Vitamins Helpful for Depression
For millions of people living with depression there may be a simple, yet very effective, non-medicinal treatment for their depression. There are a number of vitamin deficiencies that can be responsible for depression. Likewise the addition of these vitamins and/or minerals to the diet of a person suffering from depression can be just what they need to start down the path to a happy, balanced life. Before I go any further it's necessary that I mention vitamin supplements are not a cure-all for all types of depression. For some people prescription drugs are necessary to manage their depression. However, vitamin supplements can still be very beneficial to those people, as well. It is always best to discuss the addition of any vitamins to your diet with your physician prior to making any changes. The balance of vitamins in your diet can sometimes be a delicate one. Add to that the fact that some vitamins may have an adverse reaction with certain medications and you can see why it's imperative to discuss the matter with your doctor. Below is a list of vitamins that can be very beneficial for people suffering from depression. * Vitamin B1 (thiamine): The brain uses this vitamin to help convert glucose 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. * 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): Aids in the processing of amino acids, which are the building blocks of all proteins and certain hormones. It's necessary 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. * 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 a variety of symptoms including 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 years to develop, since the body stores a three to five year supply in the liver. When shortages 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, B12 deficiencies are more common in older people. * Folic acid: This vitamin is needed for DNA synthesis and is also necessary for the production of S-adenosyl methionine. Poor dietary habits, illness, alcoholism, and various drugs, including aspirin, birth control pills, barbiturates, and anticonvulsants all contribute to deficiency of Folic acid. It is usually administered along with vitamin B12, since a B12 deficiency can mask a folic acid deficiency. It's advised that women take this vitamin prior to and during pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects in the developing fetus. * Vitamin C: Subclinical deficiencies of this vitamin can produce depression, which requires the use of supplements. Supplementation is especially important if you have had surgery or an inflammatory disease. Stress, pregnancy, and lactation also increase your body's need for vitamin C, while aspirin, tetracycline (a common antibiotic), and birth control pills can deplete the body's supply. Copyright 2006 PillFreeVitamins.com Steven Godlewski is a self-made millionaire and is currently working with the staff at PillFreeVitamins.com He has an extensive background in nutrition as well as other health related fields. For more health-related articles see their website at: www.pillfreevitamins.com |
Other Articles
Rhinoplasty - the Emotional Effects of a Nose Job If you are considering undergoing plastic surgery to improve the appearance of your nose, it is likely that you have spent a great deal time researching the procedure. This probably includes locating a good surgeon, finding out how surgery is performed and preparing yourself for the potential risks and physical after effects of surgery. But you ...Clinical Depression – A Quick Guide The term clinical depression, also called major depression refers to a medical term for any type of depression that needs some sort of treatment in order to alleviate it. Doctors also tend to use it as an umbrella term to cover various forms of depression. Clinical depression is a rather serious medical condition that can affect anybody. It can ...Types of Mood Disorders There are two categories of mood disorders recognized by the psychiatric community: unipolar and bipolar disorder. Both are a type of depression with the difference being those who suffer bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, also experience extreme mood swings between depression and episodes of extreme mania or high energy.Th ...Teenagers and Depression One minute your teenager will be laughing and joking along with you and the next he is in a fit of rage, yelling or crying with no warning or apparent cause. Mood swings are normal with all teenagers, but how do you know when mood swings turn into depression?Teenagers have so much to deal with in today's society that depression can co ...Post Pardum Depression-Would You Recognize It? Bringing a new baby into the world should be one of life’s most precious experiences. Unfortunately, for mothers affected by post pardum depression, what follows may feel more like a nightmare. You brought home a “bundle of joy” but didn’t anticipate the distressing feelings you are now experiencing.Pregnancy and childbirth are attenuated ...What is Depressive Disorder and How Does it Affect the Quality of Life? What is Depressive Disorder and How Does it Affect the Quality of Life?Some types of depression run in families, indicating that a biological vulnerability to depression can be inherited. .This seems to be the case especially with bipolar disorder. Studies have been done of families in which members of each generation develo ...An Explanation of Anxiety Disorders and Their Treatments Anxiety is a common feeling for most people at some point or another. When fear, nervousness or worry become a chronic problem, however, they can progress into a more serious anxiety disorder.While anxiety starts in the mind, it can lead to physical symptoms as well. Increased heartrate, stomach problems and headaches are all physical sym ...Metaphysics - A Philosophy That Makes Sense In a world where people drive in the fast lanes, eat fast food, and complain that the computers and