Should You Consider Alternative Health Supplements for Depression?

One thing is certain: Our moods and our bodies’ chemistry are very interrelated.

The most common mood disorder, depression, has been dubbed the “cold” of mental illness, given its prevalence. Fortunately research is contributing significantly to our understanding and to more effective treatments. The consensus from medical spheres is depression has both biochemical and genetic bases, with environmental factors involved as well. Traditionally, a combination of drug therapy and psychotherapy are most effective in relieving the resulting feelings of hopelessness, joylessness, and lack of motivation. [see January blog post].

There is always a search for new drugs because not all of the current drugs work equally well for all of those who receive the diagnosis of “depression.” Some respond better to stimulants, some to sedatives. Various causes and brain processes may be involved, it seems. Even so, they all seem to work by increasing the amount of serotonin and norepinephrine—two brain amines--available to the brain as neurotransmitters and thereby elevate mood.

One of the most intriguing new discoveries is that alternative health supplements may also help fight the low moods brought on by depression, as detailed in the e-book Up From Under. These supplements do so by acting on the very same parts of the brain that more traditional treatments for depression act on. A multi-nutrient health-promoting approach has the distinct advantage of no unwanted side effects, which is an important consideration.

The amines are so important to communication within the brain that it has mechanisms to conserve them and facilitate their functioning. To make a long story short, when that system is disrupted, depression can result. The precursor nutrients appear to provide an apt way to intervene in such cases because modifying their level can change the level of amines.

What are these precursor nutrients? They are already familiar to most of us! They are amino acids, enzymes, minerals, and vitamins.

Such an approach has many benefits, among them:

· Greater overall safety than drugs

· Safe for long-term use and for intermittent use

· Has other health benefits, included more energy, greater resistance to illness, and so on

· No withdrawal symptoms

· Can be used with considerable flexibility by each person over time

· They are non-toxic and do not accumulate in bodily systems

When you weigh the benefits against the costs, using whole food supplements and natural supplements a natural treatment of depression begins to make a lot of sense. The supplements themselves are readily available from reputable suppliers who carry high-quality brands of natural herb supplements, nutritional supplements, and amino acide supplements.