Natural Antidepressants
Natural Antidepressants

The medical term for depression is unrepaired emotional short-circuiting, and it is as serious as it can get if left untreated. It can damage your health, your social life, your marriage, your profession, all of it, so trying to find a way to solve it is highly recommended.

If you visit your physician chances are they will prescribe you with antidepressant drugs or cognitive counseling, or highly alike both of them. 230 million prescriptions are filled every year, and the number is only raising, and the effects are not promising anything other than just more and more patients. Drugs as well as cognitive counseling are just not good or effective, because drugs are meant to promote serotonin or dopamine to your body, or sometimes both, and they are supposed to make you feel good (they are called good hormones). But sometimes drugs tend to produce too much of either one or cause an imbalance and the side-effects are well known, obesity, mood disorder, emotional numbness, and even worst depression. Drugs will only sedate you, and long term they will make you worst, and cognitive counseling can do the trick, but still not enough, talking thru your depression can be hard and time taking!

What you can do is try something new, but still old as time itself; you can try natural remedies that do work, and natural methods that do work, and that more and more people are doing every day now, and they are feeling better, with new testimonies every day.

  1. John’s wort – many Europeans use this herb to treat depression, in the US not as much since it hasn’t been FDA approved. It works by raising the level of serotonin (the good feel hormone) in your brain, just as many antidepressants do, but with fewer side-effects. However, do be careful when using it, since it doesn’t bode well with many other medications, like blood thinners, birth control pills, HIV medications and last but not least, antidepressants, it can cause a much more serious side-effect when combined. Some studies have shown that it is effective when treating milder forms of depression. However, it still hasn’t been proven. But, no harm can come out of it!
  2. Chia seeds – superfood for the brain packed with amino acids, iron, and Vitamin B. The amount of protein in them helps a better neurotransmitter function and raise the level of serotonin in your body. Plus they will give you the needed amount of Omega 3s and fiber, and do notice that Omega 3s can help fight depression too and keep your blood sugar level normal (low blood sugar can trigger a bad mood!).
  3. Hemp – not marijuana, remember this! Hemp seeds are very high in Omega 3s, protein and fiber. They are natural mood enhancers, and they will help you relax. They are also filled with magnesium and iron, which are necessary for a healthy brain function, and they stimulate dopamine production in your body.
  4. Curcumin – the golden Indian spice found in turmeric, and work just like Prozac do (the antidepressant highly used in the US). It stimulates serotonin production, and even when took with antidepressants it only enhances the effect. It also levels up your dopamine, the pleasure hormone and motivation stimulator.
  5. Saffron – this yellow spice has been used almost in every cuisine, but rarely someone knows that it can be a powerful antidepressant too. It also enhances serotonin production, and it can be taken as a supplement, but when buying it be sure to look for extract of Crocus Sativa, not just saffron extract. Hint – it can also work as weight lose remedy, since it lowers your appetite!
  6. Fish oil – since depression has been connected to the low level of Omega 3s fatty acids, you can try and level them up a bit. Fish oil is the fastest way, or eating a lot of salmon and sardines. The low level of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) Omega 3s fatty acid has been linked to depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, so taking a supplement can do only good for you, since it has no side-effect a t all. Omega 3s is good for your overall health anyway! For the same purpose, you can add walnuts, flaxseeds and flax oil, since they all contain Omega 3s fatty acids.
  7. Tryptophan – also an essential amino acid that boosts serotonin and melatonin production, and it works just as well as antidepressants. Again, people who suffer depression have been found to have low levels of tryptophan, and also low levels have been found in people suffering OCD, bipolar disorder, anxiety, insomnia and few other disorders as well. Still, when taken tryptophan from food, the effects are not as good as when taken as supplements, because the protein from animal protein food and milk seem to block the synthesis of tryptophan into serotonin.
  8. Exercise – the more, the merrier, so it seems, exercise can get your blood running thru your veins, and can be effective as much as any antidepressant or therapy. Do it regularly and you will feel better, emotionally and physically, and try and do your exercise with your partner, stimulating serotonin and dopamine production even more!
  9. Good massage – this can ease your stress levels by lowering your cortisol levels and produce chemical reactions in your brain that will make you feel calm and relaxed altogether, raising your serotonin and dopamine production.
  10. Meditation – does wonders, and even if you are just a beginner, you are on the right path. Taking yoga classes also works very well, since you will learn how to breathe right, and it will help you meditate more and relax your brain, and turn negative into positive. By regular meditating you can increase the levels of serotonin and dopamine and melatonin, all with the power of your brain, as natural as it can get.

Depression is hard and can be life-threatening, so do something about it. Whatever you do, don’t stay at home and lock yourself up, go out, go with friends, smile like you mean it, even if you don’t feel like, and trying one of the above-mentioned remedies can only help you, without any harm. And if you are using antidepressants, this can be your way out!

References:

  1. https://bebrainfit.com/natural-antidepressants/
  2. http://www.chatelaine.com/health/wellness/the-top-10-natural-anti-depressants/
  3. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/expert-answers/natural-remedies-for-depression/faq-20058026
  4. https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/01/29/10-antidepressant-alternatives-proven-to-work.aspx
  5. http://www.onegreenplanet.org/natural-health/foods-that-may-benefit-your-brain-better-than-antidepressants/
  6. http://www.doctoroz.com/article/best-natural-anti-depressants
  7. https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/herbs-supplements
  8. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/shannon-bindler/10-natural-antidepressant_b_232506.html

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