The term "depression," according to the National Institute of Mental Health, encompasses a wide variety of conditions that can include periods of persistent sadness, pessimism and disrupted sleeping patterns. If you have these or other symptoms related to depression and they cause impairment in your daily functioning, this is an indication of clinical depression. This condition can have many different causes and can lead to the onset of other conditions such as anxiety. Treatment options for depression generally include medication and counseling or a combination of both. In addition, certain vitamins and minerals may be helpful for depression. Check with your doctor before adding a vitamin or mineral supplement to your diet.
Vitamin B-12
The B complex of vitamins, particularly vitamin B-12, play an important part in helping your body manufacturer biochemical messengers such as serotonin, according to Dr. Daniel K. Hall-Flavin of the Mayo Clinic. Individuals who don't consume meat, which is a significant source of vitamin B-12, may experience anemia as well as a depressed mood, both of which can have similar symptoms such as fatigue. If you don't eat meat regularly or are a vegetarian, vitamin B-12 supplements are available at your local health food store. Check with your doctor before taking a vitamin B-12 supplement, as it may be more prudent to simply take a complete B-complex supplement instead.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is manufactured by your body when your skin is exposed to natural sunlight at certain intensity. Foods such as some milk-based products, fish and fortified cereals can also provide vitamin D. In addition, research suggests that vitamin D supplementation may help relieve depression. A 1999 study performed at The Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore and published in "The Journal of Nutritional Health and Aging" found that patients with low blood levels of vitamin D reported improvement in feelings of depression after receiving supplemental vitamin D. The researchers added that the supplemental vitamin D and not exposure to natural sunlight produced the improvement in mood.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral that is essential for neurological functioning, including the balancing of mood. According to a 2006 meta-research study published in "Medical Hypotheses," magnesium deficiency can manifest as symptoms of depression. Additionally, chronic exposure to stress, excess alcohol consumption and tobacco use can cause depletion of magnesium stores in the body. As a result, many people with one or several of these conditions experience periodic agitation, anxiety, disruption of sleep and hypersensitivity. Administration of supplemental magnesium has been found in a review of research and case histories to help relieve depression and related symptoms that are caused by a deficiency.
Calcium
Calcium is an essential mineral that works synergistically with magnesium to maintain the integrity of the neurological system, bones and replenishing tissue. An article written by Dr. Susan Thys-Jacobs and published in the 2000 edition of "The Journal of the American College of Nutrition" suggests that mood changes associated with premenstrual syndrome may be associated with a calcium imbalance. Supplemental calcium has been found to be effective in relieving this mood disturbance in some women, and may be helpful in reversing an underlying calcium deficiency that can lead to a depressed mood. Calcium and magnesium should be taken together supplementally, in a respective ratio of 2:1. Taking one or the other mineral alone can lead to a deficiency of the opposing mineral.
References
- National Institute of Mental Health: Depression
- MayoClinic.com: Vitamin B-12 and Depression: Are They Related?
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin D: Recommendations
- "The Journal of Nutritional Health and Aging"; Vitamin D vs. Broad Spectrum Phototherapy in the Treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder; F.M. Gloth, et al.; 1999
- "Medical Hypotheses"; Rapid Recovery From Major Depression Using Magnesium Treatment; G.A. Eby; 2006
- "The Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; Micronutrients and the Premenstrual Syndrome: The Case for Calcium; Susan Thys-Jacobs; 2000
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