5 Root Causes of Low Mood

Have you been feeling exceptionally tired this month? You are not alone!

I have been practicing in Northern Michigan for over 20 years, and year after year, I see two waves of seasonal mood changes in my patients and friends:

November and February.

This year we have a new player - DARK JANUARY. 😟

Many begin to feel the symptoms of seasonal mood and energy changes in November when the days become darker and shorter. Fatigue and lack of motivation are common complaints when we are digging out our light boxes and preparing for the winter ahead.

Following the holidays, these mood and energy changes may continue for some and emerge in others - and with the darkness of this January in Northern Michigan, it seems more and more people are affected.

I’m seeing lots of people this time of year struggling with:

🔹 Feeling sad or hopeless

🔹 Feeling excessively tired

🔹 Negative thought patterns

🔹 Unable to get motivated

🔹 Snapping at loved ones

🔹 Easily irritated or angry

Or just generally feeling BLAH.

Here’s the thing:

✨ You don’t need a mental health diagnosis to struggle with mood—OR to get relief.✨

A Functional Medicine approach to health supports a healthy mood—whether that is your main concern or not!

I’m talking about correcting underlying biochemical patterns that disrupt mood by using simple strategies like:

🥦 Nutrition

👟 Exercise

💤 Sleep

😇 Stress Relief

💊 Supplements

Let’s get started…

5 Root Causes of Low Mood

Lots of people think mood only relates to serotonin levels in the brain, but that’s only part of the story.

Think of it this way:

Your brain is connected to the rest of your body. So your mood depends on the right balance of nutrients, hormones, and other chemical messengers throughout your entire body—including your gut, thyroid, and immune system.

This is not an exhaustive list, but to give you some examples, here are 5 root causes of mood issues that I investigate with my patients.

1️⃣ Hormonal Changes

Low thyroid hormone is a well-established cause of mood problems. Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone also influence mood. The only way to know for sure is to test.

I test thyroid function typically with a morning blood draw, using an expanded thyroid panel that tests “beyond the TSH” to include free thyroid hormone levels and anti-thyroid antibodies. Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone can be tested using blood, urine, or saliva - depending on a variety of factors.

2️⃣ Chronic Inflammation

Many studies have linked inflammatory cytokines with mood problems—even when the source of inflammation is outside the brain. It’s thought these cytokines pass through the blood-brain barrier. This explains the link between an anti-inflammatory diet and a better mood!

3️⃣ Poor Gut Health

Did you know that the microbes inhabiting your gut produce hundreds of neurochemicals—including 95% of the body’s serotonin? These chemicals influence both digestion AND mood, through what’s called the gut-brain axis. Simple steps to enhance gut health can go a long way in improving mood.

4️⃣ Disrupted Stress Response

Cortisol is the hormone our bodies make in response to chronic stress, and studies link disrupted cortisol levels with mood. We can test cortisol levels in the saliva to observe its cyclical pattern over the course of a day. This test costs less than $150, and I typically receive results within ten days.

5️⃣ Suboptimal Nutrition

Serotonin, dopamine, and other neurotransmitters that influence our mood are made out of amino acids from protein. The enzymes used to produce them depend on vitamins and minerals, like magnesium and vitamin B6. Stay tuned for my next blog, all about nutrition and mood!

I know to some people, it may sound crazy to consider these seemingly unrelated issues when somebody struggles with mood.

But I’ve seen it time and time again.

A whole-person approach is the most effective way to get results that last.

Are you ready for a fresh perspective on your health? As a board-certified Integrative & Functional Medicine physician, I can help you “think outside of the box”, and dig deeper with a variety of laboratory testing to help uncover the underlying root causes of your symptoms, and create a plan personalized for you that goes beyond the prescription pad to incorporate diet/lifestyle change, nutritional supplements, holistic therapies, health coaching and more! Contact us to schedule an appointment or learn more.