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Depression
What you need to know
Depression is a complicated disorder and its effects can vary from person to person. Anyone diagnosed with clinical depression should seek medical advice, however, for mild to moderate depression, nutrition and complementary medicine and therapies can be useful.
The most useful Supplements:
Deficiencies of many nutrients
including folic acid, Iron, Vitamin B12, Zinc and essential fatty acids are
associated with depression. Therefore, in addition to a well balanced diet, it is advisable to take a hi-potency multivitamin and mineral as well as a fatty acid supplement, to help correct any deficiencies.
Most useful (in alphabetical order)
- DLPA (D, L - Phenylalanine)
- Evening primrose oil/fish oil
- Hi-Potency multivitamin and mineral
Other supplements which might bring relief include:
Acetyl L-carnitine, 5HTP (5 Hydroxytryptophan), Inositol, NADH (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide), Phosphatidyl serine, L-tyrosine
The most useful Herbs
Most useful (in alphabetical order)
- Ginseng
- Ginkgo biloba
- Guarana
- St John’s wort
- Vervain
Other herbs that could help:
Basil, Damiana, Hops, Lemon Balm
Homoeopathy
The following remedies have been beneficial for many people. A homoeopath may offer others depending on your individual symptoms.
- Arsenicum album
- Kali phosphoricum
- Sepia
Dietary changes that may be beneficial
- If you have a blood sugar imbalance, then this could be part of the reason for your depression. A general reduction in refined sugar, caffeine and alcohol could help, as could eating little and often. Please refer to the advice found in the hypoglycaemia section to find detailed information on your dietary needs.
- Food sensitivities have been linked to depression. Please seek
professional guidance to help determine whether this is relevant in your case.
- Restricting intake of caffeine and sugar can often help.
Other useful advice:
Try these:
- Aromatherapy
- Massage
- Regular Exercise
If you are already using SSRI drug medication eg fluoxetine (a type of anti-depressant) for your anxiety and you suffer from loss of libido as part of its side effects, it may be worth trying the herb ginkgo biloba as it has been shown to reduce this.
Other anti-depressants can cause deficiencies of certain vitamins and minerals, yet another reason for taking a good multivitamin and mineral on a regular basis.
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