Natural Remedies for Depression

Depression is a fairly frequent psychiatric disorder, which is characterized by a signs and symptoms including depressed mood and other emotional problems, headaches, fear of the future, and the decreased ability to have any enjoyment in just about anything you do. Depression affects between 7% and 19% of the people in the world, with more than 14 million American adults being newly diagnosed with depression each year. Major depression causes more than 60% of suicides every year, primarily because only about a third of people with depression get medical treatment and attention.

Although the exact cause of depression is still questionable, there are many well known natural remedies for depressive disorders. The first natural remedy that can make a big dent in depression is a good diet, which actually plays a huge role in the seratonin levels in the brain. A diet that limits sweets, cake, doughnuts, pies, sugar loaded sodas and other foods packed with sugar can actually reduce the incidence of poor moods, because sugar laden sweets are able to temporarily increase mood by increasing blood sugar levels. But, once the glucose level in the blood plummets, attitudes tend to be even lower and cause those suffering from depression to enter depressive periods. By keeping blood sugar levels steady, major depressive moods can many times be prevented. Avoiding coffee and other drinks like 180, Inko's White Tea Energy, Green Tea, Vault as well as dart and Rembraco espressos that are high in caffeine can also be beneficial. The same goes for any alcoholic beverages. Caffeine and alcohol can both worsen mood, by providing temporary elation that is usually followed by depression. Those with depression should focus on consuming foods that are able to trigger serotonin production, such as foods rich in B vitamins and magnesium. Nuts, green vegetables, and some varieties of fish can be beneficial, since they can actually trigger a good mood without being followed by a state of depression.

St. John’s Wort has been used throughout the world for treating mild depression. Although it has not been proven useful for treating severe depression cases, it has been shown to actually increase synaptic levels of biogenic amines, such as nor epinephrine. Various studies have been performed, and have shown that St. John’s Wort has actually been as effective as various prescription medications for depression. When used by patients diagnosed with mild depression, it can relieve many of the symptoms, included but not limited to extreme mood changes, loss of appetite, insomnia, and negative feelings. Exercise is one of the most useful natural remedies for depression, because it can lessen some of the symptoms of depression while keeping the body in tone. Exercise has been shown to increase energy, improve overall mood, and reduce the effects of sleep loss in those suffering from depression. Exercise has been effective in treating mild to moderate depression, but may take longer than prescription medications to show results.

Seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression that only occurs during certain parts of the year, has been shown to be effectively treated by exposure to bright artificial and natural sunlight. It is used as an alternative to prescription depression medications, and works by regulating the body clock. Exposure to artificial and natural sunlight can actually trigger chemical changes in the brain, such as melatonin production which can improve overall mood and sleeping patterns.

Depression is a problematic medical condition, but mild cases can easily be improved with the help of natural depression remedies. Prescription medication come with well known side effects and risk factors, but using natural methods can improve the medical condition without any similar problems. Changing routine habits such as diet, exercise, and even family outings can help to improve depression periods decreasing your depressed mood and other emotional problemsand thoughts of suicideand oversleeping, making those diagnosed with depression able to live a normal life.