Dietary supplements
Dietary supplements
Nutritional imbalance in the body is one of the biological causes for depression, which can be managed and treated with the help of dietary supplements.
Vitamins: All vitamins have placebo effect and a proportion of patients are known to respond to placebo. Specifically, niacin is used in the treatment of pellagra with depression. Folic acid can also be used. Mild depression seen in biotin deficiency can be corrected by biotin supplements.
Amino acids: L- tryptophan a precursor of serotonin is administered in depression due to serotonin deficiency. Also, phenylalanine and tyrosine are found to enhance the neurotransmitters dopamine and nor adrenalin. Thereby, have favorable effect on overcoming depression. S-adenosyl methionine (SAM-e) a derivative of the amino acid methionine found in the human body, act as a methyl donor and is involved in various biochemical reactions. In clinical trials involving SAM-e, it has shown to be effective as standard-antidepressant medication, with fewer side effects.
An herb called hypericum perforatum, known as St John’s wort is found to have anti depressant effect.
Hormones: Thyroxin and ACTH are given in hypothyroidism and Addison’s disease with depression respectively.
Trace elements: These include Iron, zinc and magnesium play a beneficial role in depression due to nutritional imbalance.
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