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Natural Treatments for Depression

Natural Treatments for Depression

A lot of natural remedies are safer, more reliable and have fewer side effects than antidepressants. Some can be taken alongside your prescribed antidepressants and can enhance your recovery while you are taking your currently prescribed antidepressant and help reduce the likelihood of experiencing another depressive episode if you have suffered in the past.

The standard treatment for all types of depression is antidepressant drugs. If you are currently experiencing a depressive episode, and you have sought medical help for your symptoms, the chances are that you will now be taking antidepressants. Most psychiatrists find that while drugs can be life-saving in the short term, they become unnecessary with the right combination of nutrients and psychological support. By looking at the case simultaneously from Chinese and Western perspectives, both from orthodox and from the complementary medicine viewpoints, doctors are more likely to arrive at the correct formulation of the case than by using one modality alone.

Because of all the problems relating to powerful drugs including unpleasant side-effects, researchers have sought natural alternatives for many years. Herbal remedies look back at the plant substances that have been used in the past in relation to mood disorders and to psychological therapies that address the emotional problems thought to be a substantial trigger in depressive illness.

As a result there are now a number of other natural treatments for depression which have become increasingly popular in recent years, particularly for mild and moderate depressive symptoms where people are reluctant to risk a course of antidepressants. Depression is an area where Alternative Medicine has excellent solutions. These are truly nutritional treatments for depression, and rather than having side effects, they enhance general health.

Diet and Essential Fatty Acids

The most natural treatment for depression is diet. The combination of optimum nutrition and psychotherapy works wonders for a wide variety of mental health problems, from depression to schizophrenia. How you think and feel is directly affected by what you eat. This idea may seem strange, yet the fact is that eating the right food has been proven to boost your mood and emotional stability, your IQ, sharpen your memory and keep your mind young.

The gut for example, produces two-thirds of the body’s serotonin, the ‘happy’ neurotransmitter. So in essence, you’re feeding two brains. Every time you eat something it sends signals to the brain because the gut and the brain are in permanent communication. This is why the right foods can make you happy and the wrong foods can make you feel anxious or depressed.

Your brain is 60% fat, if you take out all the water. This fatty tissue needs replenishing, but it’s crucial to know which fats will feed your brain the best. There are good fats and bad fats. Some fats are not only positively good for you, they are absolutely vital for mental health. Not only do you need them to stay free from disease and depression, but dyslexia, ADD, fatigue, memory problems, Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia have all been linked to deficiency – you also need them in optimal amounts if you want to maximise your intelligence. No more than 1/3 of your fat intake should be saturated (hard) fat, and at least 1/3 should be polyunsaturated oils providing the two essential fat families, omega-3 and omega-6. These two should be in balance, 1:1, which is the ratio our pre-industrial Revolution ancestors achieved. Nowadays, an average balance is more like 1:20 in favour of omega-6. This imbalance can also contribute to mental health problems. Most people are deficient in both omega-3 and omega-6. In addition, a high intake of saturated and damaged polyunsaturated fats, known as ‘trans’ fats stops the body from making good use of the little essential fat the average person does eat in a day.

Omegas

Omega-3s regulate the release and performance of neurotransmitters in the brain, and low levels are known to be involved in depression and schizophrenia. Omega 3 makes prostaglandins, extremely active hormone-like substances that relax blood vessels and so lower blood pressure, help maintain water balance in the body, boost immunity, decrease inflammation and pain, and help insulin to work - which is good for blood sugar balance.

Saturated and monounsaturated fat and cholesterol can be made in the body, but omegas have to be topped up through diet.

Eat seeds and nuts – the best are flax, hemp, pumpkin, sunflower and sesame. You get more goodness out of them by grinding them first and sprinkling them on cereal, soups and salads.
Eat coldwater carnivorous fish- a serving of herring, mackerel, salmon or fresh tuna two or three times a week provides a good source of omega-3 fats.

Use cold-pressed seed oils – either choose an oil blend or hemp oil for salad dressings or other cold uses, such as drizzling on vegetables instead of butter.

Minimise your intake of fried food, processed food and saturated fat from meat and dairy.
Supplement fish oil for omega-3 fats and starflower or evening primrose oil for omega-6 fats.

