| Answer: | Emphatically, yes. Did you know that exercising more, keeping a diary and owning a cat are equally, if not more, effective than anti-depressant drugs? Simple things like going for walks in the countryside, or having someone to talk to, really do help put things into perspective. That said, many people, especially women, do suffer from low levels of the mood-boosting neurotransmitter serotonin. This is made directly from tryptophan, an amino acid found in dietary protein. Most weight-loss diets are low in tryptophan so, if you are on such a diet, or don' t eat enough protein, you can end up going short. A form of tryptophan called 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is the most easily used by the brain, and so is the best way to maintain normal serotonin levels and, through that, your moods. Beans are rich in 5-HTP, but I' d recommend supplementing it at lOOmg, twice a day.
What you' re eating and drinking may also be triggering negative feelings. I' d recommend avoiding all stimulants such as coffee, tea, cigarettes and sugar or sugary foods and drinks. These can cause anxiety as well as swings in mood, energy and concentration. Make sure you' re eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrains such as brown rice, and fibre such as beans and lentils, and keep up your intake of fish and chicken. A prime way of combating depression is to boost your levels of omega-3 essential fats, found in oily fish and flax seeds. These fats are abundant in the brain and essential for it to function, and there is increasing evidence that supplementing them can help many people prone to depression. In addition, I suggest you take a multivitamin high in B vitamins.
Finally, the herb St John' s wort is becoming the top natural treatment for mild to moderate depression, with all the benefits of medication and none of the side effects. Take 300mg of the herb, standardized to contain 0.3 per cent hypericin, three times daily. I' d try 5-HTP first, and then St John' s wort, each for two weeks. In the meantime take on all these suggestions - walking, a better diet, omega-3 fish oil supplementation, vitamins and cutting out stimulants and sugar - for a month before you decide to take anti-depressants. |