machines we use are not fast enough, it is no wonder we manifest disease, emotional and mental illness, and experience an emptiness that comes from a void of connection with one another and the Divine. Medical science has traditionally separated t ...Bipolar Omega 3 Treatment: Fish Oils That Are Good For Mental Health Bipolar omega 3 treatment presents exciting possibilities for those suffering symptoms of manic-depressive illness. Research has shown that certain nutrients and compounds can have a profound effect on mood disturbances.Fatty acids found in certain fish and in fish oils offer benefits to people suffering from fluctuating moods. In fact, t ...Are You A Victim Of Sleep Panic Attacks? In our stressful lives, it should not be surprising that a good portion of us is sleeping less soundly than previous generations. Most of the time a lack of deep sleep is related to how we function during the daytime. For the majority of humanity the whole sleep and awake cycle is voluntary that is mostly defined by the clock and hence is of no ...Migraine Headaches And Chronic Pain: Essential Oil Of Lavender, A Natural Remedy If you suffer migraines or chronic headaches, you are not alone. In fact, you're in good company. A migraine is only one type of headache. In the United States alone, 24 million people suffer with migraines with 75% of them being women.Another, powerful statistic: 1 out of 13 people over the age of 15 wake up with a morning headache. W ...Got An Anxiety Problem? Need Help? A general anxiety disorder can be defined as a “state of uneasiness and apprehension, as about future uncertainties”. It can be extremely debilitating, and dealing with general anxiety disorders can vary enormously from person to person.Heres a few suggestions of some things that many people find useful in dealing with general anxiety dis ...Bipolar Tests The key to a successful treatment of a bipolar disorder is the right diagnosis. Diagnosis may not be so easy because its symptoms are episodic. Thus, a comprehensive history is needed. Though it is a psychological illness, an exhaustive medical history and physical exam are also needed to rule out any physical cause of the symptoms of the mood d ...Seasons and Moods 2: Mind/Body Health After taking some basic steps to improve your regimen of exercise, eating, and sleeping, let’s focus on waking up your mind, your activities as a whole person, and yourself as member of your community.MindDo something to jump-start your mind. Read that book you skimmed in high school--or take an interest in the book your ch ...Managing and Conquering Depression We all have fell victim to depression at one point or another. That is part of life. Some people will fall into a depression for a few hours, others may be in that state for days and eventually manage and conquer that depression to finally come back to a state of balance, a state of equilibrium.Some people on the other hand, may fall into ...Depression - Dealing Without Drugs Depression is a terrible thing. It robs you of your life by turning your mind into a literal torture chamber while your body may be perfectly fine. Some people, in trying to deal with this terrible illness, turn to drugs. But the drugs have terrible side effects which in some way are worse than the depression itself. For those who are tired ...Social Anxiety Disorder Medications Social Anxiety Disorder (sometimes called simply "SAD") is a temporary-to-permanent condition that is similar to depression, in which the sufferer feels extremely uncomfortable in social situations. Often it is mistaken for simple shyness or even snobbery, when in fact there is something chemically ?imbalanced? in the brain tissue that is the cu ...Endogenous Depression There are two broad ways in which the patient may present, depending on the relative influence of psychomotor retardation and agitation. When retardation is extreme the patient is in a stupor, mute and in need of constant nursing care; when less severe the patient performs slowly and the increased sense of effort is obvious. The agitated patie ...Moving Past Depression We all feel sad at times. We get lonely when someone we love ignores us. We feel disappointed when we fail at something. And we may lose something that we value. At times, our sense of loss is enormous, and we feel grief.Depression, however, can also become a pervasive mood that slowly destroys our lives. It erodes our health and wel ...Problems With Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis That Should Be Avoided Currently, there is no laboratory or medical test that would give a straightforward conclusion that a person is suffering from bipolar disorder. This makes it difficult to determine if the symptoms (associated with bipolar disorder) that are present to him or her are indeed signs of this mental illness. Meanwhile, it is very important to detect ...The Six Pillars of Inner Balance Many people are building their inner balance and happiness on one single pillar. This is a dangerous situation! What’s going to sustain them if for some reason the only pillar they rest upon collapses? There are six pillars that support your inner balance. If you want to live a life of inner calm and peace, don’t just lean on one or two pillars, ...Chronic Depression: Disease or Charcter Flaw? A major survey on depression symptoms from the National Mental Health Association (NMHA), released in july 2001, revealed a dramatic degree of progress in public understanding. Yet even amid this promising trend, the survey sheds light on the difficulties faced by millions of people striving to manage this sometimes chronic, life-long ill ...Headaches Can Be So Depressing People with headaches, which respond to over-the-counter medication very rarely visit their doctor.But if the headache is happening every day is there when the person wakes up in the morning hangs on for most of the day has been a problem for many months then the doctor’s alarm bells should ring ...
|