NATURAL REMEDIES FOR BEATING DEPRESSION

ARTICLE WRITTEN BY C. MITRA   Msc Food and Nutrition , B, Sc Food and Nutrition

Depression


This article will discuss about 17 best home based remedies that ultimately help to reduce depression –

Have adequate magnesium

  • Magnesium is considered as one of the most important trace elements that help to prevent depression
  • It is directly linked with promoting the synthesis of neuro-transmitter especially serotonin, which ultimately give the mood a boost and subsequently reduces depression
  • Whole grain cereals, legumes, green vegetables and nuts are considered as good sources of magnesium thus they should be incorporate into the diet in order to improve the symptoms of depression

Consume enough omega 3 fatty acid

  • Consumption of omega 3 fatty acid is thought to be one of the most important remedial actions for depression
  • It plays vital role in healthy brain functioning
  • EPA and DHA both are two important type of omega 3 fatty acid that present abundantly in sea foods, which play vital role in treating depression as they help in improving the health and functionality of entire nervous system
  • It is associated with providing a positive impact to the mind as well

Include vitamin B6 in diet

  • It is considered as an important vitamin that is responsible for promoting the activity of brain
  • It is also essentially required by the body to synthesize neuro-transmitters like serotonin and dopamine which ultimately help to prevent depression
  • It is better to consume adequate vitamin B6 in order to obtain a healthy nervous system, which also ensures good mood and healthy mental status too

Depression

Stay away from alcohol

Alcohol consumption may increase the prevalence of mood swing, depression, insomnia and anxiety thus it is always better to say no to alcohol in order to obtain a healthy mental status

Consume more folic acid

  • Folic acid or vitamin B9 is an important vitamin that plays various imperative roles in our body
  • It has seen that decrease folic acid level in body significantly increases the prevalence of depression thus it is better to improve folic acid level in body in order to reduce the prevalence of depression. Folic acid is widely present in fruits, green leafy vegetables and beans thus they should be included into the diet
  • On the other hand individual with low folic acid level are found to be less responsive to anti depressants thus it is better to improve the folic acid level in body in order to promote the effectiveness of anti depressants too

Take N-acetylcysteine

  • N-acetylcysteine or NAC is considered as a precursor of glutathione and L-cysteine among which glutathione plays vital role in exerting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, which ultimately help to protect the nerve cells from damages as a result help in sustaining their activity that subsequently improves the symptoms of depression
  • It is associated with improving the dysregulation of neuro-transmitter as well, which also helps in reducing the prevalence of depression

Have some saffron

  • It acts as an important therapeutic substance for preventing depression
  • This spice exerts potent anti oxidant activity that ultimately helps to protect the nerve cell from oxidative damages as a result help in promoting their activity
  • It is also related with increasing the amount of mood boosting neuro-transmitter (serotonin) that plays vital role in improving the symptoms of depression

Increase your zinc intake

  • Zinc is an important mineral that plays vital role in promoting overall brain health
  • It also helps to regulate neuro-transmitter pathways which ultimately help in regulating mode as a result helps in preventing depression
  • It exerts antioxidant as well as anti-inflammatory activity that ultimately help to protect the nervous system from damages as a result help to reduce the risk of developing various neurological disorders

Depression

Focus on Vitamin D intake

  • Vitamin D is an important vitamin that plays various imperative roles in body
  • It has seen that deficiency of Vitamin D may increase the risk of developing depression. Individual who have poor Vitamin D status are tend to develop depressive symptoms
  • Basically Vitamin D helps in regulating mood, whereas it is also associated with protecting the body from neuro-cognitive dysfunction, which ultimately boost up the health and activity of brain and mind that subsequently reduces depression

Have SAMe

  • SME is also known as S-adenosyl-L-metheionine. It is an important biochemical compound found in the human body whereas it is also available in the form of supplements
  • It is closely related with increasing the level of dopamine and serotonin (neuro transmitter) in body, which help in preventing depression

Include St. John’s Wort

  • It is an important herb that has been traditionally used in folk medicine for various purposes especially for preventing nervousness, sadness, worry and insomnia
  • Its consumption is very effective for preventing depression
  • It is also associated with increasing the effectiveness of anti depressants
  • Though it has some side effects thus it is better to consume it as per the recommendation of health experts

Have enough sleep

  • Individual who suffer from depression should focus on good sleeping because improper sleeping is very dangerous for them as it worsen the condition
  • Proper sleeping is very much important for refreshing the body as well as the mind, which ultimately helps in improving mood hence reduces the prevalence of depression
  • It is better to take all of the distractions like mobiles, computers, TV etc out of the bedroom so that you can sleep well

Have 5 HTP

  • 5-hydroxytryptophan or 5 HTP is a biochemical compound that found in nature, whereas it is also synthesized naturally within our body
  • It is responsible for stimulating the production of serotonin (neuro-transmitter), which plays vital role in boosting up the mood hence help in preventing depression

Proper physical activity

  • We all know that exercising is very important for promoting overall wellbeing whereas it helps in preventing depression as well
  • It has seen that proper physical activity like walking, cycling etc is directly linked with increasing the synthesis of endorphins that helps to boost up the mood and hence lowers the prevalence of depression
  • On the other hand it is also related with encouraging the brain for rewiring itself in positive ways, which is also considered as one of the factor responsible for preventing depression

Meditation

  • It is considered as one of the most effective ways of preventing depression
  • It helps to keep the body as well as the mind calm as a result helps in reducing stress level and depression
  • It is also related with increasing the effectiveness of antidepressant, which ultimately helps in improving the symptom of depression
  • Whereas it also helps in improving attentiveness

Creatine

  • It is an important organic compound that plays vital role in maintaining brain energy
  • We all know that an alteration in brain energy level may lead to depression thus it is better to have some creatine in order to improve the symptoms of depression

Other ways

  • It is better to stay away from negative thoughts
  • Music therapy is also considered as one of the most important preventive measures for depression
  • It is better to get into a routine as depression is related with striping away the structure from one’s life thus setting a routine significantly helps an individual to get back on track

All of the above stated measures are really very effective for lowering the susceptibility of depression

Depression



Source:

Blumenthal, J.A., Babyak, M.A., Doraiswamy, P.M., Watkins, L., Hoffman, B.M., Barbour, K.A., Herman, S., Craighead, W.E., Brosse, A.L., Waugh, R. and Hinderliter, A., 2007. Exercise and pharmacotherapy in the treatment of major depressive disorder. Psychosomatic medicine, 69(7), p.587.

Bogucki, O.E., Williams, M.D., Solberg, L.I., Rossom, R.C. and Sawchuk, C.N., 2020. The role of the patient-centered medical home in treating depression. Current psychiatry reports, 22(9), pp.1-12.

Leis, J.A., Mendelson, T., Tandon, S.D. and Perry, D.F., 2009. A systematic review of home-based interventions to prevent and treat postpartum depression. Archives of women's Mental Health, 12(1), pp.3-13.

Merry, S.N., 2013. Preventing depression in adolescents: time for a new approach?. JAMA pediatrics, 167(11), pp.994-995.

Zhang, S., Xiang, K., Li, S. and Pan, H.F., 2021. Physical activity and depression in older adults: the knowns and unknowns. Psychiatry Research, p.113738.

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