A powerful supplement for depression, anxiety, stress and sleep

I take immense pride in offering genuine solutions to the real challenges you face. Navigating the internet 15 to 20 years ago felt like searching for buried treasure. Sure, the information was always there, but it was mostly buried in old online forums or poorly translated Soviet and Eastern European journals. Only the most dedicated hobbyists managed to sift through layers of noise to uncover the gems.

Fast forward to 2025, and the digital landscape is flooded with an overwhelming tide of information. A lot of that "old" information, which used to occupy the underbelly of the internet—niches of niches of even more niche niches—has exploded to the forefront of people's consciousness. You don’t have to search for it anymore; it's right there on your discover feed. The problem? It’s surrounded by so much nonsense that you still have to be a dedicated hobbyist to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Ironically, this abundance can feel suffocating, especially when it comes to supplements. You're bombarded with a relentless stream of advice, tips, and claims, many of which lead you astray, offering little more than empty promises or, worse, potential harm.

When I think about this in relation to supplements, the wasteland of TikTok and Instagram influencer ads comes to mind. These platforms are filled with quick-fix herbal pills for anxiety, stress, and depression. For example, there’s a near-infinite array available on TikTok Shop, ranging from herbs like ashwagandha (which can actually cause anhedonia when used for prolonged periods) to medicinal mushroom blends, nootropics, and even OTC psychedelics. It’s no wonder that prominent evidence-based debunkers have their crosshairs aimed at influencers selling supplements.

But this doesn’t mean that supplements for anxiety, stress, and brain performance are inherently bad. Just like medication, they can be useful tools to help you navigate particularly stressful periods or serve as a bridge while you work on improving foundational aspects of health that drive resilience to stress. You just need to pick the right tool for the job. That’s what we’ll discuss today.

What causes anxiety and poor stress tolerance

Before we dive deep into supplements for stress, anxiety, and depression, we need to consider one of the big culprits that drives psychological dysregulation and pathologies: the gut. Even though many of you may be familiar with the concept that gut health impacts mental health, it’s worth briefly reiterating. This is particularly important because many individuals sign up for the Patreon often to get a quick bite of information or to find a silver bullet solution for their anxiety and depression, all while ignoring the glaring, underlying issues (like poor gut health) that drive dysfunction.

If you’re that person reading this article and you suffer from severe anxiety, depression, or mood disorders, there are three things you need to do:

1. You need to fix your gut. Read the fungal protocol and follow it thoroughly. If you’re limited on funds, stop reading this article and do the budget protocol listed. You’ll get a greater return on your investment using a good spore-based probiotic or a psychobiotic like Just Calm. If you can’t afford to do the budget protocol, at least take the spore probiotic. If your gut is in shambles, you’ll spin your wheels endlessly looking for magic pills and nootropics that won’t work long term.

2. Cover your basic micronutrient needs. Before supplementing with exotic herbs or remedies, consider introducing foundational nutrients like magnesium (2 servings or 400 mg of Recharge in the evening), B-vitamins (1-2 capsules in the morning), and Shilajit (3-5 tablets of Mitolife Shilajit) for trace minerals into your stack. These may not magically fix your stress and anxiety—that’s not the point. These are foundational nutrients that will determine whether other supplements you use work or fail. Truly, most people could benefit from taking these for life. The healthier you get, the less you need, but they should always be present to avoid nutrient deficiencies. Hit your RDA for potassium (3500-4000mg daily) and calcium (1000mg) through whole foods and consider hitting at least 3000mg of sodium from sea salt daily. Drink at least 2/3 gallon water daily. More if sweating profusely with added salt.This is your foundation and nothing will move the needle if you’re dehydrated. Consume adequate carbs and maintiance calories to reduce stress

b-vitamins and magnesium:https://fowlerfitness1.myshopify.com/

3. If you have money left over, you can add something like Honokiol (which we’ll discuss here) to your current health routine for temporary, short-term support. This means that this isn’t a fix; it’s a temporary strategy to help you cope while you work on getting your gut healthy and improving your micronutrient status. These can be combined with some of the other strategies I’ve focused on for anxiety and depression (PS, JT, depression peptide, etc.—use the search bar).

