Supplements to Fight Stress and Depression

NONESSENTIAL SUPPLEMENTS

The following herbal supplements are not required in our diet. However, taking them may provide natural relief from depression and anxiety. Always remember to pay attention to suggested dosage and other information on bottle. 

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Ashwaghandha

"Another study in 60 people found that those who took 240 mg of ashwagandha extract per day for 60 days had significant reductions in anxiety compared with those who received a placebo treatment (Link)."

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Bach Flower Essences. 

"A just published scientific study conducted by researchers at the University of Miami School of Nursing in conjunction with The Sirkin Creative Living Center (SCLC) has found that Rescue Remedy®, an all-natural remedy created from flower essences, is an effective over-the-counter stress reliever with a comparable effect to traditional pharmaceutical drugs yet without any of the known adverse side effects, including addiction" (Link 1) (Link 2). To find out how Rescue Remedy works, check out my post on flower essences HERE!

Kava Kava (Link)

Kava kava is an amazing root that has been proven helpful in elevating mood and reducing anxiety: "A 2004 study found that 300 mg of kava may improve mood and cognitive performance. That is significant because some prescription drugs used to treat anxiety, such as benzodiazepines (like Valium and alprazolam or Xanax), tend to decrease cognitive function" (Link).

5HTP (Link)

"Some small studies indicate that 5-HTP may work as well as certain antidepressant drugs to treat people with mild-to-moderate depression. Like the class of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which includes fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft), 5-HTP increases the levels of serotonin in the brain. One study compared the effects of 5-HTP to fluvoxamine (Luvox) in 63 people and found that those who were given 5-HTP did just as well as those who received Luvox. They also had fewer side effects than the Luvox group" (Link).

Chamomile

"Chamomile compared favorably with placebo on other outcome measures...and was well tolerated by participants. These results suggest that chamomile may have modest benefits for some people with mild to moderate General Anxiety Disorder" (Link). 

ESSENTIAL VITAMINS AND MINERALS

Diets that are deficient in the following essential vitamins and minerals often lead to depression and anxiety. Since attaining all of these essential vitamins and minerals through diet alone is difficult, supplementation may be highly beneficial.

Flax Seed or Flax Seed oil 

The Stanford University website states, "Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fatty acids necessary for human health...They are termed 'essential' because they cannot be produced by the body, and must therefore be obtained from the diet" (link). The University of Maryland Medical Center adds, "Symptoms of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency include extreme tiredness (fatigue), poor memory, dry skin, heart problems, mood swings or depression, and poor circulation" (link).

I personally take a vegetarian flaxseed capsule, and I notice it helps with my mood almost immediately. In her book called "Soak Your Nuts", long time vegan and raw foods expert Karen Calabrese says, "Flaxseeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acid" (p. 110). Some vegans also choose to take algae oil, which is rich in DHA Omega  (Flaxseed oil doesn't contain DHA, but it helps your body create enough DHA).

 Supplement Price? About $8 per month

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Vitamin D3 (Link). 

Many studies have linked a vitamin D deficiency with depression (Link). Vitamin D is available through sunshine - so if you spend 15 minutes in the sun every other day at least, with at least 1/3 of your skin exposed to the sun, your levels should be fine and no supplement is needed. However, winter months often make sun exposure nearly impossible, and most Americans do not exercise outdoors every day. As a result, "three-quarters of U.S. teens and adults are deficient in vitamin D" (Link). So in most cases a supplement may be beneficial. Wild caught fish and free range eggs are also a great source of vitamin D. In the United States, the US government mandates that farmers add a vitamin D supplement to milk. That being said, it is important to note that pasture raised dairy is healthier and much more humane than than factory raised dairy (Link). Though the RDA for vitamin D is at roughly around 500 IU for adults, many experts recommend doses of up to 5,000 IU per day (Link). 

Supplement Price? About $12 per month

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Vitamin B12 (Link). 

Check out my post on the best B12 supplements Here!

