In this day and age, any number of things can bring us down.
It's no wonder seniors are more depressed than ever.
But the challenge is finding something that'll IMPROVE our mood.
We'd be lucky if an antidepressant drug did NOTHING. But more than likely, it'll open up a whole new can of worms.
And it may even make your mood WORSE.
In our search for mood-boosters, we must look to our neighbor to the south… all the way to the Peruvian Andes.
Because that's where we got a 19th-century "friar's secret" that'll get you feeling BETTER than ever.
Maybe you've heard of the pink peppercorn before… but its name is misleading.
While it DOES have a rosy hue… it's not a true pepper.
It's actually a berry that grows on the tree known as Schinus molle.
Once known as the Peruvian pepper tree, archaeological records date its use as far back as the first century A.D.
But in 1830, a sailor from Peru brought seeds of the Peruvian pepper tree to one of the Spanish missions in California, near present-day San Diego.
After the seeds were planted by Franciscan friar Antonio Peyri, the tree became forever known as the California pepper tree.
Like the indigenous tribes from the mountainous regions of South America, the California natives also took advantage of the healing properties of Schinus molle – making the tree essential to the survival of the residents of the mission, holy and savage alike.
Pink peppercorns have the natural ability to fight infections… but that's not all.
Animal studies have also shown the fruit's ability to boost energy and activity levels.
Researchers believe that the extract from Schinus molle may work on the body's existing systems for releasing "feel-good" hormones – dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.
That's exactly what anti-depressant pharmaceutical drugs do – only usually they only work on ONE of those neurotransmitters, not all THREE.
And Schinus molle has a safety profile that's far superior to SSRIs and the like.
Use its essential oil for aromatherapy, as scents have been scientifically proven to affect our mood (for better or for worse).
Just don't confuse the Peruvian/Californian pepper tree with the far more toxic Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius).
And some spice manufacturers don't tell you which one you're getting.