Many aspects of modern life, such as stress, unemployment, health problems, change of season, the death of a loved one, and divorce or separation can result in feelings of melancholy, sadness, or even anxiety. If these symptoms continue, over time they may result in a state of chronic anxiety and depression, which can cause great suffering and affect our lives in many ways, including family, school and work.

Anxiety and depression are associated with a reduction of the levels of GABA and serotonin, respectively, in our brains. These are two neurotransmitters, which when at normal levels reduce the symptoms of anxiety (GABA) and lift our mood (serotonin).

Discover how FLORA +MOOD can lift your mood

FLORA +MOOD is a food supplement based on natural products which is specially designed to raise the levels of these two neurotransmitters in our brains and thus lift our mood and reduce the symptoms associated with anxiety or depression. Its composition includes Tryptophan, Vitamin B6, dried Lemon Balm leaf extract and two strains of probiotics, Bifidobaterium lactis and Lactobacillus rhamnosus, which make up part of our intestinal flora or microbes.

FLORA +MOOD: A perfect combination of ingredients

- Triptophan is the molecule from which serotonin is synthesized in our bodies, and it is now known that depression is caused by a serotonin deficiency, which is in turn caused by a lack of tryptophan in the brain. Thus, for sufferers of this debilitating condition it is extremely important to normalize the synthesis in the brain in order to alleviate the symptoms of depression. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid which means that the body cannot generate it itself. Therefore, it must be included in our diet or by taking food supplements such as Flora + Ánimo. The synthesis of serotonin from tryptophan needs Vitamin B6 or pyridoxine. It has been clinically proven that a deficiency in this vitamin leads to a significant reduction in the synthesis. On the other hand, an extra dose of Vitamin B6, such as that provided by Flora + Ánimo significantly increases the levels of tryptophan in the brain.

- Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) is a plant that has been known to have medicinal properties for over 2000 years, and which has been traditionally used to a range of conditions including those affecting the nervous system, insomnia and depression among others. A recent range of scientific studies has shown that Lemon Balm prevents the degradation of the GABA, and has also been proven to calm anxiety, lift the mood of people who were experimentally submitted to stressful situations, as well as reducing symptoms of insomnia.

Intestinal flora is made up of billions of microorganisms that are present in our gastrointestinal tract. We maintain a mutually beneficial relationship with these microorganisms, a relationship that has been developing over millions of years. Made up mainly of bacteria, the intestinal flora is extremely important for the correct metabolism of nutrients, and that they are absorbed without problems, and maintenance of intestinal mucus in a healthy condition. This flora also regulates inflammatory responses and helps promote and maintain healthy nervous and immune systems.

Probiotics are microorganisms that, when ingested, establish themselves in colonies in the gastrointestinal tract. They perform many of the functions necessary for healthy digestion as well as preventing the development of pathogenic microorganisms which may damage our health. In the last decade, many scientific studies have shown that there is two-way communication between the intestinal bacteria, its metabolites and the brain. These studies show the composition of the intestinal flora affects many neurological functions and that taking probiotics can help raise our mood and reduce symptoms of depression. These probiotics increase the bio-availability of tryptophan which is needed for the neuronal bio-synthesis of serotonin, thus reducing symptoms of depression. It will also reduce the debilitating effects of other conditions associated with anxiety and depression such as oxidation stress, systemic inflammation and elevated activity of the immune system. In some cases, administering probiotics has shown to be just as effective as prescribing pharmaceutical anti-depressives, without producing any adverse reactions or side effects.

The strains of probiotics contained in FLORA +MOOD, Bifidobacterium lactis and Lactobacillus rhamnosus, have been used in a range of clinical studies as part of treatment of people suffering from depression. They have been shown to successfully reduce many of the parameters associated with depressive symptoms as well improving the subject’s mental health and lowering levels of anxiety in people who have extremely stressful jobs.

FLORA +MOOD is a food supplement based on natural ingredients which, if taken daily, can benefit us by raising our mood and reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Furthermore, the food supplement FLORA +MOOD does NOT contain gluten or lactose, and is suitable for vegans.