Stress & Depression

Did you know that about 50 million Americans will experience depression during their lifetime?

Women are almost twice as likely as men to become depressed.

Older adults also seem to be at risk for depression.

Mild depression can hit us anytime, and severe, chronic depression can drag our lives to a screeching halt. If you believe you're dealing with depression, I recommend you get a diagnosis from a health care professional. I also think you should talk to him or her about nutrition strategies to help you through it. I've worked with so many people who have overcome chronic depression using nutrition, that I would hate to have to solely depend on prescription medications if I could help it. Please visit with them about today's strategies.

First, I would talk about diet that includes healthy fats, like olive oil and fish oil. Fish oil, in particular, has a lot of evidence showing it to be useful for depression. There's an amino acid people have used to help with depression for decades called L-Tryptophan. Tryptophan is not made in the body, so we have to get it through diet and supplementation. The reason people have used it for depression is because tryptophan breaks down into serotonin, which is a calming neurotransmitter in the brain. Prescription drugs often try to artificially manipulate serotonin, but tryptophan is actually the precursor to serotonin. When serotonin levels drop, people experience depression, anxiety, and insecurity. Tryptophan has also been shown to relieve insomnia, which is something people with depression often suffer with.

If depression comes with stress, there are some good herbal supplements that may help. Passion Flower has been used for panic attacks and anxiety, and has a soothing effect on the central nervous system. Hops can help with tension and restlessness, and skullcap can be useful for nervousness.

There's also a compound from the B-vitamins called procaine that seems effective for depression and stress. A study published in Science magazine showed that procaine stimulates the release of calming neurotransmitters, which can help with depression symptoms.

If you'd like more information to take to your health care professional on nutritional supplements for depression, give me a call or visit the Fish Oil, L-Tryptophan and/or Stress Relief web pages.

I'm Guy Evans, and now you know!