• It’s a Cookbook
    It’s a Philosophy
    It’s a Resource
logologologologo
  • FoodTrients 101 –
  • News –
      • Age Gracefully with Grace O
      • Ginger Hultin, Nutrition
      • Mark Rosenberg, MD
      • Robert Tostado, MD
      • Anti-Aging –
      • Beauty –
      • Food –
      • Health –
      • Exercise –
      • Celiac –
      • Life Extension
      • Books We Love –
      • FoodTrients Guides –
      • Newsletter –
      • capsule full of good foodAre Supplements Safe for You?
      • woman doing yogaSecrets of the Lymphatic System
      • woman fanning herselfWomen, Food, and Hormones: A Plan
      • "collagen" written on a chalkboardSave Your Eyes with Collagen
  • Recipes –
    • SEARCH BY:

      • Category:

      • Starters –
      • Soups –
      • Salads –
      • Main Dishes –
      • Sides –
      • Desserts –
      • Drinks –
      • Extras –
      • Spice Mixes –
      • All Recipes –
      • Or Search By:

      • Anti-inflammatory –
      • Antioxidant –
      • Beauty –
      • Detox –
      • Disease Prevention –
      • Gut Health –
      • Immunity Booster –
      • Mind –
      • Strength –
      • exotic fruit and granolaExotic Fruit Salad with Granola
      • chocolate mousseDark Chocolate Mousse
      • Green Tea NoodlesGreen Tea Noodles with Edamame
      • buffalo meat slidersTry Buffalo Sliders with Sweetened Cranberries
  • Resources –
  • About –
  • Shop –
  • Media –
  • Home Page
  • News
    • Age Gracefully
    • Anti-Aging
    • Beauty
    • Food
    • Ginger Hultin, MS RDN CSO
    • Health
    • Newsletter
  • Recipes
    • Starters
    • Soups
    • Salads
    • Main Dishes
    • Sides
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Extras
    • Spice Mixes
  • Resources
    • Anti-Aging Resources
    • Health
    • Eating Well
    • Books We Love
  • About
    • About Grace O
    • Experts and Advisors
    • Contact Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest
  • Shop
  • Media
    • In the Media
    • Press Releases
    • Videos
            No results See all results
            ✕
                      No results See all results

                      Natural Approaches to Mild Depression

                      Published by FoodTrients
                      depressed woman

                      naturalmilddepressionSummary: Antidepressants can significantly help people with major depressive disorders, but they typically offer little relief to people with milder forms of depression. If you’re looking for natural ways to cope with mild depression—or if you’re already on SSRIs and want to complement their effects—consider these nutrients and supplements.

                      The occasional down day and even short stretches of the blues are a natural part of life. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that one-in-ten Americans (people ages 40 to 59 in particular) suffer from depression at one point or another. Seeking help to regain a more positive emotional balance is a healthy step. But for people with persistent mild depression, are prescription antidepressants the answer?

                      Like many natural health practitioners, Tieraona Low Dog, MD, at the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine in Tucson, questions the overuse of antidepressants, the most commonly prescribed medication for people ages 18 to 44. Antidepressants are now used for conditions that go beyond depression, such as anxiety disorders, pain, and menopausal symptoms, says Low Dog, who serves on Delicious Living’s advisory board. “Some are FDA-approved uses, some are off-label uses. But the number of antidepressant prescriptions for children and adolescents as well as adults is growing exponentially and is a little bit scary.”

                      Antidepressants can significantly help people with major depressive disorders, but they typically offer little relief to people with milder forms of depression, according to a 2010 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. And like any drug, antidepressants can cause unwanted side effects. Researchers are finding that natural strategies—including regular exercise, eating a healthy diet rich in omega-3s, meditation and stress relief, practicing gratitude, and enjoying a strong community of family and friends—can mitigate depression symptoms and boost mood over time.

                      If you have symptoms of depression, including feelings of sadness, a loss of interest in normal activities, and difficulty concentrating, consult your health practitioner for advice. And if you’re currently taking or considering taking a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), the common class of antidepressants, read on for Low Dog’s tips on how the right supplements and nutrients can support your body and mood.

