Best supplements: Natural pill to help with brain imbalance reducing depression symptoms
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Supplements are known to have a bad reputation with some questioning its capabilities. Those backed up by studies, however, could dissuade even the most cynical. With depression at an all-time high, one natural daily pill has been shown to have major positive attributes and could be the answer.
Maitake means dancing mushroom in Japanese.
The mushroom is said to have gotten its name after people danced with happiness upon finding it in the wild, such are its incredible healing properties.
Maitake mushrooms is a type of adaptogen.
Adaptogens assist the body in fighting against any type of mental or physical difficulty.
They also help to regulate systems of the body that have become unbalanced and could be used to help treat symptoms of depression.
The bio-active compounds found in the maitake mushroom could help delay or prevent the onset of neurological conditions such as depression, a study has found.
Researchers from Yunnan University in China fed mice foods containing either maitake or oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) for either one day or five days.
In addition, the animals were randomly fed either a low dose, a medium dose or a high dose of maitake-containing food.
A series of behavioural tests were conducted to further assess the potential antidepressant effects of the mushroom.
Those consuming maitake-containing foods at any dose performed better on these tests.
The scientists were also able to affirm the antidepressant effect of the maitake by the way that certain receptors in the brain responded to it.
According to the scientists, this is not the first time maitake has been investigated for its medicinal properties, though most studies have been in animals.
Although the effects found in the current study have not been shown in people, from their data, the scientists suggest that maitake is “a safe and edible mushroom but may have fewer side effects than the currently used antidepressants”.
While patients could potentially just eat maitake as a food supplement to help treat depression, this discovery of an antidepressant effect of maitake, they say, also opens the door for the development of effective and safe drugs for the symptoms of major depressive disorder.
Maitake mushrooms are known to help a number of other health conditions due to their powerful ingredients which include:
- Antioxidants
- Beta-glucans
- Vitamins B and
- Copper
- Potassium
- Fibre
- Minerals
- Amino acids.
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