5 Natural Antidepressants

April 24, 2013 by Admin
Filed under Addiction, Antidepressants, Prescription Drug Abuse

5 Natural Anti-depressants

Every year, 230 million prescriptions for antidepressants are filled. They are one of the most commonly prescribed classes of drugs in the United States. Despite all the drugs, more than one in 20 Americans are depressed, and 80 percent of these say they have some form of functional impairment. Doctors and patients alike are now turning to natural ways to combat depression. Here are 5 natural anti-depressants, no doctor’s appointment or medication needed!

5 Natural Anti-depressants: Exercise

In nearly every article about natural cures for anything, exercise is mentioned. Whether you want to fight insomnia, indigestion, chronic pain, or anxiety, exercise is key. Exercise has also been shown to help fight depression. In studies where some participants took antidepressants and others worked out, exercise was shown to work as well or better than medication. Exercise enhances the action of endorphins, chemicals that circulate throughout the body. Endorphins improve immunity, decrease perception of pain, and boost move. It is one of the best natural antidepressants out there!

5 Natural Anti-depressants: Gardening

This is one of the less-known natural anti-depressants on the list. However, preliminary findings have shown that gardening can have a positive impact on depression. In 2009, a Norwegian study tracked the effectiveness of gardening in a group of clinically depressed patients. The patients experienced significant improvement of their depression symptoms, and were still less depressed at their 3-month follow-up. Part of it is probably due to the physical activity, but some might be the actual act of putting your hands in soil. There may be bacteria in soil that can actually increase levels of serotonin in the same way that prescription anti-depressants do!

5 Natural Anti-depressants: Good Fats

Omega 3 fatty acids or “good fats” cannot be synthesized by the human body. They must be derived from dietary sources. Flaxseed, hemp, canola and walnut oils are good sources. New studies suggest that nutritional deficiencies, particularly Omega 3 deficiencies, could underlie symptoms of depression. Communities that have a higher overall level of Omega 3 intake also show lower rates of depression. And studies suggest that Omega 3’s could very well have therapeutic value in treating depression.

5 Natural Anti-depressants: Meditation

Meditation has long been believed to be beneficial to health, and science is now validating that connection. In a paper published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, scientists reported that mindfulness meditation has been shown to give patients control over their own depression and anxiety levels and levels of chronic pain. Mindfulness meditation can cut the recurrence of depression by 50%!

5 Natural Anti-depressants: Vitamins

Studies show that vitamin B-12, Folic acid, vitamin D3 and Tyrosine are fantastic vitamins that naturally fight depression. You can find them in foods like: fish, oysters, beans, nuts, whole grains, and leafy vegetables. As in the case of fatty acids, there are a number of vitamin deficiencies that can lead to depression symptoms. The brain needs these vitamins to function correctly, and many things (like stress, caffeine intake, poor diet, and nicotine) can lead to deficiency.

Sources:

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Exercise-and-Depression-report-excerpt.htm

http://www.hgtvgardens.com/life-style/get-happy-gardening-may-reduce-depression-and-stress

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/expert.q.a/11/01/fatty.acid.depression.raison/index.html

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC533861/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/feb/26/mindfulness-meditation-depression-nhs

Tags: 5 Natural Antidepressants, exercising, meditation, natural antidepressants