Vitamin B12 plays a pivotal role in a person's nervous system and energy level. B12 deficiency can lead to anxiety and depression: "B12 protects the nervous system. Without it, permanent damage can result (e.g., blindness, deafness, dementia). Fatigue, and tingling in the hands or feet, can be early signs of deficiency" (Link). B12 can be obtained through diet alone by eating yogurt, cottage cheese, Swiss cheese, fish, or other meats. Vegans can obtain enough B12 through supplementation and/or eating B12 fortified foods such as nutritional yeast and cereal. Supplement Price? About $12 per month.

B12 Rich Foods:

Food	B12 Content	Bioavailability
Beef Liver 1 slice Chicken Liver 100g 3 oz Salmon 1 large Egg 1 Cup Cottage Cheese 1 Cup Yogurt 1 Cup Plain Yogurt 8 oz. Cup of Milk 1 Oz. Swiss Cheese 3 Oz. Chicken or Turkey	63 micrograms  21 micrograms   2.4 micrograms 0.6 micrograms 1.6 micrograms 1.5 micrograms 1.4 micrograms 0.9 micrograms 0.9 micrograms 0.3 micrograms	60% (% goes down  for larger servings) 60% (% goes down  for larger servings ) 42% 9% 65% 65% 65% 65% 65% 60%

For a B12 calculator, check out this awesome link Here!

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"Whole Foods Multivitamin" (Link)

The nice thing about a great multivitamin is you cover most of your vitamin needs without trying very hard (with some exceptions such as Omega 3's). However, many multivitamins are not well balanced and contain glues and fillers that make them harder to dissolve. Personally, I'm a huge fan of the Megafoods whole food multivitamins, which are made completely from whole, vegan foods. They include great sources of B12, vitamin D, and most of the other vitamins that effect our sense of well being. 

If you take a great multivitamin like the one above (or a similar option) and eat a balanced diet that includes omega 3 DHA, you may not have to take any additional supplements (depending on your needs). If your stress persists even after your nutritional needs are covered, you may then want to consider taking herbal supplements, like some of the ones mentioned below. 

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Free Range, Organic Eggs Provide Amazing Nutrition!

One reason many people don't "go vegetarian" is because they are afraid of becoming malnourished. While this is a valid concern for some people, others might want to take a look at the amazing nutritional content of organic, free range eggs. These eggs are absolutely loaded with many of the essential vitamins nutrients that vegans often lack.

Omega 3 DHA  - 60-68 mg per egg  Link
- The European version of the FDA recommends people not to exceed 250 mg of DHA per day Link

Vitamin B12 - 1.3 micrograms per free range egg (Link) 0.6 micrograms per factory egg (Link)
- the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin B12 is 2.4 mg per day Link

Vitamin D - Up to 60 IU for free range, organic eggs Link
- the RDA for vitamin D is 200 mg for young adults Link

Choline - Eggs are among the most choline rich foods, with 116 mg of choline per egg yolk (Link)
- the RDA for choline is between 100-500 mg per day, depending on age (Link)

Vitamin K2 - About 5 mg per egg yolk (Link)
- the RDA of vitamin K is 10mg per day (Link)

Iron - Almost 2 mg per free range egg yolk (Link)
- the RDA of iron is between 8 mg per day for most people. However, pre-menopausal women should take up to 18 mg per day (Link)

Raw Pescatarian Diet

Many studies have confirmed the importance of having a diet rich in raw, uncooked fruits and vegetables. Yet there are many variations of a raw food diet including "Raw Vegan", "Raw Vegetarian", "High Raw" and even "Raw Pescatarian".

A Raw Pescatarian Diet is basically a Raw Vegetarian Diet or a Raw Vegan Diet plus Omega 3 fish oil capsules (wild caught and cold-pressed). A raw pescatarian may or may not include additional fish. A "High Raw Pescatarian Diet" is a High Raw Diet that includes cooked fish. To reduce the risk of parasites, cooking fish is recommended by most health practitioners.

People include fish or fish oil in their diet because fish is extremely rich in healthy Omega 3 oils as well as B12 and D vitamins - all of which are more difficult to find in plant sources. Yet it is possible to obtain Omega 3 from plant sources (such as algae and flaxseed oil) just as it is possible to obtain vitamin D from sunlight, eggs, milk and nutritional supplements. B12 is a different story as it is generally not found in plant sources - yet there are many B12 supplement options for vegans.