Patrick Holford recommends:
A tablespoon of ground seeds – most days (5 out of 7)
Cold-pressed seed oil blend – on salad dressings and on vegetables
Coldwater carnivorous fish – twice a week
EPA/DHA/GLA supplement – once a day.

EPA

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is a derivative of a naturally occurring essential fatty acid (EFA). The richest source of this omega-3 fatty acid is oily fish, including salmon, tuna (not tinned), mackerel, pilchards and sardines. Ethyl-EPA as is found in Vegepa is a highly purified form of EPA which can deliver a higher dose than you would get from just eating oily fish. EPA is a substance that nurtures our brains at a fundamental level to prevent and cure depression.
Does it work?
Clinical studies have proven the benefit of fish oil in depression.
EPA can significantly alleviate the symptoms of depression even in its most severe form.
Scientific studies are both rigorous and conclusive about the benefits of EPA. Research is backed up by the use of advanced brain-scanning techniques which highlight the extraordinary benefits this substance has on regenerating the brain.
In a large trial, EPA was given to patients with schizophrenia. ¾ of the patients had been given EPA in varying doses, while the others were given a placebo, which is a pill containing no medication. It was a double blind trial, meaning that neither the doctor administering the treatment nor the patient receiving it, knew who was being given EPA and who the placebo.
Patients suffering from schizophrenia are often depressed and one of the most striking things from the study was that the symptoms of depression cleared in many of the patients taking EPA. This had led Professor K. Puri, a Consultant in Psychiatry and Imaging at Hammersmith Hospital and Imperial College London, to think about using EPA as a treatment for depression. He is a leading expert in the use of EPA for depression and has been involved in medical research for over 12 years. His papers have been widely published in international journals and he has written several books. Prof. Puri endorses Vegepa since it is exactly the formulation he wanted to use for his patients. He still takes it himself to this day. Click here to read more about the unique Omega 3 fish oil Vegepa.
EPA can be taken alongside your current antidepressant medication to speed your recovery. (Do not take with anticoagulant medication).
EPA works on depressive symptoms as quickly as antidepressant drugs, often more quickly.
EPA, if taken regularly, reduces the likelihood of your depression recurring.
What are the Side Effects?
There are no adverse side effects with EPA.

Amino Acids

Amino acids act as building blocks of protein that is essential for life. It is made from carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen and sometimes sulphur. Protein is found in all our body’s cells and is needed to make up the structure and function of these cells. Skin, hair nails, muscles, hormones, organs, antibodies, blood cells, bones and enzymes are all made of protein.
The antidepressant amino acids, Tryptophan, Phenylalanine and Tyrosine, make the neurotransmitters, serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline, which are brain chemicals important for: balanced mood and blood pressure, motivation, concentration, alertness and stress management, that are lacking in the brain of a depressed person.
The amino acid L-tryptophan or 5HTP and SAMe are used to treat depression related to serotonin deficiency. They can even be taken simultaneously (SAMe morning and 5HTP night)
L-tryosine or L-phenylalanine is used to boost noradrenaline for balanced mood and motivation, concentration and stress management.
Amino acids are usually given the letter ‘L’ in front of their names. The ‘L’ shows that they are found in nature. Tryptophan is plentiful in: chocolate with high cocoa content, oats, mangoes, dried dates, milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese, poultry, red meat, fish, eggs, sesame, chickpeas, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, spirulina and peanuts.
Do they work?
Remember that using amino acids to boost levels of neurotransmitters in the brain also depends on there being adequate levels of the appropriate vitamins and minerals.
What are the side effects?
Most of the substances used are from natural sources and there are no major side effects reported. It is important to find reputable sources of amino acids because illness has been caused in the past when contaminated L-tryptophan supplements were sold over the counter. These are truly nutritional treatments for depression, and rather than having side effects, they enhance general health.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy is an ancient healing system whose origins can be traced to the Sanskrit writings of ancient India to Hippocrates in Greece.
Homeopathy is based on the principle: Treat Like with Like.
Examples of the homeopathic principle in orthodox medicine are numerous and include
immunisation and allergy desensitisation.
Homeopathy is NOT just the giving of small doses. It is the administration of a regulating signal to the body, to trigger a healing response. The nearest analogy may be that of a DVD or CD. While all such discs look much the same, they differ in the information stored. When this information is read by an appropriate decoder, it results in a specific pattern of sound etc becoming revealed. It is believed that the information is stored in clusters of water molecules. This homeopathic signal can be corrupted by heat or ionising radiation, as can be expected. If someone is interested in homeopathy it is recommended that they first have an appointment with a homeopath before self administering. This is because in homeopathy they treat the "constitution" - the whole person, so you and I could present with exactly the same symptoms, but if we had a different constitutional type we could be prescribed different remedies.
Does it work?
Depression, minor anxiety, immune and allergic diseases, coughs and colds, teething, acute diarrhoea all respond well to homeopathy.
What are the Side Effects?
It is safe and economical. Side effects are rare and usually indicate only a need to tune the treatment more specifically to the individual. Allergy to Homeopathy does not occur.

