You’re not alone; it’s quite common for people to suffer from low mood, irritability, anxiety, insomnia and fatigue during the cooler months. This is in part due to shorter days and less sunshine, leaving the healthiest of us feeling vulnerable to the ‘winter blues’. If this sounds like you, now is the time to look after yourself and re-energise for a happy and healthy spring.

The winter blues

The winter blues is a common, cyclical mood disorder that tends to occur when the days get shorter and the weather turns cold and gloomy. Alterations to mood tend to change during late autumn and continue on into winter, with symptoms typically disappearing during the spring and summer months. The cause of winter blues is not fully understood, however it is thought that sunlight deficiency plays a major role:

• Reduced exposure to sunlight during winter can adversely affect your brain chemistry. Most of us feel happier and in a good mood when the sun is shining and low levels of vitamin D, your sunshine vitamin, are implicated in the winter blues.
• Circadian rhythm dysfunction or your body’s internal clock depends on sunlight, helping to regulate your sleep and wake cycles. In some people, the shorter days of winter can disrupt the normal circadian rhythm and adversely alter brain functioning.

• Excessive melatonin exposure, due to reduced sunlight, switches on your sleep response whereas increased sunlight switches off melatonin production. The shorter daylight hours of winter promote greater exposure to melatonin, your sleep hormone, which may impact those susceptible to the winter blues.

• Neurotransmitter dysfunction caused by deficiencies or imbalances have been implicated in mood disorders and are interlinked at many levels. Serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline levels are often decreased in those who suffer from the winter blues and an imbalance in one can have a major impact on all three.

Top 3 ingredients to help re-energise you for spring

• St John’s wort is traditionally used to treat depression and anxiety, and is still a popular choice today for nervous tension, mild to moderate depression, anxiety, irritability, stress and insomnia. Its mode of action is thought to enhance the activity of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine for healthy mood.

• Vitamin D3 supports healthy mood by modifying neurotransmitters. Your body is able to produce vitamin D naturally when your skin is exposed to direct sunshine, and even though we live in a relatively sunny climate, many Australians are deficient in vitamin D. A deficiency of vitamin D is implicated in neurotransmitter imbalance responsible for mood, depression and anxiety.

• Tyrosine is an essential precursor for the production of dopamine and your stress hormones. Through these actions, Tyrosine provides adaptogenic properties, helping to improve mental alertness, reduce stress and anxiety, improves mood and positive feelings of wellness while supporting healthy nervous system function.

Mr Vitamins recommends

Herbs of Gold products to Re-energise your System

• D3 Spray
• Extra Strength St John’s Wort 3600
• Tyrosine 1000

Find out more about these Herbs of Gold products here