                      Alternatives to consider

                      Hypericum - St John's wort

                      Hypericum – St John’s wort

                      St. John’s wort. According to a 2009 review published in Evidence-Based Mental Health, St. John’s wort extracts used in clinical trials were as effective as prescription antidepressants, had fewer side effects, and were superior to a placebo. “St. John’s wort is appropriate if you’re not taking any other medications and you have mild depression, possibly with some anxiety, because it also reduces anxiety,” says Low Dog. “For example, if you’re a 24-year-old and you have mild depression and a little anxiousness and aren’t on medication, St. John’s wort may be appropriate for you.” However, it interacts with a lot of medications, including SSRI antidepressants and birth control pills, so only take under a doctor’s supervision, Low Dog warns.

                      S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe). “A lot of people think of SAMe as nature’s Wellbutrin,” says Low Dog. “Very good studies show that SAMe, a naturally occurring compound in the body, can be as effective as antidepressants. This is for the person who is what we call dysthymic: melancholic, low energy, fatigued, not motivated. SAMe is considered a stimulating antidepressant, so you would never give this to someone who is anxious or agitated and certainly not to someone bipolar. It’s also highly effective for pain, so it’s the right supplement for people who have arthritis, fibromyalgia, and dysthymia with depression,” she says. SAMe is available over-the-counter. Start by taking 200 mg once or twice a day; then increase by 200 mg every five to seven days until you reach about 1,000 mg daily, Low Dog advises. “Older people generally need less.”

                      Rhodiola. “This has been studied in Scandinavia for depression, and a UCLA study looked at it for generalized anxiety disorder,” says Low Dog. “It helps with people who are under a lot of stress or who have mild forms of depression, fatigue, and anxiety. Rhodiola was traditionally used to help prevent colds and flu, so when someone says, ‘I feel kind of depressed, and I’ve gotten sick five times this year,’ rhodiola may be a good choice.” Start with 150–200 mg daily of extract standardized to 3 percent rosavin and about 1 percent salidroside, the active compounds. “Stay on that for five to seven days; then you can increase the dose to 400–500 mg if necessary. Most people need between 300 mg and 500 mg per day of the standardized extract,” Low Dog says.

                      L-theanine. “Some people have depression, but the anxiousness is what really bothers them,” says Low Dog. “In that case, don’t forget green tea. Have yourself a cup of green, oolong, or even black tea (green and oolong have less caffeine); these teas help focus, calm, and quiet you because of the L-theanine amino acid. Or you can take L-theanine as a supplement, 100–200 mg two to three times per day. I tell patients, ‘Look, just keep this with you, take it in your purse, and if you feel like you’re getting into an anxious situation, the boss is yelling at you, or you’re at school, you have a big test and you need to be alert but you have a lot of test anxiety, just take 200 mg.’ It’s nonsedating but it just calms you down. It’s a much better alternative than [the anti-anxiety drug] Ativan for milder forms of anxiety.

                      Nutrients that complement SSRIs

                      If you’re taking an SSRI antidepressant, work with a health care provider to supplement with nutrients that complement your medication, says Low Dog.

                      Omega-3 pills

                      Omega-3 pills

                      Omega-3 fatty acids. “Fish oil, which is rich in omega-3 essential fats, seems to help an antidepressant work better, but it doesn’t [produce] an interaction,” she says. In her practice, she recommends 1,000 mg EPA per day. “You really need to get up to that amount of EPA to get the benefits.” A key point: “Please, please, please remember to take fish oil with the largest meal of the day. You have to take it with some fat; otherwise you won’t absorb it. I usually tell people to take fish oil at dinner because that tends to be people’s largest meal.”

                      B vitamins. Low Dog recommends taking a multivitamin with solid doses of B vitamins or B-complex stress formula with high-dose folic acid, B6, and B12, all of which are needed for the body to make neurotransmitters such as serotonin. “While SSRIs keep neurotransmitters around longer, if you can’t make enough, you’re only going to get a modest effect from antidepressants. And when people are under a lot of stress, they burn through those B’s. So if you’re taking an antidepressant and you’re not getting the full effect, make sure you talk to your health care provider [about supplemental B vitamins].”

                      Common antidepressant side effects

                      “[Prescription antidepressants] can have a number of side effects, ranging from mild—such as dry mouth, insomnia, and headaches—that go away in three or four weeks, to problems that typically do not,” says Tieraona Low Dog, MD. If you notice any of these effects, inform your health care provider; a different dose or medication may be in order.

