Mood swings and a restless, wired feeling that won't switch off are common emotional changes in perimenopause and menopause.

Mood is the blend we formulated for that side of menopause. One capsule a day combines St John's Wort, saffron, lavender and green tea with folate, vitamin B12, zinc and vitamin C. Together, these ingredients may help relieve mood swings associated with menopause, decrease symptoms of mild anxiety and support healthy emotional balance.

The studies in this article looked at single ingredients, often in a different form or amount to the one in Mood, rather than at Mood itself. They're the reason each ingredient made the cut.

What's in Mood and how to take it

The herbs are concentrated extracts, so the right-hand column shows how much dried plant each one is equal to.

Mood is meant to be taken every day, as a steady part of your routine. Our guide to when you might start to notice a menopause supplement working walks through realistic timelines.

St John's Wort and lavender, the traditional calming herbs in Mood

St John's Wort

St John's Wort is a yellow-flowered herb and one of the best-known mood herbs in Western herbal medicine. Mood uses the flowering tops, as 33.333 mg of extract made from 1 g of the dried herb.

Researchers have looked at it in menopausal women specifically. A 2014 review that pooled placebo-controlled trials found St John's Wort, alone or combined with other herbs, outperformed placebo for menopausal symptoms.¹

Lavender

Mood contains lavender, with 8 mg of extract made from 80 mg of dried flower. You probably know it from a sachet in the linen cupboard, and herbalists have reached for it as a calming plant for centuries.

St John's Wort and lavender are traditionally used in Western herbal medicine to soothe nerves and relieve nervous tension, restlessness and sleeplessness. In everyday terms, think of the wound-up feeling that hangs around after a hard day, and the nights your mind keeps running long after the lights go out.

Is saffron good for menopause mood swings?

Saffron is the fine red thread from the centre of the crocus flower, prized since ancient times for emotional wellbeing. Mood contains 7.5 mg of saffron extract, equal to 30 mg of the dried threads you'd crumble into a paella.

It has been studied in perimenopausal women. In a 12-week Australian trial of 86 women, those taking a saffron extract twice a day reported greater improvements in psychological symptoms and negative mood than the women taking a placebo.²

In Mood, saffron works alongside St John's Wort and lavender. The blend may help reduce mood swings associated with menopause and decrease symptoms of mild anxiety, for the days when small things threaten to tip everything sideways.

Green tea, B vitamins and zinc for your brain and nervous system

Green tea

Green tea plays a supporting role, with 83.333 mg of extract made from 1.5 g of dried leaf. A 2017 systematic review of 21 human studies linked green tea with effects on mood, attention and memory, although the researchers couldn't credit those effects to any single compound in the leaf.³

In Mood, green tea may support brain function. It's also an antioxidant, so it helps reduce free radicals formed in the body.

Folate, vitamin B12, zinc and vitamin C

Vitamin B12 helps keep your nervous system healthy and helps your body use folate, according to healthdirect.⁴ The Better Health Channel adds that B12 helps maintain the protective coating around nerve cells, and that B12 and folate depend on each other to work properly.⁵

Each capsule gives you 100 µg of vitamin B12 and 200 µg of folate. Alongside them sit 20 mg of zinc, a mineral your body uses to make new cells and enzymes, and 200 mg of vitamin C, an antioxidant.⁴ Together they may support nervous system health and brain function.

They're there to top up a balanced diet. They can't stand in for one.

Everyday habits that support emotional balance

A capsule is one part of looking after your emotional balance. The habits below come from Jean Hailes' practical advice for wellbeing around menopause, starting with the easiest.⁶

• Lengthen your out-breath. When you feel the wave building, breathe in for a count of four and out for a count of six, three or four times over. You can do it in the car, in a meeting or in the queue at the shops, and nobody needs to know.
• Watch what the evening wine is doing. A glass can seem to take the edge off at 6pm and then hand it back at 3am. Try a few alcohol-free nights a week and notice how your mornings feel, and our guide to menopause and alcohol has more on finding your balance.
• Move with someone. A walk with a friend, a Saturday tennis hit or a class where people know your name all count. Regular movement is on the Jean Hailes list, and doing it with friends or in a group adds connection on top.⁶

Some weeks your emotions will run the show, and that's nothing to apologise for. A daily capsule and a few small habits can help you feel more like yourself again, one ordinary day at a time. For more ideas, our guide to boosting your mood naturally is a good next read, and you'll find Mood in our shop.

Always read the label and follow the directions for use.

St John's Wort affects the way many prescription medicines work, including the oral contraceptive pill. Consult your doctor. In rare cases, Camellia sinensis may harm the liver. Stop use and see a doctor if you have yellowing skin/eyes, or unusual: fatigue, nausea, appetite loss, abdominal pain, dark urine, or itching. To be taken with food.

This article is general information only and isn't a substitute for personalised medical advice.