Magnesium is essential to whole body health being critically involved in over 300 functions! It is especially important for brain health. Magnesium has been shown to enhance cognitive abilities. Magnesium contributes to synaptic plasticity, allowing brain cells to recover from stress or trauma more easily, and form new synaptic connections. Magnesium is also a NMDA glutamate antagonist. Drugs with the same mechanism of action have shown dramatic promise for treating depression. Because of conventional farming methods and overuse of land, many foods that used to be rich in magnesium are now lacking. Many people have magnesium deficiencies as a result. Supplementing with magnesium contributes to overall health and is a fundamental mineral for the nervous system.

1. Magnesium sulfate protects against the bioenergetic consequences of chronic glutamate receptor stimulation.
2. Changes in brain protein expression are linked to magnesium restriction-induced depression-like behavior.
3. Rapid recovery from major depression using magnesium treatment.
4. Antidepressant-like activity of magnesium in the chronic mild stress model in rats: alterations in the NMDA receptor subunits.
5. Zinc, magnesium and NMDA receptor alterations in the hippocampus of suicide victims.
6. Magnesium in depression.
7. New paradigms for treatment-resistant depression.
8. Platelet serotonin and magnesium concentrations in suicidal and non-suicidal depressed patients.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a spice that’s been used in Ayurvedic medicine and food for thousands of years in Asian countries. It contains a group of polyphenolic compounds called curcuminoids. The most researched of these compounds is curcumin. Turmeric has been found to exhibit anti-cancerous, antifungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and antioxidant properties. We chose turmeric as one of our ingredients because of it’s affect on inflammatory response, antioxidant production in the body, and ability to promote neurogenesis. Stress, sleep deprivation, and toxins can cause oxidative stress and tissue damage to our body and brains. Turmeric promotes a healthy inflammatory response and helps the body recover to optimal function. Turmeric increases levels of antioxidant vitamins in the body such as vitamin C and E, and is a strong stimulator of the Nrf2 pathway that promotes endogenous antioxidant production, combating oxidative damage to cells and DNA Turmeric also promotes a protein called BDNF, which regulates brain cell and dendrite growth. Turmeric has been clinically shown to increase BDNF in hippocampal regions of the brain.

1. Curcumin exhibits anti-pre-cancer activity by increasing levels of vitamins C and E, and preventing lipid peroxidation and DNA damage.
2. Neuroprotective and cognitive enhancing effects of a multi-targeted food intervention in an animal model of neurodegeneration and depression
3. Curcuma longa extract associated with white pepper lessens high fat diet-induced inflammation in subcutaneous adipose tissue.
4. Antidepressant-like effects of curcumin in chronic mild stress of rats: involvement of its anti-inflammatory action.
5. Effects of curcumin on chronic, unpredictable, mild, stress-induced depressive-like behaviour and structural plasticity in the lateral amygdala of rats.
6. Neuroprotective and antioxidant effects of curcumin in a ketamine-induced model of mania in rats.
7. Antidepressant-like effects of curcumin in WKY rat model of depression is associated with an increase in hippocampal BDNF.
8. Multiple antidepressant potential modes of action of curcumin: a review of its anti-inflammatory, monoaminergic, antioxidant, immune-modulating and neuroprotective effects.

The fruit of the blueberry plant (Vaccinium) contains a number of powerful antioxidants and phytochemicals which have many health benefits. Blueberries contain anthocyanins which evidence has shows reduces inflammation, may help fight cancer, reverse aging, and improve memory and depression symptoms. Blueberry compounds, like turmeric, also contribute to neurotrophic cell proliferation by activating BDNF and promoting neurogensis in the hippocampal region of the brain. They also provide protection against neurotoxicity and DNA damage. Also like Turmeric, blueberry compounds stimulate the bodies antioxidant production by interacting with regulatory genes helping your body combat oxidative stress. Blueberry also interacts with inflammation regulating genes and has been clinically shown to prevent cognitive decline and memory loss.

1. Inhibitory effects of wild blueberry anthocyanins and other flavonoids on biomarkers of acute and chronic inflammation in vitro.
2. Nutraceutical Intervention Improves Older Adults’ Cognitive Functioning.
3. Blueberry (Vaccinium virgatum) leaf extracts protect against Aβ-induced cytotoxicity and cognitive impairment.
4. Chemical analysis and effect of blueberry and lingonberry fruits and leaves against glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity.
5. Dietary levels of pure flavonoids improve spatial memory performance and increase hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor.
6. A blueberry-enriched diet attenuates nephropathy in a rat model of hypertension via reduction in oxidative stress.
7. Synaptic failure and adenosine triphosphate imbalance induced by amyloid-β aggregates are prevented by blueberry-enriched polyphenols extract.
8. Behavioral and genoprotective effects of Vaccinium berries intake in mice.
9. Age-related toxicity of amyloid-beta associated with increased pERK and pCREB in primary hippocampal neurons: reversal by blueberry extract.

Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) has been used traditionally in chinese medicine to treat the liver. It contains many pharmacologically active compounds including Silymarin and Silibinin. Research suggests that compounds from milkthistle stimulate regeneration of liver cells, stimulate detoxification pathways, stabilize cell members, and inhibit growth of cancer cells. It also has been found to boost antioxidant production in the body. Research suggest that consuming milk thistle increases levels of serotonin, norepinephrin and BDNF (brain derived neurotrphic factor). Milkthistle extracts have also been found to enhance protein synthesis, and have inflammatory and immune modulating activity. Silymarin shows evidence of neuroprotective properties in neurodegenerative diseases and stress-induced damage in neurons. Liver health is very important for brain and mood health because of it’s important role in detoxification of organs, regulation of hormones and enzyme production which effects nutrient metabolism.

1. Protective effects of silibinin and its possible mechanism of action in mice exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress.
2. Silymarin as a Natural Antioxidant: An Overview of the Current Evidence and Perspectives.
3. Silibinin prevents dopaminergic neuronal loss in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease via mitochondrial stabilization.
4. Possible involvement of nitric oxide in antidepressant-like effect of silymarin in male mice.
5. Silymarin effect on amyloid-β plaque accumulation and gene expression of APP in an Alzheimer’s disease rat model.