                      Weight gain. “Some selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors [SSRIs, common antidepressants] stimulate appetite centers,” says Low Dog; “in other cases, patients who feel less depressed are hungry and want to eat more. Paxil is commonly associated with weight gain, as is Trazodone and many tricyclic antidepressants; other SSRIs, such as Lexapro, are not.”

                      Sexual dysfunction. “This is a huge one for many people,” says Low Dog. “It’s really hard when a woman tells me, ‘I had more libido when I was depressed than I do now.’ We focus on men because of erectile dysfunction and sort of ignore that [some] women [taking antidepressants] not only are not able to achieve orgasm but have completely lost their libido.”

                      Mania. “If you put a patient on an antidepressant and that person has undiagnosed bipolar disorder, it may induce a manic episode,” Low Dog says. “This is something we try to be very careful with in teenagers in particular, when you may not be able to diagnose bipolar yet. [An antidepressant] can throw them into this mania. We tell parents this a lot: If your teen is being more aggressive, angry, agitated, and seems to have more anxiety, that is a clear indication that this antidepressant is bringing out that manic aspect.”

                      SOURCE: This article is posted by permission Delicious Living (and its parent company New Hope Network), a trusted voice in the natural living community for 30 years.

                      Share
                      FoodTrients
                      FoodTrients
                      Combining her passion for food and a lifelong commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle, Grace O has created FoodTrients, a unique program for optimizing wellness. Grace O is a fusion chef with a mission: to cook up recipes for sustaining a long and joyful life that are built on a foundation of anti-aging science and her work in the health care industry. Mixing foods and unique flavors culled from a lifetime of travels from Asia to Europe and America, Grace O encourages young and old to celebrate a full life that embraces diversity. Lifestyle tips, age-defying recipes, and secrets of the healing properties of food are the centerpiece of FoodTrients-–all available through cookbooks, e-newsletters, and this website.

                      Sign Up to get our
                      NEWSLETTER FREE

                      Select list(s) to subscribe to


                      By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: FoodTrients, 14011 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA, 91423, http://www.foodtrients.com. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact

                      Latest Articles

                      • 0
                        How To Feel Better Faster During Colds & Flu
                        February 2, 2023
                      • 0
                        Feeling Frisky? 15 Foods To Enhance Romance
                        February 2, 2023
                      • beauty treatment
                        Beauty Foods Help You Look Younger
                        February 1, 2023
                      • 8 Ways To Save Money on a Gluten-Free Diet
                        February 1, 2023
                      • buffalo meat sliders0
                        Try Buffalo Sliders with Sweetened Cranberries
                        January 30, 2023

                      SEE MORE

                      ABOUT

                      • Grace O
                      • Our Experts
                      • FoodTrients
                      • Board of Advisors
                      • FAQs

                      EXPLORE

                      • Age Gracefully by Grace O
                      • News
                      • Recipes
                      • Our Guides
                      • Resources
                      • Shop
                      • Media

                      CONNECT

                      • Contact Us
                      • Subscribe
                      • Facebook
                      • Pinterest
                      • Instagram
                      • Twitter
                      • YouTube

                      SIGN UP for our NEWSLETTER

                      Nourish your week! Get the latest wellness news and delicious recipes to help you age better.

                      Select list(s) to subscribe to


                      By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: FoodTrients, 14011 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA, 91423, http://www.foodtrients.com. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact

                      FoodTrients Trademark™ and copyright © 2011-2022 Triple G Enterprises. I Terms and Conditions I Privacy

                      This website is for informational and entertainment purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. FoodTrients – A Recipe for Aging Beautifully Grace O, author and creator of FoodTrients® -- a philosophy, a cookbook and a resource -- has a new cookbook dedicated to age-defying and delicious recipes, The Age Beautifully Cookbook: Easy and Exotic Longevity Secrets from Around the World, which provides one hundred-plus recipes that promote health and well-being. The recipes are built on foundations of modern scientific research and ancient knowledge of medicinal herbs and natural ingredients from around the world. Since the publication of her first anti-aging book, The Age GRACEfully Cookbook, Grace O has identified eight categories of FoodTrients benefits (Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant, Immune Booster, Disease Prevention, Beauty, Strength, Mind, and Weight Loss) that are essential to fighting aging, which show how specific foods, herbs, and spices in the recipes help keep skin looking younger, prevent the diseases of aging, and increase energy and vitality. Grace O combines more exotic ingredients that add age-fighting benefits to familiar recipe favorites.

                                No results See all results