Alex Rhodes
February 5, 2024
Mood Supplements: Gut Health Edition
Our top mood supplements and practical tips.
I. Gut Health Necessities
You've probably heard about taking care of your gut health, but research shows it does way more than help with digestion. A mood support supplement to keep your gut in check is key for balancing overall mood health. One study found collagen helps reinforce the stomach lining, which enables better absorption of mood supporting nutrients.
Table of Contents
- I. Gut Health Necessities
- II. Why Gut Health and Mood Go Together
- III. Not All Collagens are Created Equal
- IV. Best Collagen Sources
- V. Mood-based Eating
II. Why Gut Health and Mood Go Together
The gut has a direct connection to the brain through something called the vagus nerve. When your stomach lining isn't working properly, it struggles to break down nutrients that produce “feel good” brain chemicals like serotonin. A healthy gut barrier allows absorbtion so they can interact with pathways regulating your mood and emotions, que collagen.
III. Not All Collagens are Created Equal
There are over 20 distinct collagen types, but types I, II and III make up about 90% of the collagen in the human body. These three, referred to as full-spectrum collagen, work together to provide structure and support, especially in intestinal tissues. Collagen type I is the most abundant and forms connective fibers alongside type III. Type II helps compose flexible tissues like cartilage.
Full-spectrum collagen is more functionally restorative than the isolated type I collagen found in your average supplements. Overall, collagen builds the lining that allows all the nutrients through to create those feel-good neurotransmitters. Therefore, any effective mood support supplement should provide full-spectrum collagen.
IV. Best Collagen Sources
Without a doubt the best place to find full-spectrum collagen is in bones, and there are two ways to go about this.
Bone broth has become popular for good reason - simmering bones for hours extracts collagen, amino acids, and minerals for a nutrient-dense sip. Drinking a few mugs of this liquid gold each day provides mood health benefits.
For those short on time, bone and marrow supplements make getting your collagen fix more conveniently. Quality capsules provide the same bovine or chicken collagen, protein, and nutrients that infusion process pulls out of the bones into an easy supplement form.
Here are our picks:
a. Bone Broth
(2 - 4 cups per day)
You can find bone broth at almost any health food store or even seek it out locally. We do love Bonafide Beef & Chicken Bone Broth. We recommend sourcing it frozen. You may be tempted to buy a powder or something that's shelf stable, but these usually have additives to make the broth last longer.
b. Bone & Marrow
(4 capsules per day)
Bone and bone marrow supplements like Humanimal’s Bone & Marrow. Bone & Marrow supplements go through a freeze-drying process instead of a heating process retaining almost all of their nutrient compounds, especially collagen. These are perfect for if you want to easily get your full-spectrum collagen and don’t have to worry about adding anything to your grocery list.
V. Mood-based Eating
Working on your gut health with full-spectrum collagen-rich sources lets more mood-influencing nutrients through so your brain chemicals stay balanced. This can be a great first step to a more MOOD-based diet.