These 6 Supplements Promote Mood, Motivation, Focus & More*

Maintaining healthy levels of neurotransmitters is key to our whole-body health, as levels that are too high or low can affect our neurological and physiological health in a myriad of ways. While some neurotransmitters are far more popular than others (we're looking at you, serotonin!), each has a vital role in the way we think, feel, act, and process the world around us.

Today, we'll focus on five major neurotransmitters that primarily affect our emotional well-being, cognitive function, and sleep health:

One of the more well-known neurotransmitters, dopamine heavily influences our ability to focus, concentrate, make decisions, learn, and motivate ourselves. Dopamine is a part of the brain's reward system, meaning we can experience a "dopamine rush" after sex, smelling or eating delicious food, shopping, and even receiving a phone notification or like on social media (which is precisely why mbg recommends a tech detox or other form of dopamine fast from time to time).

GABA is most commonly associated with sleep health because its inhibitory (i.e., not excitatory) neuronal pathways before bedtime help the body and mind relax so you can fall (and stay) asleep.* It's also known as the "learning chemical" for its role in facilitating learning and development—specifically, an individual's ability to perform mental tasks1 that require considerable concentration.*

This neurotransmitter affects mood, energy, memory, attentiveness, and concentration. Norepinephrine is also a stress hormone and plays a big role in both regulating the sympathetic nervous system and triggering the "fight or flight" response. Essentially, it helps you think quickly and mobilizes the body, sending energy where it needs to go so you can take action. Having healthy, balanced norepinephrine levels is crucial for stress management and overall well-being.

Commonly known as the "love" or "cuddle" hormone, oxytocin is involved in a number of emotions associated with love, sex, and relationships. The butterflies you get on a first date or the feeling of satisfaction you feel after an orgasm are both a result of a rush of oxytocin, for example. Warm, fuzzy feelings aren't all it's good for, though—oxytocin is essential for reproductive organ function as well. Its main function is to facilitate labor and childbirth, but it also plays an important part in breastfeeding, testosterone synthesis, and sperm transport (i.e., toward an ovulated egg in the female reproductive tract). 

You know we didn't forget the "happy chemical"! Often working alongside dopamine, serotonin heavily influences emotional and mental well-being. (A feel-good hormone that supports overall mood and happiness? Sign us up!) In addition to mood regulation, serotonin helps enable appetite and digestion and plays a part in facilitating the sleep-wake cycle—all great things, no?

So now that we've reviewed some of the most important neurotransmitters that have profound impacts on cognitive function, mood, and mental well-being, let's look at some targeted nutrients, bugs (the good kind), and bioactives in supplements you can use to promote their production:*

To help promote a good mood (and experience a number of other health benefits), consider taking a high-quality vitamin D3 supplement like mbg's vitamin D3 potency+.*

For a high-quality omega-3 supplement that can help you support sufficient omega-3 levels and overall cognitive health, check out mbg's omega-3 potency+, which features 1.5 grams (1,500 milligrams) of EPA plus DHA in each serving, from sustainably sourced wild-caught, cold-water anchovy.*

Luckily, high-quality probiotics packed with gut-health-promoting microbes (like mbg's gut-centric probiotic+) are shown to support healthy levels of serotonin7 in the body and bolster overall gut health (and, subsequently, your brain and whole-body health).* Additionally, the antioxidant actions of probiotics assist GABA production8 as well (thanks to their free-radical-quenching abilities), and some strains of bacteria have even been shown to increase dopamine levels9.*

B vitamins have been identified as key players in the production of dopamine, serotonin, GABA, and norepinephrine10, linking them to everything from mood and happiness to sleep and appetite.* To support your brain health and mental well-being, consider leveraging a high-quality supplement with a high-potency B complex—such as mbg's ultimate multivitamin+ (which boasts 33 vitamins, minerals, and botanical bioactives to support whole-body health and longevity) or our brand-new methylation support+ supplement (which is an especially beneficial precision nutrition solution if you have an MTHFR gene variant).*

Taking a high-quality vitamin C supplement with optimized bioavailability and absorption, plus the added antioxidant bonus of citrus bioflavonoids (like mbg's vitamin C potency+), can help promote cognitive function and a healthy mood.*

It's no surprise that this mineral is heavily involved in producing the calming neurotransmitter GABA15 (which comes in supplement form itself, by the way).* Paired with healthy sleep habits, a targeted and hormone-free sleep supplement like mbg's sleep support+ that features magnesium (plus GABA) can help promote healthy, deep sleep night after night.*

To review, we can promote healthy levels of the following neurotransmitters with several targeted supplements:*

So, there you have it! There are a number of functional nutrients and bioactives you can leverage to help promote neurotransmitter production and overall brain health.* Use this guide to aid your hunt for the best supplements on the market to support daily peak performance of your neurological and emotional well-being.*