What is Depression and what are the best Natural Remedies for Depression?
It is estimated that 10 percent of American experience depression severe enough to seek medical attention. According to the World Health Organization, depression is the most costly of all diseases because people who experience depression are often disabled and not able to be as productive as they would be if they didn’t struggle with depression.
Although it is a common to experience sad mood, or have episodes of depression after a loved one passes, or after a tragic event, sadness that is prolonged and is disruptive to your life, your job, and daily activities may be a sign that you should seek medical attention.
What are the Symptoms of Depression?
Some of the symptoms of depression are; fatigue, prolonged sadness, inability to enjoy things, mood swings, unexplained weeping, and crying, feelings of worthlessness, difficulty concentrating, sleep problems, loss of appetite, thoughts of suicide, decreased sex drive, and increased anxiety.
What are the Root Causes of Depression?
Many cases of depression are cause by a neurotransmitter imbalance. This can be caused by poor diet, taking drugs, smoking cigarettes, and drinking alcohol for example. Because these things mess with your brain chemicals, and often times your body becomes adjusted and dependent on these substances, your brain doesn’t produce and distribute the correct balance of serotonin, and dopamine. Hormonal imbalances, lack of sunlight, and unresolved emotional issues are also contributing factors to depression.
Natural Remedies for Depression
Seeking the attention of a doctor or Mental Health professional is always advised. If you have unresolved emotional issues, a Mental Health professional may help you clear up, and go through these issues.
Eating a proper diet rich with vegetables, fruits, legumes, and cutting out foods high in sugar and saturated fats may help. Practice meditation, and deep breathing techniques to reduce stress. Qi-Gong is a great exercise to get your energy moving properly. In Eastern medicine it is often believed that depression is an energetic imbalance. Qi-Gong will help rebalance your energy, and also provide many other health benefits. Getting some form of daily exercise will produce endorphins which will aid in depression. As I am sure you have heard of the “runner’s high.” This is a good example of the mental health benefits of exercise.
Below I have listed some Nutritional Supplements that I have used, and have seen work wonders on others. All these supplements should be taken for best results. If you can only take one, take the curcumin. This spice has been found in medical studies to be as effective as prozac, a leading drug used for depression.
The researchers randomly divided volunteers diagnosed with major depressive disorder into three study groups of 20 patients each. The first group took 20 mg of the antidepressant Prozac® (fluoxetine) every morning. The second group took a total of 1,000 mg of absorption-enhanced curcumin in two divided doses of 500 mg each. And the third group took both the once-daily fluoxetine and the twice-daily curcumin.
The results were measured using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D scale). This scale provides a way to rate the severity of depression by assessing mood, anxiety, feelings of guilt, suicidal ideation, insomnia, agitation or motor retardation, weight loss, and other body symptoms.
Efficacy and safety were evaluated after two, four, and six weeks. The HAM-D scale showed that the proportion of patients responding well to treatment was 62.5% in the curcumin group of the study, 64.7% in the fluoxetine group, and 77.8% in the combination group.
The study team concluded that there was no statistically significant difference in the improvements among the three treatment arms. In other words, there was no difference in the effectiveness of the enhanced curcumin formulation compared to the prescription antidepressant fluoxetine in improving symptoms of depression between baseline and six weeks of treatment.
Again, for best results take all 3 of them.
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SAMe – S-Adenosyl-Methionine – Take 1 tablet in the morning with food and 1 tablet before bed |
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Turmeric – Curcumin – Take 1 capsule in the morning and 1 at lunch, daily. Take with food. |
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Vitamin B-100 Complex – Take 1 tablet in the morning and 1 tablet at lunch, daily. Take with food. |
*Please check with your doctor before taking any supplements, and also read the warning labels on each product, especially if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Also read the labels carefully when giving your child any natural supplement, to ensure that it is safe to give a child.