In conclusion, since eating fish provides a food source of B12, DHA Omega 3 and Vitamin D, some people find that a pescatarian diet is more nutritionally balanced than a vegetarian diet.

"Should I Take Antidepressants?"

Photo by Sander van der Wel 

Everyone is Doing It!

For the first time in history, more than half of Americans are on chronic prescription medications (Link). Is this a good sign or a bad sign? Could it have to do with our diets?

"In his new book How Everyone Became Depressed: The Rise and Fall of the Nervous Breakdown, the University of Toronto psychiatrist and historian Edward Shorter takes aim at the what he sees as the massive overdiagnosis of depression in America. Something like a third of Americans think they are depressed in a given month, but we know, writes Shorter, 'that only 3% of the population is chronically sad.' It’s a dangerous state of affairs 'which means that poorly diagnosed patients are denied the benefit of proper treatment while being exposed to all of the side effects of classes of medication, such as the Prozac-style drugs, that are ineffective for serious illness" (Link).

My Experience

I have some personal experience with this as I was was wrestling with depression and decided to take different SSRI's over a 2-3 year period during my early 20's. While the antidepressant initially helped, I eventually found myself becoming more depressed over time, even more depressed than I was before I started taking the medication. During this time, the FDA came out with a breaking new statement about antidepressants, stating that they can potentially lead to "...increased risks of suicidal thinking and behavior, known as suicidality, in young adults ages 18 to 24 during initial treatment..." (link). This news confirmed that the life-threatening side effects that I experienced were not limited to just me.

From this moment on, I decided it would be beneficial actually research the medications I was being prescribed, and I found that Paxil’s known “adverse drug reactions” – according to the drug’s FDA-approved label – can include “mania,” “insomnia,” “anxiety,” “agitation,” “confusion,” “amnesia,” “depression,” “paranoid reaction,” “psychosis,” “hostility,” “delirium,” “hallucinations,” “abnormal thinking,” “depersonalization” and “lack of emotion,” among others (Link).  I began to wonder what other life-threatening side effects they might not yet know about...

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Note - Please contact your physician before quitting any medications. Ask him or her for medical advice.

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After gradually weaning myself off of the medications, I decided to try and make some changes to my life. These changes, for me, brought about some of the positive results I was looking for. 

First of all, I began taking 2 herbal supplements called kava kava and ashwagandha. I experimented with many herbal supplements, and these two just worked the best for me, in regards to "taking the edge off." They helped me to function as I searched for more answers. 

Kava kava and ashwagandha truly worked wonders for me personally, although everyone is different. Some supplements work for some people and not for others. Other herbal supplements such as 5htp, valerian root, St. John's wart, Chamomile, Bach flower remedies and many others can prove helpful. 

Second, I began taking essential vitamins and nutrients in supplement form, including vitamin D, vitamin B12, and Omega 3 essential fatty acids. This proved to be extremely beneficial for me, revealing that I had specific deficiencies that were greatly contributing to my anxiety and depression. For example, there has been much medical research to prove that vitamin D and Omega 3 deficiencies can lead to anxiety and depression (Link) (link). Despite this, my doctor did not ask about my vitamin D levels or even perform a blood test before prescribing Paxil, Prozac, Lexapro or Zoloft, and then wanting to double the dosages after having not worked effectively! Sadly, I believe that this is standard procedure within today's medical community. (Note: for a list of essential vitamins that fight and reduce stress and depression, Click Here)

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"Let your food be your medicine 

and your medicine be your food."

- Hippocrates, the father of medicine

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Third, I found tremendous help eating a diet that is high in organic whole foods, cutting out processed junk foods and eating mostly plant-based. For evidence that a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables can help prevent and decrease depression and anxiety, check out these studies HERE. 

I do not intend to come off as completely "anti-medication". Yet I do believe that medications are sometimes prescribed too early before trying other routes. My problem is when doctors prescribe a cocktail of five or six different medications to "balance" out the side effects of each other, before even addressing any deficiencies! 

While I think that most people in the health system have good intentions, there is also money to be made. As a result,  I believe that many drug companies are more concerned with gaining financial wealth than helping people. And since a lot of the medications that are prescribed are new and therefore relatively untested, I think a healthy dose of skepticism may be just what the doctor ordered.