Keeping Depression at Bay Naturally

If you live in a climate that has very little sun and warmth during the winter months than this may be the time you find your moods sinking. It is very common to suffer from S.A.D ( seasonal affective disorder) when you live in colder, darker climates and there are a few tricks to combating the mood swings. One that is very important in not only elevating your mood but also your immune system is vitamin D, an adults daily required dose is 2000 iu and most foods do not contain it but here is a list of naturally occurring vitamin D food sources, Cod-liver oil, egg yolk, halibut-liver oil, herring, liver, mackerel, salmon, sardines, tuna, vitamin D fortified milk. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and phosphorous from the small intestine. It is essential for the growth and maintenance of bones and teeth and can boost your immune system. People who get sufficient vitamin D are less likely to get colon cancer and research suggests it may help treat irritable bowel diseases.

Omega fatty acids are an essential part of dealing with depression or seasonal depression. It all has to do with your nerve endings, the signals they send and lack of omega fatty acids interferes with these signals. People hospitalized for test low for these. Check out this in depth site for the rest of the benefits of taking omega fatty acids including asthma, arthritis and many more common ailments http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/omega-3-000316.htm

B vitamins give you boundless energy, perk you up more than coffee and are very important for many reasons but when it comes specifically to dealing with your mood/depressions the B-complex vitamins are essential to mental and emotional well-being. They cannot be stored in our bodies, so we depend entirely on our daily diet to supply them. B vitamins are destroyed by alcohol, refined sugars, nicotine, and caffeine so it is no surprise that many people may be deficient in these.

I am cutting and pasting this because the information is so vast about B vitamins....all great info!!!

Here's a rundown of recent finding about the relationship of B-complex vitamins to depression:

• Vitamin B1 (thiamine): The brain uses this vitamin to help convert glucose, or blood sugar, into fuel, and without it the brain rapidly runs out of energy. This can lead to fatigue, depression, irritability, anxiety, and even thoughts of suicide. Deficiencies can also cause memory problems, loss of appetite, insomnia, and gastrointestinal disorders. The consumption of refined carbohydrates, such as simple sugars, drains the body's B1 supply.
• Vitamin B3 (niacin): Pellagra-which produces psychosis and dementia, among other symptoms-was eventually found to be caused by niacin deficiency. Many commercial food products now contain niacin, and pellagra has virtually disappeared. However, subclinical deficiencies of vitamin B3 can produce agitation and anxiety, as well as mental and physical slowness.
• Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): Symptoms of deficiency are fatigue, chronic stress, and depression. Vitamin B5 is needed for hormone formation and the uptake of amino acids and the brain chemical acetylcholine, which combine to prevent certain types of depression.
• Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): This vitamin aids in the processing of amino acids, which are the building blocks of all proteins and some hormones. It is needed in the manufacture of serotonin, melatonin and dopamine. Vitamin B6 deficiencies, although very rare, cause impaired immunity, skin lesions, and mental confusion. A marginal deficiency sometimes occurs in alcoholics, patients with kidney failure, and women using oral contraceptives. MAOIs, ironically, may also lead to a shortage of this vitamin. Many nutritionally oriented doctors believe that most diets do not provide optimal amounts of this vitamin.
• Vitamin B12: Because vitamin B12 is important to red blood cell formation, deficiency leads to an oxygen-transport problem known as pernicious anemia. This disorder can cause mood swings, paranoia, irritability, confusion, dementia, hallucinations, or mania, eventually followed by appetite loss, dizziness, weakness, shortage of breath, heart palpitations, diarrhea, and tingling sensations in the extremities. Deficiencies take a long time to develop, since the body stores a three- to five-year supply in the liver. When shortages do occur, they are often due to a lack of intrinsic factor, an enzyme that allows vitamin B12 to be absorbed in the intestinal tract. Since intrinsic factor diminishes with age, older people are more prone to B12 deficiencies.
• Folic acid: This B vitamin is needed for DNA synthesis. It is also necessary for the production of SAM (S-adenosyl methionine). Poor dietary habits contribute to folic acid deficiencies, as do illness, alcoholism, and various drugs, including aspirin, birth control pills, barbiturates, and anticonvulsants. It is usually administered along with vitamin B12, since a B12 deficiency can mask a folic acid deficiency. Pregnant women are often advised to take this vitamin to prevent neural tube defects in the developing fetus.

Vitamin C is also necessary in helping your body fight off illness but also in helping the body produce and store other vitamins and minerals. Aspirin, tetracycline and birth control deplete the body's supply so make sure to take your supplements to ward off depression.

Magnesium deficiency can result in depressive symptoms, along with confusion, agitation, anxiety, and hallucinations, as well as a variety of physical problems. Most diets do not include enough magnesium, and stress also contributes to magnesium depletion

Calcium depletion affects the central nervous system. Low levels of calcium cause nervousness, apprehension, irritability, and numbness.

Zinc inadequacies result in apathy, lack of appetite, and lethargy. When zinc is low, copper in the body can increase to toxic levels, resulting in paranoia and fearfulness.

Depression is often a symptom of chronic iron deficiency. Other symptoms include general weakness, listlessness, exhaustion, lack of appetite, and headaches

Manganese, this metal is needed for proper use of the B-complex vitamins and vitamin C. Since it also plays a role in amino-acid formation, a deficiency may contribute to depression stemming from low levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine. Manganese also helps stabilize blood sugar and prevent hypoglycemic mood swings.

Potassium depletion is frequently associated with depression, tearfulness, weakness, and fatigue.

I hope this information is helpful to many of you because this is a serious issue for myself and I am sure anyone else who lives in a dull, grey, winter climate.