Got it? Let’s move on

Honokil for depression, anxiety, stress and sleep — the science

Honokil is a bioactive compound derived from the bark of Magnolia officinalis. Ancedotally, many have touted it as ‘more effective than SSRI’s and beta-blockers’ for depression and anxiety. In fact, some have claimed to entirely eliminate their need for these harmful medications while on Honokil

Look, I’m not going to blow steam up your ass and say we have tons of large, randomized controlled trials or meta-data on Honokiol being better than medication. But we do have research showing it works effectively over placebo (for the listed conditions) and a decent clustering of N = 1 trials. It’s safe (when used at appropriate doses) and doesn’t appear to dramatically alter mood and personality like other meds. I think that’s a win

I’m not telling you to use HL as a replacement for your meds. I’m only giving you information that exists on its historic clinical, experimental and anecdotal use. Always speak with a nutritionally informed physian before making decision about supplements. Especially if you’re currently on medication.

Moving on…

While its been studied for its effects on stress, anxiety and depression, some research has also demonstrated powerful anti-tumor effects. In some circles, intergrative physians may also commonly prescribe it for autoimmunity.

One of the primary mechanisms through which honokil exerts its positive effects (mainly for psychiatric conditions) is by modulating neurotransmitter systems, particularly serotonin and norepinephrine. honokil can balance serotonin levels in the brain (raising them when low and decreasing them when they’re too high) this is particularly important for mood regulation. You can think of honokil as an adaptogen for the serotonergic system.

Honokil's antidepressant effects are also seen to be associated with the activation of the HIF-1α and VEGF signaling pathways — both of which play a noteable roles in neuroplasticity and neuroprotection. In vitro studies have shown that honokil administration leads to selectively increased expression of HIF-1α and VEGF in deficient neurological tissues, which promote synaptic plasticity and neuronal survival. The enhancement of synaptic plasticity is particularly important, as impairments in this area are often observed in individuals suffering from depression and extremely high levels of stress. Honokil maintains biological resevere capacity in ‘stressed’ neurons.

Honokil also influences the GABA system, which is also at the crux of neuronal excitability and anxiety. Honokil can cross the blood brain barrier where it enhances GABA receptor activity, leading to increased inhibitory neurotransmission. IN can help mitigate anxiety symptoms and promote relaxation better than supplementing with GABA directly. The modulation of GABAergic activity is a fairly well-known mechanism for many anxiolytic medications.

Honokil also has powerful antioxidant properties that help combat oxidative damage in neuronal cells. Honokil is another ‘selective’ antioxidant like molecular hydrogen, lowering oxidative stress where needed without interfering the ROS dependent signaling cascades — in layman’s terms, you actually need some oxidative stress to be healthy, and honokil only quenches oxidation in highly stressed neurons. Interestingly, this also appears to be part of the advantage of using honokil in oncology. Honokil can quench oxidative stress in healthy tissues while increasing oxidative stress in cancer cells, making them more suspetible to other oncothetapies

Side effects — Honokiol can have some side effects at higher dosages, although they are infrequently serious. Because HL can thin the blood, it’s best avoided after surgery; if you have a clotting disorder (blood is too thin); if you’re on blood thinning medications like Warfarin, or if you’re using lots of blood thinning supplements like systemic enzymes. HL can have some sedative effects, so it’s best taken in the evening and should be avoided with alchol, anesthesia before or after surgery and other pharmaceuticals — particularly sedatives. It’s unknown how HL interacts with SSRI’s (depression) and other psychiatric meds, so it’s best avoided. HL should be avoided if you have kidney disease or kidney dysfunction

Recommended brand and dosing

One serving of HonoPure Honokiol prior to bed or as needed during stressful periods of time. HL is best cycled. If using continually, consume for 4-6 weeks before cycling off. HL can also be used on stressful days and then cycled off entirely on less stressful days of the week. I think this is the ideal way to go about dosing most anxiolytics so as to maintain tolerance and potency. Do not exeede a single serving (250mg) daily. If more stress support is needed, consider layering lower doses of HL with Phosphatidylserine or Just Calm.