Depression can make you feel like you've been hit by a truck. You might feel like staying in bed all day, avoiding social contact and ceasing any activities you used to enjoy. Depression is a real medical illness requiring professional intervention and treatment. While conventional treatments, such as medication and therapy, often help, some research has found that certain dietary supplements, such as citrulline, may also offer benefits.
About Citrulline
Citrulline is an amino acid that your body manufactures from another amino acid, known as glutamine. Your body converts citrulline to the amino acid known as L-arginine, which plays an important role in hormone secretion, wound healing and immunity. According to the Lahey Clinic, a teaching hospital associated with Tufts University School of Medicine, many of the purported uses of citrulline are based on increasing levels of arginine. While citrulline is mostly used as an energy-enhancing sport supplement, some preliminary research has shown potential benefits of citrulline supplementation on certain symptoms of depression, such as fatigue and low levels of energy.
Depression: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments
Depression is a serious medical condition that causes feelings of low self-esteem, worthlessness, lethargy, irritability and apathy. Physical symptoms of depression may include insomnia or hypersomnia, appetite disturbances, bodily aches and pains of unknown origin, frequent headaches, fatigue, and low energy levels. The causes of depression aren't entirely known but are thought to stem from a combination of biological, social and psychological influences. Many treatments are thought to help depression, including medication and psychotherapy. According to the Mayo Clinic, alternative treatments, such as yoga, meditation and certain dietary and nutritional supplements, can also help manage symptoms. Additionally, some research has shown the benefits of citrulline and its component, glutamine, for certain depressive symptoms.
Clinical Evidence
A limited amount of clinical evidence show the effects of citrulline and its constituent, glutamine, on depressive symptoms. One study, published in the February 2007 issue of the "Archives of General Psychiatry," showed that depressed patients have lower brain levels of glutamine, the amino acid used to manufacture citrulline. A study of patients suffering from sickle cell anemia, published in the October 2001 "Journal of the National Medical Association," showed that citrulline supplementation had a beneficial effect on improving feelings of well-being, although studies are needed to show the benefits of citrulline on patients suffering from depressive disorders. Due to the lack of definitive evidence, it is clear that more clinical research is needed to evaluate the effects of citrulline on depressed patients.
Considerations
While there is a limited amount of evidence to support the claim that citrulline helps depression, you should never use a dietary supplement in place of conventional medical care. If you think you may be depressed, consult your doctor or a licensed mental health professional. Depression can become worse if not properly treated. Inform your doctor if you plan to use a citrulline supplement.
References
- Lahey Clinic: Citrulline
- Mayo Clinic: Depression (Major Depression): Alternative Medicine
- "Archives of General Psychiatry"; Reduced Prefrontal Glutamate/Glutamine and y-Aminobutyric Acid Levels in Major Depression Determined Using Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; G. Hasler, et al.; Feb 2007
- "Journal of the National Medical Association"; Oral Citrulline as Arginine Precursor May be Beneficial in Sickle Cell Disease: Early Phase Two Results; W.H. Waugh, et al.; October 2001
