Relieve From Depression Symptoms & Winter Blues With The Help of Natural Medicines

While the standard approach to depression is antidepressant drugs, there are many ever-rising concerns regarding their side effects. On many occasions during treatment, the effectiveness of the drugs fades and often patients are left to deal with their condition and side effects. Therefore, more practitioners and patients are looking for safer yet effective alternative treatments. A recent compelling number of studies and evidence indicate that nutritional and natural therapies are successful in preventing and managing mood disorders. This article has gathered information on some of the very well-studied natural alternatives for mood disorders.

Amino Acid SAME ( S-Adenosylmethionine) is safe and as effective as some anti-depressant drugs without their unwanted side effects. SAME participates in the synthesis of mood-enhancing compounds in the brain as well as many other biochemical functions such as DNA repair. SAME is found in every tissue and fluid of the body. Based on SAME's vast involvement in multiple biochemical pathways, scientists suggest that it could be useful in the prevention or treatment of conditions like Insomnia, Alzheimer's, Fibromyalgia, Osteoarthritis, Inflammatory bowel disease, and liver ailments.

SAME plays a role in Methylation which is a process to metabolize fat, minerals, and gene expression. Methylation decreases by aging and that could result in autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases like Arthritis, Dementia, and Parkinson's disease. SAME is involved in the production of hormones and Neurotransmitters' including Dopamine, Serotonin, and Melatonin. SAME is also important in Glutathione production. Glutathione is especially very important for liver function in purifying toxins.

Several studies found significantly lower levels of SAME in patients with Alzheimer's as well as in cases of depression. In other clinical trials supplementing with SAME reduced depressive symptoms in a short period in both types of patients with no response to anti-depressant drugs and those on specific types of antidepressant drugs. Human double-blind studies show supplementing with SAME reduces pain and stiffness and improves mood in patients with Fibromyalgia.

To produce Serotonin, the brain needs the Amino acid Tryptophan; however, usually, the amount of tryptophan absorbed from food through the intestine is not even enough for the body's basic metabolism and as a result over time, the brain does not get enough Tryptophan to produce serotonin. Blood levels of Tryptophan in those with depression, sleep disorders, anxiety, stress, irritability, mood disorders, and obesity is often much lower than normal.

The body converts Tryptophan to 5HTP before being used to produce Serotonin. 5HTP is more stable in blood and can pass from blood to the brain. Clinical trials suggest starting at the minimum dosage of 50 mg daily and increasing it gradually to the adequate dosage with the health care practitioner's recommendation. 5HTP or Tryptophan can't be used in combination with some antidepressant drugs, therefore before using this supplement consult with a health care practitioner.

5HTP and/ or Tryptophan are better absorbed when taken apart from other sources of protein or amino acid supplements, as they compete for absorption. Also, a moderate amount of carbohydrates is necessary to increase the absorption of the tryptophan by the brain, therefore those who are on a low carb diet or no carb diet for weight loss purposes are more prone to get low in Tryptophan resulting in even more weight gain. Other than supplementing with 5HTP, foods with higher Tryptophan are including Raw Cacao, Oat, Cottage cheese, Poultry, Spirulina, Almonds, Sunflower seeds, and Banana.

Folate or vitamin B9 is well known as folic acid. Recent studies suggest that Folate can provide antidepressant effects and/or can improve the body's response to anti-depressant treatments. Folate deficiency causes irritability, sleeplessness, lack of concentration, and poor memory. Folate is a crucial factor in SAME's production. Several pieces of research reveal a direct link between low levels of blood Folate and higher rates of depressive symptoms. Moreover, those on the antidepressant drugs, responded much better to the treatment when supplementing with Folate; the 400 mcg recommended dietary allowance by FDA is only to prevent deficiency and it does not provide a therapeutic effect nor does it prevent chronic diseases. Clinical trials suggest 5000 mcg to 7200 mcg dosage inconjunction with vitamin B12 for therapeutic benefits. 5-methyltetrahydrofolate is the natural main circulating metabolite of folate in the body.

One of the effective botanical medicines to treat depression is " High Absorbable Curcumin". Clinical experiments compared the effectiveness of a widely used anti-depressant drug "Prozac" at one dose of 20 mg with "high absorbable Curcumin" at two doses of 500 mg per day for 6 weeks. Patients responded at the 62.5% rate to Curcumin and the 64.7% rate to Prozac; While, while Those on both Prozac and Turmeric responded at the 77.8% rate. The results concluded that there was not a significant difference between the two groups; however, those on the Curcumin did not experience side effects. The key to the effectiveness of Curcumin is its absorption. The body hardly absorbs Curcumin through the digestive tract, therefore Curcumin with a high extraction ratio and enhanced absorption should be considered for therapeutic purposes. (This clinical study used Patented BCM-95 Curcumin).

Curcumin Inhibits the breakdown of the neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine in the brain and it reduces the re-absorption of the produced serotonin by the brain cells. Thus, through these two mechanisms very similar to antidepressant drugs, Curcumin maintains the serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain improving emotions, sleeping, learning, memory, mood, and other neurological functions.

Several other studies confirm the significant effect of chronic inflammation on the development of depression. Curcumin due to its potent anti-inflammatory properties via different pathways ultimately will help in the reduction of depressive symptoms.

Omega 3 fatty acids provide powerful protection against depression and also they improve the mood of those who are already on antidepressant medications. A Series of clinical trials and studies provide strong evidence that supplementing with EPA and DHA not only enhances cognitive function but also reduces symptoms of clinical depression. The recommended dosage to support optimal health and improve mood and cognitive function is between 1000 to 4000 mg daily.

60% of the brain's structure is fat and more than the 3rd of it is from omega-3 fatty acids similar to those from fish oil. Scientists suggest that the deficiency in Essential Fatty Acids due to their importance in the structure of the brain could contribute to mood and cognitive disorders. Omega 3 fatty acids improve circulation in the brain, plus they participate in the production of Phosphatidylserine which enhances memory and fights depression. Since Inflammation and depression are directly related, Omega 3 Fatty Acids with their ability to lower inflammation rates by decreasing the production of the pro-inflammatory compounds play an effective role in both managing inflammation and depression associated with that.

Studies show On average only 10 % of the plant Source omega 3 ( ALA ) is converted to EPA and DHA in the human body; therefore, only EPA and DHA are sourced from the true cold waters Fish ( Triglyceride form not the synthetics version) provides the highest benefits.

As more studies reveal the benefits and effectiveness of the nutrients and phytonutrients to combat depression and other mood disorders with far fewer side effects, It becomes more apparent that more patients and practitioners may consider them to complement treatment or use them as an alternative to some antidepressant drugs. Recent science suggests that in the majority of cases combination of proven effective yet non-toxic therapies including diet optimization, lifestyle changing, relaxation techniques, and natural medicine can significantly improve a wide range of mood and cognitive disorders including depression.

Articles and products featured by Health Palace are collected from a variety of sources and are provided as a service by Health Palace. These newsletters, while of potential interest to readers, do not necessarily represent the opinions nor constitute the advice of Health Palace. Presented materials are only for information purposes and do not intend to treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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