If you feel like staying in bed when the days get shorter, darker, and colder, you’re not alone.
But if those winter blues bring on symptoms such as…
- Low energy
- Constant tiredness
- Trouble sleeping
- Oversleeping
- Feelings of hopelessness and profound sadness
- Difficulty focusing
- Lower sex drive
- Avoiding social situations
- Crying more easily than usual
- Intense cravings for carbs
- Weight gain
- Lost interest in your favorite activities
… you could be suffering with Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD.
SAD symptoms may be mild at the start of the season, and get more severe as the days get even shorter.
If you’re having thoughts about death or suicide, talk to a medical professional right away.
Millions of people struggle with SAD each year, but new research sheds some bright light on a possible solution… that starts in your gut.
Quick Answer: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a seasonal pattern of low mood and low energy tied to shorter, darker days, with symptoms like fatigue, oversleeping, sadness, trouble focusing, and carb cravings. It is linked to shifts in the brain chemicals serotonin and melatonin. Emerging research points to the gut microbiome as part of the picture: beneficial gut bacteria help produce serotonin, dopamine, GABA, melatonin, and B vitamins that support mood, sleep, and energy. Keeping the gut microbiome in healthy balance, including with spore probiotics, may help the body better cope with reduced sunlight. If you have thoughts of death or suicide, talk to a medical professional right away.
What’s Behind Seasonal Affective Disorder?
SAD is closely tied to the shorter daylight of the colder months, which can disrupt two key brain chemicals: serotonin and melatonin. People experiencing SAD tend to make too little serotonin and too much melatonin.
What’s Behind SAD?
No one knows the exact causes of SAD, but one thing is very clear: It’s directly tied to the seasons, and affects people as the sunlight-portion of the days gets shorter. That limited daylight triggers a response in the brain.
SAD seems to be connected to imbalances in two important brain chemicals: serotonin and melatonin.
Serotonin is the neurotransmitter (brain chemical) associated with happiness and feeling good.
Melatonin is the hormone that regulates your body clock and sleep.
People with SAD produce too little serotonin and too much melatonin. Those imbalances can lead to a messed-up sleep-wake cycle, low energy, and depression.
Scientists are just beginning to understand the part that the gut microbiome – the trillions of bacteria in the gut – plays in the onset and treatment of SAD. But one thing they do believe:
Getting and keeping the gut microbiome in healthy balance is a key part of reducing or eliminating SAD symptoms.
How Does Your Gut Microbiome Connect to SAD?
Big seasonal changes in daylight can throw the gut microbiome out of balance, a condition called dysbiosis. Because beneficial gut bacteria help produce mood- and sleep-related compounds like serotonin, dopamine, GABA, and melatonin, that imbalance can affect how you feel.
How Your Gut Microbiome Connects to SAD
Your body works on cycles and rhythms, and big changes in daylight can knock those off course. Those disruptions can have a negative effect on your gut microbiome, leading to a condition called dysbiosis.
In dysbiosis, the bad bacteria (pathogens) in your gut outnumber the good bacteria (probiotics). That can lead to some significant changes in your overall health… including your mental health. (read more here)
That’s because the good bacteria in your gut produce some very important compounds, including:
- Serotonin, the main feel-good brain chemical
- Dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with pleasure, satisfaction, and attention
- GABA, the neurotransmitter that quiets anxiety and improves sleep quality
- Melatonin, the hormone that controls your sleep-wake cycles
Beneficial bacteria in your gut also produce and absorb essential B vitamins that help your body create crucial neurotransmitters like serotonin. Plus, B vitamins play key roles in:
- Mood
- Mental health
- Energy
- Stress response
But when your gut microbiome has more pathogens than probiotics, it can’t produce enough of these natural mood boosters. Worse, those pathogens create harmful substances called LPS Toxins that cause a condition called Toxic Streaming, which can bring on symptoms of depression.
And that can leave you suffering with SAD.
But rebalancing your gut microbiome with spore probiotics can help your body better cope with the lack of sunlight… boost your mood… and reboot your energy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Seasonal Affective Disorder
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?
SAD is a seasonal pattern of low mood and low energy that tends to begin as the days get shorter and darker. Symptoms can include fatigue, oversleeping, sadness, difficulty focusing, low sex drive, social withdrawal, and intense carb cravings.
What causes SAD?
The exact cause is not fully known, but it is closely tied to reduced daylight, which can disrupt the brain chemicals serotonin and melatonin. People experiencing SAD tend to have too little serotonin and too much melatonin.
How is the gut microbiome connected to SAD?
Beneficial gut bacteria help produce mood- and sleep-related compounds, including serotonin, dopamine, GABA, melatonin, and B vitamins. When the gut is out of balance (dysbiosis), it can produce fewer of these compounds, which may affect mood and energy.
Can probiotics help with seasonal mood changes?
Keeping the gut microbiome in healthy balance is viewed as one supportive part of overall mood and energy. Spore probiotics survive digestion to reach the gut, where they help crowd out pathogens and support beneficial bacteria that produce mood-related compounds.
When should I see a professional about SAD symptoms?
If symptoms interfere with daily life, worsen as the season progresses, or include any thoughts of death or suicide, talk to a qualified medical professional right away. Supplements support general wellness and are not a substitute for professional care.
How Can Spore Probiotics Support Gut Balance Through the Season?
You cannot change the shorter days, but you can support how your body responds by keeping your gut microbiome in balance. Spore probiotics help counteract dysbiosis and support the beneficial bacteria that produce mood- and energy-related compounds.
Balance Your Gut with Spore Probiotics to Combat SAD
You can’t change the shorter days that can trigger SAD, but you can change your body’s response by rebalancing your gut with high quality spore probiotics like Just Thrive.
The four clinically proven strains of spore probiotics in Just Thrive work together to counteract dysbiosis and restore healthy balance to your gut microbiome. By doing that, these spore probiotics help boost your mood, increase your energy, and chase those winter blues away.
Together, the four spore probiotics:
- Produce defensive compounds that get rid of pathogens, including the ones that create harmful LPS toxins
- Help a wide variety of beneficial bacteria grow and flourish
- Produce key B vitamins and other essential nutrients
- Create powerful antioxidants to keep healthy cells healthy
- Produce neurotransmitters like serotonin and manage hormones like melatonin
Just Thrive delivers the perfect blend of high-quality spore probiotics your gut needs to stay healthy… and keep you feeling healthy and vibrant. Add Just Thrive to your daily routine today!