Herbal Medicine

There are several groups of herbal medicines that can be helpful in treating depression. A professional herbalist will be able to help you with the best treatment for your depression.

Herbs for Anxiety

Valerian (from which the name Valium derives) and German chamomile are helpful in treating anxiety. One of the best treatment is oats either in the form of herbal extract (Avena sativa) or in the form of a good old fashioned bowl of porridge.

Herbs for stress

Adaptogens are used mainly to help cope in times of stress. The adaptogens include Rhodiola rosea, Eleutherococcus (Sigerian ginseng) and Sutherlandia (See Filisa below).
Do they work?
These are thought to help us move through the usual emotional cycle that we go through if we receive a major setback, and gain acceptance.
What are the Side Effects?
Some of these can have adverse health effects (if taken by people with hypertension) and it is recommended that you consult a doctor or herbalist before you use them.
Herbs for depression
St John’s Wort – is one of Germany’s leading antidepressant drugs and accounts for a large percentage of the market there. The active ingredient is hyperforin that is thought to act on depression by raising the neurotransmitters noradrenaline, serotonin and dopamine in the brain. It is also said to have sedative properties and be helpful in calming anxiety and excitability.
Does it work?
An evaluation in the late 1990s of a number of studies into St John’s Wort’s antidepressant qualities seemed to show that it was more effective than a placebo in treating mild or moderate depression. More trials are underway but many millions of people seem to have been helped by this remedy over the years in dealing with their depression.
What are the Side Effects?
Because St John’s Wort is a herbal remedy, many assume that it is automatically safe to take. And, taken alone and in the recommended doses, it does seem to be safe. The worry about side effects is focused on the herb’s reaction with other medication. Studies have shown that it should not be taken in conjunction with other depression drugs, as it might cause an allergic reaction in some people. It can interfere with the absorption of the contraceptive pill.
Self medication with St John’s Wort is safe if you take the above contraindications into account but it is important to check with your doctor that you are really suffering from depression before commencing treatment.

Filisa

Filisa is the plant Sutherlandia Frutescens and is a traditional South African remedy that has long been used to support anyone suffering from extreme emotional distress, especially grief. The ancient Zulu name is Insiswa, which translates as ‘the one which dispels the darkness’. The wives of slain Zulu warriors used to take Sutherlandia to ease their grief. The warriors who survived also took it to help calm them after their experiences.
Click here to learn more about Filisa

Does it work?
The Sutherlandia plant is rich in the natural inhibitory neuro-transmitter GABA, which relieves depression, anxiety, stress, improves the mood and gives a general sense of wellbeing. Filisa helps with stress, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, SAD, PMT and Menopausal symptoms.
What are the Side Effects?
Filisa can be taken alongside your prescribed medication. It should not be taken during pregnancy or whilst breastfeeding. It is not generally suitable for children under 14. Take 2x200mg capsules twice daily with food, to reduce any risk of nausea or dizziness (these are the only two rare side effects reported among already weakened patients).
 
Summary
It is worth investigating the foods you are eating and considering supplements alongside your anti-depressants, to speed up your recovery and ensure you remain in good physical and mental health. Please always check with your GP or Mental Health Specialist before taking any of these supplements.

 

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