Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that carry signals between neurons and target cells in the body. They drive various psychological functions, such as fear, mood, pleasure and joy.

How it affects your mental wellbeing

Dopamine: Produced in a tiny nucleus in the midbrain, dopamine is essential for concentration and drives feelings of motivation and reward. When dopamine levels are too low, we can feel demotivated, unable to focus and may take less pleasure in activities we normally enjoy.

Serotonin: A key neurotransmitter produced by a group of cells called the raphe nuclei, serotonin plays an important role in regulating appetite, mood, anxiety and sleep. Decreased serotonin levels have been linked to anxiety and low mood.

Tryptophan-kynurenine pathway: Tryptophan is an essential amino acid (i.e. we cannot produce it ourselves) and is used to make serotonin as well as a previously under-appreciated group of chemicals called kynurenines. Some kynurenines are neuroprotective (kynurenic acid) but others are neurotoxic and pro-depressive (quinolinic acid). Chronic stress and inflammation have shown to disrupt the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin and allocate disproportionate amounts towards the kynurenine pathway to produce the ‘bad’ kind (quinolinic acid), negatively affecting mood and emotional regulation.

How we target it

Dopamine: Anthocyanins (a type of polyphenol) in Nordic bilberries have shown to normalise stress-induced reductions in dopamine levels¹ while the trans-resveratrol from Japanese itadori helps increase the activity of tyrosine hydroxylase, the key enzyme driving dopamine synthesis.²

Serotonin: Apocarotenoids in saffron have shown to promote neurotransmitter balance. In a recent study, saffron apocarotenoids combined with endurance exercise showed a significant synergistic effect in elevating serotonin levels.³

Tryptophan-kynurenine pathway: The Mindbiotic Lactobacillus Plantarum DR7® has shown to regulate the pathways of kynurenine/serotonin metabolism, shifting the availability of tryptophan away from harmful kynurenine synthesis and towards serotonin production.⁴

An ecosystem made up of trillions of bacteria living in our intestines, the gut microbiome exists in a mutually beneficial and symbiotic relationship with our body and brain.

How it affects your mental wellbeing

The gut microbiome plays an important role in mental wellbeing and ground-breaking research is showing how we can improve our state of mind by changing the probiotic composition of the gut.¹ The microbiome and the gut’s enteral neurons (the nerve cells of the gut) produce key neurotransmitters (such as serotonin, GABA and dopamine) that engage in a bidirectional communication with the brain. The gut bacteria also produce metabolites (or 'postbiotics', such as short-chain fatty acids) which can benefit brain health directly and have shown to interact with key pathways along the microbiota-gut-brain axis.^2,3

How we target it

Mindbiotics™ is a blend of the most well-researched probiotic strains for mental wellbeing, proprietary to Ally and shown to significantly reduce stress and anxiety in clinical studies of healthy (but stressed) adults.^4,5,6,7

The HPA-axis (or hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis) acts as the body’s natural alarm system. It drives our stress response and regulates key stress hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol.

How it affects your mental wellbeing

When faced with a stressful situation, the HPA-axis activates the ‘fight-or-flight’ response by releasing a range of potent stress hormones into the blood stream. As the threat passes, a well-functioning HPA-axis allows hormone levels to go down to normal. Constant activation (as in the case of chronic stress) can throw this feedback mechanism off, keeping you in alert mode for longer and increasing your sensitivity to stress.¹

How we target it

Resveratrol has consistently shown to normalise the stress-induced activation of the HPA-axis, curb its over-activity and support healthy cortisol levels.² We include the superior and highly bioavailable form trans-resveratrol in our formula, found in Japanese itadori.

Mitochondria are the powerhouses of our cells and responsible for generating the chemical energy adenosine triphosphate (ATP), fuelling all biochemical processes in the body and brain.

