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Nature's Medicines: Depression

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Depression

depression

The ups and downs of everyday life can often leave you feeling blue. When your low spirits turn into a never-ending state of sadness, however, you may have depression. While you may not be able to tell the difference between feeling blue and being depressed, a doctor usually can.

In fact, a diagnosis of depression needs to be made by a doctor. There are many possible signs, ranging from sleeplessness and irritability to feelings of guilt or thoughts of suicide. Whether or not you have these symptoms, though, you should seek professional help if you have a blue mood that lasts more than two weeks.

Many doctors prescribe medication for depression, and if you’re already taking medication, you shouldn’t take supplements without talking to your doctor. Often, dietary and lifestyle changes can help lift your mood, says C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D., founder of the American Holistic Medical Association and director of the Shealy Institute, a holistic and alternative medicine clinic in Springfield, Missouri. In fact, just 20 minutes of aerobic exercise five days a week can put that pep back in your step, says Dr. Shealy.

Studies show that any kind of exercise prompts the release of mood- enhancing brain chemicals called endorphins that help restore your sense of well-being. Also if you avoid caffeine, alcohol, sugar, and refined carbohydrates (found in cakes and white bread, for instance), you’ll prevent brain chemical imbalances that are known to cause depression.

Some natural antidepressant supplements might also be helpful. Certain vitamins can cheer you up by helping to create and stabilize a variety of brain chemicals responsible for mental and emotional health.

Pump Up Some Essential Vitamins

The most common deficiencies in people who are depressed are the B-complex vitamins and vitamin C, says Dr. Shealy.

The B vitamins help energize brain cells and manufacture important chemicals to keep your moods high. Vitamin B₆, for example, plays a starring role in the making of serotonin, a brain chemical that has a direct impact on your moods, emotions, appetite, and sleep patterns. Too little serotonin, and you’ll walk around feeling down in the dumps.

What’s more, B-complex vitamins enhance communication between brain cells so that other important brain chemicals can work in concert to keep things running smoothly, says Ray Sahelian, M.D., a physician in Marina del Rey, California, and author of The New Memory Boosters: Natural Supplements That Enhance Your Mind, Memory, and Mood.

Another B vitamin that has been linked to depression is folate, the naturally occurring form of folic acid. In fact, depression is considered the most common symptom of a folate deficiency.

Harvard Medical School researchers reviewed the literature on depression and found that as many as 38 percent of adults diagnosed with depression had low levels of folate in their blood. Other research shows that low vitamin B₁₂ levels are common in elderly people with depression and that folic acid and B₁₂ work together to boost low spirits, says Dr. Shealy. Vitamin B₁₂ also helps metabolize other mood-elevating brain chemicals and keep nerve tissue healthy.

Another vitamin that’s just as important in maintaining high spirits is vitamin C. Low levels can leave you feeling gloomy, says Dr. Sahelian. Vita min C helps manufacture serotonin and two other essential brain-related chemicals, dopamine and norepinephrine, which lift your mood, keep you alert, and sustain your sex drive.

For mild to moderate depression, you may want to take a high-potency multivitamin/mineral supplement daily after talking to your doctor, says Dr. Shealy. He also suggests 100 milligrams each of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and B₆, along with 400 micrograms of folic acid, 100 micrograms of B₁₂, and 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C in divided doses daily.

Help from St. John

If you haven’t heard by now, St. John’s wort is the quintessential herb of choice for mild to moderate depression. In fact, it is one of the most researched natural antidepressants around. The herb’s active ingredients include hypericin, flavonoids, and other compounds that work in unison to raise serotonin levels in the brain, says Jennifer Brett, N.D., a naturopathic doctor at the Wilton Naturopathic Center in Stratford, Connecticut.

Studies show that St. John’s wort is just as effective for mild to moderate depression as the widely prescribed antidepressant drugs imipramine (Tofranil), fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), and paroxetine (Paxil), says Dr. Shealy.

While it’s not understood exactly how the herb increases serotonin levels, researchers speculate that the underlying mechanism is probably similar to that of the prescription drugs, says Dr. Brett. St. John’s wort may inhibit an enzyme that breaks down serotonin molecules and other brain chemicals, or it may increase the action of serotonin at the nerve endings in the brain. The serotonin is available so that your brain can further utilize it to regulate your moods and emotions more effectively, she says.

The advantage of St. John’s wort over the prescription antidepressants is that it’s associated with very few side effects. Some people do get mild stomach irritation, and others have reported sun sensitivity and insomnia. If you are pregnant, check with your doctor before taking this or any other supplement. If you are already taking antidepressant medication, you should also talk to your doctor before taking St. John’s wort.

Dr. Shealy suggests taking one 300-milligram tablet or capsule three times a day with meals if you have mild to moderate depression. For maximum effectiveness, buy a standardized extract containing 0.3 percent hypericin, he says. If you don’t feel better after four to six weeks, it’s unlikely to help, he adds.

Some Good from Ginkgo

Although it’s not as strong as St. John’s wort, ginkgo can be used as a mild antidepressant. Ginkgo greatly improves blood flow, mental alertness, and memory, and—as a by-product—relieves depression, says Dr. Sahelian. "Poor blood circulation to the brain can cause the brain to malfunction, which can lead to imbalances in serotonin levels and other neurotransmitters that regulate moods and emotional stability."

In one study, 40 patients, ages 51 to 78, were given either 80 milligrams of ginkgo extract or an inactive pill (placebo) three times a day in addition to their antidepressant medication. After eight weeks, researchers found that those who took the ginkgo showed more improvement than those who took the placebo.

If you’re over age 50 and have mild to moderate depression, take one 40-milligram capsule of ginkgo three times a day, says Dr. Shealy. Choose capsules or tablets that contain 24 percent ginkgoflavoglycosides for maximum strength.

Brain Chemicals in a Pill

Another natural supplement that might have the edge over antidepressant prescription drugs is 5-HTP. This is a natural compound produced by the body from tryptophan, an amino acid found in many foods. It’s also a precursor of serotonin, which means that more serotonin is produced when 5-HTP is present.

When you take 5-HTP in supplement form, it’s absorbed in your gastrointestinal tract and then journeys to your brain, where it’s converted into serotonin, says Dr. Sahelian.

If you’ve been diagnosed with depression and you have a doctor’s approval, you can take 50 milligrams of 5-HTP late in the evening, says Dr. Sahelian. But he doesn’t advise taking larger amounts. Any dosage over 50 milligrams can cause vivid dreams, nightmares, and nausea, Dr. Sahelian points out.

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