Natural Treatment of Depression
By Scott Luper, N.D.
Charlotte is 32 years old. She is the mother of a healthy two year old. She has a great job and a loving husband, but something is wrong with her life. She has been too tired and irritable recently for no good reason. She can sleep for 10 hours, but is still tired. She has had very little patience with her toddler or her husband. She has a hard time falling asleep at night, but does not want to get out of bed in the morning. She depends on coffee and chocolate to get her energy up. Her libido has been non-existent. She tells me " Part of me wants to be a good mother and a good wife, but part of me doesn’t care. I don’t care about things like I used to."
Charlotte is one of 18.8 million Americans who suffer from depression. She is currently on medication for depression, but she would rather find a natural alternative to the drug. The good news is there are now well-researched effective alternatives to standard depression medication for people with mild to moderate depression.
The rate that depression is being diagnosed has tripled since 1990. Currently the rate of depression is 9.5% of population. It is estimated that 80% of depression sufferers are not treated. Symptoms of depression include poor sleep, low energy, difficulty concentrating, low libido, suicidal thoughts, and addiction to coffee, chocolate, alcohol or marijuana.
Several effective natural supplements for depression are currently available. They include 5-hydroxy-tryptophan (5-HTP), hypericum (St. John’s wort), S adenosyl-methionine (SAMe), fish oil, and melatonin.
Most anti-depression medications work in a similar way. They influence serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a feel good neurotransmitter. People with high serotonin levels are positive, flexible and easy going. People with low serotonin levels are negative, obsessive, anxious, worried, irritable, and sleepless. Most anti-depression medications work by trapping serotonin in the brain. These drugs are known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) because they block the reuptake of serotonin, thus trapping serotonin between the neurons where it is needed most. Drugs in this category include Prozac, Elavil, Celexa, Serzone, Paxil, Zoloft, and Effexor.
Several natural supplements also work by increasing serotonin levels in the brain. They include 5-HTP (5-hydroxy-tryptophan), and St. John’s wort (hypericum). St. John’s wort also slows the reuptake of serotonin. It is one of the most commonly prescribed herbs in Europe. Current research shows it is equivalent to standard antidepressants for the treatment of mild to moderate depression (American Family Physician, December 2005). It should not be taken with SSRI’s as the effects on serotonin are additive and may lead to excessive serotonin levels. Side effects of St. John’s wort are rare, but some people get a light sensitive rash.
5-HPT increases serotonin levels by supplying the basic building block the body uses to make serotonin. In nature the amino acid tryptophan is converted into 5-HTP (5-hydroxy-tryptophan) and 5-HTP is converted into serotonin. (Serotonin in turn is converted into melatonin, (a common sleep aid and depression treatment in its own right.) Either tryptophan or 5-HTP can be taken for depression, but the 5-HTP is several steps closer to serotonin and so is the preferred supplement. The conversion process to serotonin needs vitamin B-6 and folic acid so they are commonly taken with the 5-HTP. While the research is not as extensive for 5-HTP as for St. John’s wort, it does suggest that 5-HTP is effective for mild to moderate depression.
Another group of substances that effect mood are the catecholamines. There are three of them. They are dopamine, norepinephrine and the best know of the three, adrenaline. When catecholamines are high we feel energized, upbeat and alert. When they are low we feel flat, lethargic and in a funk. The catacholamines make you alert to the wolrd around you. If you are quiet and shy, you may be low in these important neurotransmitter Many drugs increase our catecholamines including Wellbutrin, Dexedrine, Adderall, Ritalin, Prozac, Zoloft, and caffeine. Several natural substances also increase catecholamines including SAMe, L-phenylalanine, L-tyrosine, fish oil, and chocolate. L-tyrosine is the basic building block of the catecholamines.
Before Charlotte got her diagnosis, she did not realize she had depression. She knew something was not right, but like many other people, she did not know it was depression. She felt better on the depression medication, but she did not want to be dependant on the medication.
She weaned off her medication with her doctors approval. Not unexpectedly her depression worsened. Once the depression returned she started a combination formula that contains 150 mg of St. John’s wort and 25 mg of 5-HTP, 150 mg L-tyrosine as well as B-6, and folic acid. She took one capsule twice daily. Her depression lifted after only 2 days. The next week she felt good enough to start an exercise program that included 30 minutes of aerobic exercise 3 times/week. She and her husband also began following a blood type diet (type O). After several weeks with the supplementation, improved diet and exercise program, she felt better than she had in years. She became much more patient with her toddler and her husband. She got her life back.