How it affects your mental wellbeing

ATP is essential for mental energy and stamina. Chronic stress and other environmental factors can impair mitochondrial function and reduce their ability to produce ATP, which can result in mental fatigue or ‘brain fog’.^1,2

How we target it

Nobiletin (a type of citrus bioflavonoid) supports mitochondrial bioenergetic processes and has shown to increase the mitochondria’s ability to form ATP.^3,4

Inflammation is part of the body’s immune response. When activated, the immune system sends out inflammatory cells and pro-inflammatory cytokines (substances that stimulate more inflammatory cells) to attack the perceived threat and start the healing process. The body can continue to send out inflammatory cells and cytokines even as the danger has passed (a state known as chronic inflammation) which has been linked to numerous health issues.

How it affects your mental wellbeing

Inflammation is closely linked to mental wellbeing.^1,2 Immune processes impact neuroendocrine and neurohormonal stress pathways^3,4 and pro-inflammatory cytokines have shown to influence the functioning of key brain areas central to mental and emotional resilience (the prefrontal cortex, the amygdala and the hippocampus).^5, Inflammatory cytokines can also change neural activity and make nerve cells release more or less of certain neurotransmitters (such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine), affecting mood and emotional regulation.^6,7

How we target it

The polyphenols in Ally's formula are highly anti-inflammatory and have consistently shown to reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines and directly support mental health-related cell signalling impacted by inflammation.^8,9,10,11

Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity refer to the brain’s ability to flex and change, to generate and integrate new neurons throughout life. These systems allow us to evolve, learn and adapt to change.

At the core of neurogenesis and neuroplasticity are neurotrophins; naturally-occurring molecules that help the brain develop new connections, repair failing cells and protect healthy ones. BDNF (or brain-derived neurotrophic factor) is one of the most active neurotrophins and closely related to mental wellbeing. Viewed as the “natural antidepressant of the brain”,¹ low levels of BDNF have been linked to anxiety and depression,² and it is thought that part of the efficacy behind anti-depressants comes from their ability to increase BDNF expression.^3,4

How we target it

Apocarotenoids from saffron have shown to increase BDNF expression,⁵ support levels of BDNF in key brain regions connected to emotional regulation,⁶ and prevent stress-induced reductions in BDNF.⁷

Free radicals (or reactive oxygen species) are natural by-products of the cell's energy metabolism, but they are highly reactive and can cause damage throughout the body. To counteract such damages, the body has a natural defence: the antioxidant system. Antioxidants neutralise free radicals by giving up some of their own electrons. Oxidative stress occurs when there are more free radicals than the antioxidant system can manage. Lifestyle factors such as poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, low-quality sleep and chronic psychosocial stress can lead to an excessive production of free radicals, whereas consuming a polyphenol-rich diet has been linked to a more active antioxidant system.^1,2

How it affects your mental wellbeing

Oxidative stress has been linked to mental wellbeing and shown to negatively impact the brain’s response to environmental challenges.^3,4 The brain regions involved in mental and emotional resilience (the prefrontal cortex, the amygdala and the hippocampus) are particularly sensitive to oxidative stress.⁵ Oxidative stress can also trigger inflammation through activating microglia (the brain’s own immune cells), affecting key processes that can result in difficulties with concentration, attention and the ability to cope with stressors.^6,7,8

Our polyphenols have strong antioxidant and neuroprotective properties, shown to significantly reduce levels of free radicals and alleviate the inflammatory response triggered by oxidative stress.^9,10,11,12

Epigenetics refer to how cells control gene activity and expression, essentially turning genes ‘on’ or ‘off’. Unlike genetic changes, epigenetic changes do not alter the DNA sequence, but they can change how your body reads a DNA sequence.

How it affects your mental wellbeing

Epigenetic control is at the core of mental health related processes, influencing emotional regulation, stress reactivity, learning and memory. Epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation and histone acetylation, have demonstrated to mediate our stress response.¹ Increased DNA methylation of GDNF (a growth factor) has shown to promote stress tolerance while high DNA methylation at the glucocorticoid receptor gene (that binds to the stress hormone cortisol) has been associated with improved mental resilience.^2,3

How we target it

Anthocyanins support epigenetic function and key mechanisms of epigenetic regulation, including DNA methylation and histone acetylation.⁴