Studies sponsored by the National Institutes of Mental Health, or NIMH, estimate that 19 million Americans suffer from depression every year. Scientists continue to debate the exact cause of depression, but one theory is that the brain doesn't have enough of the "feel-good chemical" serotonin. You can provide your body with all the building blocks it needs to produce serotonin through sensible nutrition.
If you have symptoms of depression lasting more than a few weeks, or if you ever want to hurt yourself, talk to your doctor.
Serotonin
Serotonin is a brain chemical that makes you feel calm and content. It helps signals move between nerves in your brain. Brain cells reabsorb serotonin in a process called re-uptake. Some antidepressant drugs work by reducing the amount of serotonin brain cells remove, which allows the serotonin to accumulate and produces a happy feeling.
To help your body make more serotonin naturally, you have to provide the nutritional building blocks it needs: B vitamins and tryptophan.
Tryptophan
Tryptophan is a type of protein that your body can't produce on its own; you can only get it from the food you eat. It is available, along with other proteins, in turkey, cottage cheese and brown rice. Your body uses tryptophan to make serotonin, and to do that, the protein has to cross over a barrier between the bloodstream and the brain. Once in the brain, you also need to have an ample supply of B vitamins available.
Vitamins
Niacinamide and B-6 are part of the B-complex vitamins, all of which are easily available in food. Niacinamide and niacin are chemically different, but they are both forms of vitamin B-3. Your body can convert niacin into niacinamide, and it can also change tryptophan into niacin. This means that if you are eating enough tryptophan but not enough niacin, your body will sacrifice tryptophan to make B-3, and you will not have enough of the protein to make serotonin.
Recommendations
You can get enough niacinamide, B-6 and tryptophan through a balanced diet. Good sources of these nutrients include beef liver, fish, salmon, swordfish, cottage cheese, tuna, sunflower seeds and peanuts. Avoid heavily processed foods that contribute calories without nutrients.
If you'd like to boost your B-complex levels, ask your doctor to recommend a daily multivitamin, but be sure to consult with your physician before you decide to take a stand-alone B-complex supplement, because high levels of the vitamin can cause side effects and react with medications.
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