Depression affects the lives of approximately 5.4 percent of Americans older than age 12, but only 29 percent of those people seek medical care, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Depression is a physical process with specific changes seen in the brain's system of neurotransmitters, the chemicals that relay messages. Antidepressants aim to correct the neurotransmitter activity, but brain-enhancing foods, sleep and sunlight are available to all without a prescription.
Food for Neurotransmitter Enhancement
Depression is associated with alterations in the chemicals that move electro-chemical signals around the brain and between the brain and the body. Sometimes, the neurotransmitters facilitate the transmission of messages; other times, their purpose is to inhibit or turn off the stimulus. Three neurotransmitters--norepinephrine, dopamine and seratonin--are believed to be those most commonly disrupted, but neuropsychiatry research has not yet provided a way to determine whether the quantities are sufficient and whether they're capable of carrying out each of the two functions.
Neurotransmitters are made from amino acids, the building block of proteins.which, according to Dr. Richard Wurtman at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, can be protected by ensuring the diet includes a balance between protein and carbohydrates eaten at separate times. Because the neurotransmitters they create are competitive, separating them allows the weaker neurotransmitters to be produced.
Consuming an Omega-3 Fatty Acid Called EPA
One form of an omega-3 fatty acid, known as EPA, is proven effective against simple depression not complicated by anxiety. Canadian researchers reporting in the June 21, 2010 issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry reported that a daily dose of 1050mg EPA resulted in a significant improvement in mood. EPA-rich foods include flax seed, salmon and walnuts, according to the George Mateljan Foundation, a nonprofit organization. Omega-3 fatty acids also decrease inflammation and increase the production of insulin, which together helps glucose move into brain cells. Together, these factors explain why EPA is necessary for mood maintenance.
Taking Vitamin D
Vitamin D is absorbed through the skin during sun exposure. Low vitamin D exposure is associated with mood disorders, as documented in the 2007 edition of " Medical Hypotheses." Two mechanisms may account for its role in depression. Vitamin D prevents osteomalcia or soft bones. Osteomalacia causes muscle weakness and pain in the arms and legs that could be misdiagnosed as depression, because the pain is so widespread and because pain is a common symptom of depression. In addition, vitamin D is necessary for the action of insulin, which carries glucose into the cells of the brain for energy. Depression can develop if there's not an adequate glucose supply.
Getting Enough Sleep
Not all biological substances needed to prevent depression are controlled by factors from the outside. Internal factors completely within our control are at play as well. A prime example is sleep. During the night, the neurotransmitter concentrations in the brain are self-corrected, providing those who sleep well with resilience against depression. It also decreases inflammation throughout the body that can otherwise cause pain and depression, according to Michael Irwin, M.D., in a 2006 issue of the "Archives of Internal Medicine."
Medications
When the need to treat depression is immediate due to suicidal thoughts or actions or in extreme agitation, there's no time to wait for a change in dietary, outdoor exercise or sleep habits. Medication can be life-saving. As described in a Harvard Health Publication, selective seratonin uptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants--the most commonly prescribed agents--focus on activating the utilization of one class of neurotransmitters. Taking one of these medications is like taking medication for diabetes. It's the replacement or supplement of a substance the body should be producing and using on its own when these normal functions are disrupted.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Depression in the US Hoousehold Population 2005-6
- Middle Tennesse State University: Food. Mood and Neurotransmitters
- "Journal of Clinical Psychiatry"; The Efficacy of Omega-3 Supplementation for Major Depression; François Lespérance, MD et al; June 21, 2010
- World's Healthiest Foods: Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- "Medical Hypotheses";Vitamin D deficiency may play a role in depression; Michael Bert, M.D.; 2007
