Mood-Lifting, Brain-Boosting Blog, Updated October 31, 2025

Items for mood-lifting and brain-boosting
By Chris Steiner
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• Acetyl L-Carnitine: helps fats cross cell membranes, metabolizing fats for energy in the mitochondria; crosses the blood-brain barrier better than L-Carnitine
• B complex vitamins from whole food source (as most supplements are coal tar-derived), like bee pollen and beef liver,  The many folks who can partially or fully recover from  neuropsychiatric disorders, like autism, is proof they aren't genetic, although our genetics are shown to heavily influence how well we can detoxify, including from vaccines.  Heterozygous MTHFR, MTRR, MTR, AHCY, and COMT gene mutations require alternate supplementation.  Genetic testing might not be as important as just starting by taking the better forms of B vitamins (e.g. methylated vitamin B9 as L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate, 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid, and methylfolate; and vitamin B12 as methylcobalamin and the metabolites, adenosylcobalamin AKA dibencozide) and other B vitamins that are marketed as "coenzymated," "activated," "reduced," and "metabolites," meaning they are already in a bioavailable form that the body doesn't need to use its resources to convert.   The B complex formula I take is at https://www.swansonvitamins.com/p/swanson-ultra-activated-b-complex-high-potency-bioavailability-60-veg-caps, though I also get B vitamins from eating bee pollen, which is also a good source of copper, that boosts my energy, too.
• Bacopa monnieri
• Bee products: raw honey, bee pollen, propolis, and royal jelly
​• Benfotiamine
• Cacoa, as it has Theobromine
• Colostrum (bovine) from a clean source like New Zealand: promotes neurogenesis, also helpful for palsies, dystrophies, multiple sclerosis, and many more diseases and conditions including neurological
• Cordyceps Sinensis: improves blood oxygenation up to 30% and I found to noticeably helps my workout endurance
• Curcumin (extracted from turmeric) dissolves Beta-amyloid plaques in the brain that are implicated in Alzheimer's Disease
​• Damiana leaf: also a male and female aphrodisiac
• DLPA (DL-phenylalanine)​
• DMAE (dimethyl amino ethanol): good for age/liver spots (rancid fat beneath the skin), formerly prescription-only for ADD
• EFAs (essential fatty acids) from hempseed oil and fish oil, which contains EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) (see also the Fat/EFA Absorption Blog).   I take a big swallow each day of organic hemp seed oil and my nutritional blood analysis shows I'm getting enough.  I was taking a high quality fish oil, though within a week of beginning taking organic hemp seed oil noticed smoother skin.
• Essential oils (only food-grade AKA therapeutic-grade AKA medicinal-grade, preferably organic) like Frankincense (from the Boswellia tree), rosemary, turmeric, rose, Roman Chamomile, French lavender, eucalyptus, myrrh, peppermint, ylang ylang, Roman Chamomile, French Lavender, cinnamons, sage, clary sage, rose geranium, thymes, basil, and many more.
• Gingko biloba: increases brain circulation
• Huperzine A (extract from Huperzia serrata)
• Silica: I take a tablespoon of food grade diatomaceous earth (AKA "fossil shell flour") on an empty stomach once or twice per day, also useful for detoxification.  Because it also harms beneficial bacteria, one should also supplement separately with probiotics (e.g. fermented and cultured foods) and prebiotics (soluble fibre).
• CBD oil
• L-Glutamine: the most common amino acid in the body, memory aid, muscle recovery, assists digestive disorders like diverticulitis, diverticulosis, Crohn's Disease, etc.  I notice very enhanced virility about three days after taking it a scoop.
• L-Pyrogluatmic Acid: similar to L-Glutamine, but more easily crosses the blood-brain barrier
• L-Theanine: amino acid found in green tea
• L-Tyrosine or N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine
• Lion's Mane mushroom: proven to stimulate neurogenesis for improved memory and I found to be a good mood-lifter
• Kava Kava
• Maca (preferably purple or, even better, black maca): also a male and female aphrodisiac, helps balance hormones
• Magnesium (700+ mg/day in the form of sulfate (Epsom Salt) is the least expensive and also has sulfur, a mineral great for detoxification that most folks lack), though other well-absorbed forms are citrate, aspartate, malate, glycinate, and bisglycinate. Avoid magnesium oxide, which is oxidized, thus free radical-inducing.  Although more expensive, magnesium peroxide (e.g. Homozon, Oxy-Powder by Global Healing Center, and Oxy-Cleanse by Earth's Bounty) is also antiseptic and more alkalinizing, as it releases oxygen.
• NADH: https://web.archive.org/web/20191001102658/http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1016-nadh.aspx?activeingredientid=1016&activeingredientname=nadh​
• PABA (para-amino benzoic acid)
• Raw eggs, preferably organic and from pasture-raised hens
• SAMe AKA SAM-e
• Serotonin precursors: L-Tryptophan, GABA, GTF (glucose-tolerance factor) Chromium (200-400 mcg (micrograms) / day)
• Sunflower seed lecithin (preferable to soy or soya lecithin): Contains phospholipids, phosphatidyl serine and phosphatidyl choline, which are also good for stimulating proliferation of your own stem cells; emulsifies fats with water; and is anti-viral
​• St. John's Wort
• Vinpocetine
​• Vitamin D-3 (5,000-10,000 IU per day for most adults)

See more on the Neurogenesis Blog.