B Good to Yourself

The right supplements taken in the right amounts can fill in the nutritional gaps on the days when you don’t eat perfectly, and provide a helping hand when the body fails to make enough of some mod-boosting chemicals.

If you feel down in the dumps, too pooped to play or can’t remember your own name, then it just might be that you aren’t getting enough of the B vitamins.

That’s what Darlene, a teacher in Albuquerque, learned after suffering debilitating exhaustion and depression. She brushed it off – and the 25-pound weight gain that accompanied it – as the start of premenopause. Her physician put her on a stew of medications, from antidepressants to thyroid hormones. “Sure, the drugs helped improve my mood”, she says, “but I wanted to get to the root of the problem, so I found a doctor who was willing to work with me on alternative approaches”.

As Darlene slowly weaned herself off the antidepressants, she replaced them with supplements of B vitamins, along with omega-3 fats and several other nutrients known to affect mood (such as calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, zinc and vitamin E). “The transition was seamless. I felt energized, positive, eager to get up in the morning, yet was finally off all medications”! What’s more, the weight dropped off without her even tying.

The B vitamins are everywhere in the brain. Some B vitamins, especially vitamin B1, B2, and pantohenic acid, help release energy to brain cells so you can think straight. Some Bs, like vitamin B6 and folic acid, are star attractions in making nerve chemicals that keep you happy (like serotonin). Other Bs, like vitamin B12, build the insulation sheath around brain cells that allow messages to travel lickety-split from once cell to another. Include enough of these in your diet and you think fast, feel good and have lots of energy.