Stress, Mood, Mental Fatigue: What Support to Choose?

There is no single supplement for stress. The choice depends mainly on what one is experiencing: mental fatigue, tension, difficulty adapting to a demanding period, difficulty unwinding, restlessness, a temporary need for relaxation, affected or low mood, lack of drive. GABA, rhodiola, adaptogens, omega-3s, calming medicinal plants, and St. John's wort address different needs. 

We tend to lump all these states into the same category. However, they don't necessarily tell the same story and don't always require the same support. 

Some days, we're simply tired from a demanding period. Other times, we feel like our system is constantly on high alert and we just want to calm down. Sometimes, our mood is truly affected. 

The first question to ask yourself is therefore very simple: How do I feel right now? 

Then, here are the different effective natural tools available. 

1. Omegas + Astaxanthin: I take care of my brain every day to support my overall health, even before talking about stress. 

Omega-3 fatty acids are important constituents of our body, and DHA is particularly abundant in the brain. 

We therefore see Omegas + Astaxanthin as a fundamental tool. 

It doesn't necessarily correspond to a moment when you say to yourself: "I'm stressed today, what can I take?" 

It is rather part of a daily routine and meets the need: I want to take care of my brain every day. 

2. Rhodiola: when stress starts to make me tired 

There is a form of stress that doesn't necessarily make us agitated. 

It makes us tired. 

We feel less energetic, less motivated, mentally strained. A demanding period seems to require more effort than usual. 

This is where rhodiola becomes interesting. 

Rhodiola rosea is a plant traditionally classified as an adaptogen. It has been studied in the context of physical and mental fatigue. Studies and research report potential interest for mental fatigue associated with stress. 

Meets the need: stress makes me tired and I lack drive. 

3. Mushrooms & Adaptogens: when I'm going through a particularly demanding period 

There are also periods when we know our body is under a lot of strain. 

An important project. An intense professional period. A lot of things to manage simultaneously. A pace that constantly requires adaptation. 

Adaptogens are named precisely because of their relationship with the body's ability to adapt to different stresses. 

Our Mushrooms & Adaptogens formula fits into this broader vision. 

This is not necessarily the product for "I need to calm down now." 

It's more for: 

"I'm going through a lot and I want to support my ability to adapt." 

4. GABA: when I need to calm down 

Here is a new tool that wonderfully complements this family. And it is different. 

GABA meets an extremely simple need to recognize: I need to calm down. 

What is GABA? 

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a naturally occurring substance in our body and the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. 

To understand its role, let's consider that our nervous system has both mechanisms that stimulate neuronal activity and others that slow it down. 

GABA belongs to this second category. 

Its physiological role is to decrease the excitability of certain neurons and to participate in the balance between excitation and inhibition in the nervous system. 

This is what makes GABA particularly fascinating when considering relaxation. 

Why take GABA if our body already produces it? 

Our bodies naturally produce GABA, and we can explain its fundamental role in our brain. When GABA is taken as a capsule supplement, it does not exactly replicate what naturally occurs in the brain, but it still promotes a state of relaxation (Hepsomali et al., 2020) through other mechanisms that are still under study. 

For our GABA, the recommended use is simple: helps to temporarily promote relaxation. 

This is exactly how we like to position it. Not as a solution to all stress-related problems. Not as a product to "treat anxiety." But as a tool for when we feel the need to temporarily promote a state of relaxation. 

When to consider GABA? 

Imagine the end of a long day. You've finished what you had to do, but internally, it feels like everything is still going on. 

Or a time when you feel particularly overwhelmed and just want to return to a calmer state. 

To meet the need: I need to calm down and promote relaxation now. 

For some people, this need arises at the end of the day, when it's time to switch off from work. 

For others, it may occur occasionally during a particularly demanding period. 

Is it a product for sleep?

We prefer to talk about relaxation. 

The GABAergic system plays an important role in neurological mechanisms associated with sleep. However, regarding orally administered GABA, scientific data on sleep remains limited¹. 

5. GABA or Calmant: what's the difference? 

This is probably one of the most important questions. 

Both may seem similar as they both relate to calm and relaxation. 

However, we assign them to two distinct categories. 

I think of GABA when my need is specific and very clear: "I need to calm down." Its territory is that of temporary relaxation. 

Calmant, which consists of medicinal plants, is more suitable when I recognize a state of mental agitation and find it difficult to switch off. 

6. St. John's Wort: when it's no longer just stress, but my mood 

St. John's Wort occupies yet another territory. 

We are no longer simply in the realm of: 

"I've had a long day." 

Nor in: 

"I need to calm down." 

We are talking instead about a mood that is truly affected. 

My need: my mood is truly low or affected. 

St. John's Wort, however, requires particular vigilance. 

It can interact with many medications. People who are taking medication or have a particular condition should consult a healthcare professional before using it. 

How to choose? 

We ultimately return to our first question. 

What am I really feeling? 

If I want to take care of my brain daily, I think of Omegas + Astaxanthin. 

If stress makes me tired and I lack energy, I think of Rhodiola. 

If I'm going through a particularly demanding period and want to support my adaptability, I think of Mushrooms & Adaptogens. 

If I feel that I simply need to calm down and temporarily promote relaxation, I think of GABA. 

If I am tense, agitated, and finding it difficult to switch off, I think of Calmant. 

If it is truly my mood that is affected, St. John's Wort falls into a different category and requires more precautions. 

Can several of these products be taken? 

Yes, but you must first identify your primary need. 

Omegas + Astaxanthin can be part of a daily foundational routine. 

Then, depending on what we are going through, we choose the tool that best suits the need of the moment. 

Rhodiola, Mushrooms & Adaptogens, GABA, Calming and St. John's Wort were not brought together here because they are interchangeable. 

They are brought together because they help us better understand the different ways we can experience a demanding period. 

And with GABA, we understand this new gesture: to calm down. 

We talk a lot about what we can do to have more energy: be more focused, more efficient, adapt better. 

But taking care of yourself also means knowing how to recognize when you need to calm down. 

This is exactly where our new GABA 750 mg comes in. 

N.B. As with any natural health product, if you have a medical condition, are taking medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, it is important to check the precautions specific to each product and seek advice from a healthcare professional.