nausea & vomiting
• Bronchitis & asthma
• Graying hair, hair loss
• Diabetes
  

A few tidbits:

• There are four (4) plants known as Shankhapushpi: Convolvulus pluricaulis, Clitoria ternatea, Evolvulus alstinoides (found it called Vishnukarandhi, Vishnukrantha, Vishnu-kranta, Vishukarandi, and Sankaholi), and Codonopsis pilosula. Update: just came across a site that says the four are Convolvulus pluricaulis, Evolvulus alsinoides, Clitoria ternatea, and Canscora decussate with the first being the "true" Dwarf Morning Glory. Yikes, now we're up to five plants and who knows how many names... Sigh. Ya'll are on your own...I'd need a doctorate to figure out which one is true at this point. I have Evolvulus alstinoides...which a number of sites said was "the best". Who knows? They generally all said they did the same thing in reading.
  
• You can use the oil, capsules, syrup, powder, juice or make a decoction.
• It's a perennial Indian plant (also found in Burma)
  
• 
  Check with your doctor if you're taking medications to lower your blood pressure or have any other health issues. I didn't see any big warning signs about taking it but it's always advisable to go slow with anything new you're adding.
  
• At extremely high doses it can slow down your respiratory system so make sure you stick to the recommended doses. I always cycle things like this just to be on the safe side. I also cycle things to make sure my body doesn't adjust to whatever I'm taking --- sometimes your body adjusts and quits making its own cancer fighters, sugar regulators, etc. All we're trying to do with supplementation is enhance, not kill or suppress, what our body can do for us if treated well.
  
• There is some debate as to whether the shankpushpi from Clitoria ternatea or Convolvulus pluricaulis is the best...seems that the Clitoria ternatea wins out for purists but it seems the Convolvulus is more common. I plan to do a bit more reading on this one...came across it late in my research. Not sure which one I have either so going to grab my bag to see. Update: I have Banyan Botanicals, Evolvulus alstinoides (saw it called Vishnukranthi on one site) also known as Dwarf Morning Glory herb per the label on the bag --- which means yours truly has more research to do! I am going to look it up using the common title, see if I can find out what the difference is between the three I have now come across. Traveling an interesting investigative trail. :-)
  
• The blooms closely resemble those of the Morning Glory so you'll see that mentioned frequently if you're out reading. It's not morning glory so don't go getting high on those morning glory seeds :-).
  
• Throughout history it has been a major part of Ayurvedic medicine practice
• It has a bitter taste so you may want to mix it with something sweet if you're not taking capsules

Dosage

The dosage suggestions vary widely and depend sometimes on what you're trying to achieve. I'm going to start with a half teaspoon twice a day, once in the morning and another at night. For brain and memory I saw doses as high as two teaspoons three times a day with the last being taken before bed to enhance sleep (which definitely helps the brain). I plan to start slow. I'm more into prevention of memory issues at this point so doubt I'll go to the higher doses.

More reading if you're interested. Much more depth than I provided above:

Effect of Evolvulus alsinoides Linn. on learning behavior and memory enhancement activity in rodents: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19610035/

https://supplementsinreview.com/nootropic/convolvulus-pluricalis-nootropic/ 

https://learn.1balance.com/post/benefits-of-shankhpushpi/

Comparative nootropic effect of evolvulus alsinoides and convolvulus pluricaulis: https://ijpbs.net/abstract.php?article=NTk2 

https://www.netmeds.com/health-library/post/shankhpushpi-benefits-uses-dosage-formulations-and-side-effects

https://lifeseasons.com/shankhpushpi

https://rootbabes.com/shankhpushpi-benefits/

https://harmonyveda.com/2020/01/09/know-shankhpushpi-benefits/

https://www.gyanunlimited.com/health/top-10-wonder-benefits-of-shankhpushpi-convolvulus-pluricaulis/11551/

A short one on two new things I'm doing for sleep...

I have a full-blown on-going blog about sleep on the sidebar if you'd like more on sleep hacks, tips, things to try. These are my two latest additions and thus far both seem to be helping. 

Addition #1 - Ashwagandha 

I make a cup of herbal tea at night. I do it about 3 hours or so before I go to sleep to mitigate the mid-night or 2a.m. bathroom trip. Kinda silly to go through all these hoops for good quality sleep and have it interrupted by a full bladder, right? :-)

I mix my own teas and the one I drink at night is one blended for my specific needs so I won't bore you with the ingredients. However, one thing I do that you may want to try is adding turmeric and ginger. I use ginger and turmeric root, readily available at most grocery stores, and pop thin slices in the tea. I'm working on a turmeric blog will try to remember to pop back on here and link when I get finished. I also add my nightly Calm (magnesium) to the cup (leg cramps, brain, pooping...it's not the only magnesium I take, each type has different benefits...guess I need to do a magnesium blog?). 

The NEW addition is ashwaghanda root. 

I was out and about on-line doing some research and came across the tidbit that it helped with sleep. I use the powder in my smoothies and it is also in a few of the brain supplements I take but it's probably all out of my system by the time I go to bed. Guessing on that one. Could be that just giving it a boost at night is what does the trick.

I started experimenting with it, adding it for a few nights running to my tea bag, missed it off and on. I noticed that my deep sleep improved when I added it to my night tea. I'm still tracking to see if it holds true but so far it's a winner. I work more on my deep sleep than I do on length of sleep. Dave Asprey has a lot on deep sleep, need to get back over and read some more of his "stuff". 

Addition #2 - Quinine (in Tonic Water) 

I recently had my veins done (hereditary issue, thanks mom :-)). I asked the vascular surgeon about the leg cramps I suffer through fairly often. He said that while he couldn't, as a doctor, tell me to do it many of his patients swore by tonic water. 

The magnesium I take doesn't seem to do much for my particular type of leg cramps...then again, maybe they'd be horrific if I didn't take it every night! I don't plan to find out.

So...I went out and did some reading and then went on a hunt for some tonic water that I'd drink at the local grocery stores. Bleh. They all had sugars, sucrolose, a variety of additions that I would never put in my body.

I finally found one at my local Kroger. Their Diet Tonic Water doesn't have a sweetener in it. I bought a 99 cent bottle to see if it helped. 

Wow. I haven't had leg cramps since I started drinking it. I have no idea if it's a placebo effect -- don't believe it is as I've "believed" in other things that supposedly worked on leg cramps that didn't for yours truly. I do think that everyone's body is different and maybe this is the thing that works on my particular type of leg cramp but maybe not yours. It's a cheap thing to try and if it works I will expect a hug if we ever meet. 

I use it in the tea mix I mentioned in Addition #1 to cool my tea. I leave space in the top of the tea cup and add it. I'll also put a little in my daily drink mix off and on but not consistently. 

Note: I gather that quinine is also known as cinchoa or Countess powder. Guess who's off to do some research? Could be that I can just buy some of the powder and use it, or maybe the root for my tea. It's very bitter so maybe I'll just stick to the tonic water.

Have you tried either of these? Doing something I've missed? Experimenting? Figured out ways to improve your deep sleep? Check out my blog on the sidebar and let me know if I should add anything to my list. Thanks! 

Hope you have a healthy, restful, 2021.

Side tip re: Calm --- I buy it on Amazon, have it on their Subscribe and Save program. I was at Costco recently and they had a much larger container (20 oz vs 16 oz) for a dollar more than Amazon's smaller container. I grabbed one. I just popped over to Amazon and noticed they've dropped the price for the 16 oz container by $2. Ha. Keep an eye on it if it's something you use as there may be more price changes!