300 million people suffer from depression today. There’s no one reason why people get depressed — it can be genetics, your state of life, substance abuse, and a combination of different stressors and negative events.
To elevate your mood and break free from depression, there are many different therapies available.
Unfortunately, many Americans get stuck taking antidepressants. U.S. doctors overprescribe antidepressants, especially when there are better alternatives available.
Antidepressants come with side effects and users have a huge risk of developing an addiction.
If you have depression but want to improve your mood in a natural way, consider going the holistic route.
Here are 7 natural antidepressants are depression sufferers should try.
Natural Antidepressants to Try
From the foods you eat to supplements you can take, there are natural ways to relieve your sadness and get life back to normal. Try these holistic antidepressants.
1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
The healthy fats found in foods such as avocado and salmon can help treat your depression. While there are many types of fat we need, the human body produces a good chunk of them. Well, except for omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-3 fatty acids help keep your skin nice and reduce your risk for heart disease, but experts are saying omega-3 fatty acids can help treat depression.
However, this has not yet been proven.
The most promising theory is the fats travel to your brain and interact with brain molecules relating to your mood.
The best way to get omega-3 fatty acids is by eating certain foods, such as salmon, almonds and trout. You can also take fish oil capsules if you don’t eat many foods containing omega-3 fatty acids.
2. St. John’s Wort
Even though the name is weird, this is an extremely beneficial herb.
St. John’s Wort is a plant that can be found in regions in western Asia, Europe, and northern Africa.
The healing properties of St. John’s Wort have been recognized since the first century AD — Roman military doctor Proscurides commonly prescribed it.
The FDA hasn’t approved any of St. John’s Wort’s healing powers, but it is said to treat a myriad of ailments.
It’s most popular for treating depression. Some studies have shown St. John’s Wort is just as effective of treating mild to moderate depression as antidepressants.
3. SAM-e
SAM-e, short for S-adenosylmethionine, is a synthetic supplement that helps replace your body’s natural mood-enhancing chemicals. While SAM-e isn’t fully understood, its treatment already looks promising — specifically for depression.
SAM-e is made from our amino acid methionine. Methionine is required in the human body because it helps regulate cell function. Without it, we fall risk to osteoarthritis, liver damage, fibromyalgia, migraines, and depression.
SAM-e is an approved supplement but not an approved medication. Keep in mind, SAM-e shouldn’t be taken with other antidepressants and can’t treat bipolar disorder. SAM-e side effects include constipation and an upset stomach.
4. Saffron
Saffron is a spice commonly used in certain foods such as rice. It’s derived from crocus, a flower from the iris family. That’s why saffron has a natural floral flavor.
But saffron offers more than just a nice flavor. Ingesting saffron stems has the power to treat mild to moderate depression.
The best way to take saffron isn’t actually ingesting the stems, but taking herbal saffron supplements.
Taking saffron supplements daily can tackle even major depression is 6 to 12 weeks. Studies also show saffron is just as effective at treating depression as antidepressants.
Keep in mind, saffron is a very expensive supplement and spice.
5. Zinc
Zinc is a common nutrient found in beans, different meats, nuts, seeds, eggs, dairy, and whole grains.
Zinc offers many health benefits. This includes treating diarrhea, regulating the immune function, healing wounds, and even treating the common cold.
Zinc also has many cognitive benefits, assisting in our memory storage and learning functions.
Because of zinc’s power on the brain, more people believe zinc has an effect on depression. This study found that patients with low levels of zinc in the blood are linked to depression.
Even though zinc is abundant in many foods, it’s best to take a zinc supplement.
Take 25 mg of zinc daily for 12 weeks and notice your depression symptoms decrease.
6. Folate
Like zinc, studies show there’s a link between low levels of folate and depression.
Folate, or folate’s synthetic version folic acid, is a B vitamin. Folate breaks down homocysteine, which generates our natural levels of SAM-e (which is another major depression treatment).
It’s believed lack of folate in depressed patients is actually caused by a lack of appetite, but there’s still not enough research that states why folate is linked with depression.
Either way, using folate to treat depression symptoms show promising results.
Start by taking folate supplements, or folic acid supplements. You can also eat more folate-rich foods. These foods include dark leafy green vegetables, beans, avocados and sunflower seeds.
7. Kanna
Kanna is a herb from South Africa. It helps treat a myriad of ailments, from fatigue to other mental health issues. It’s receiving most attention for treating depression.
Traditionally, the Khoikhoi and San aboriginals in South Africa chewed the Kanna plant for mood elevation. When the European settlers discovered its mood-boosting powers, they started trading it.
Kanna contains an alkaloid called mesembrine.
Mesembrine is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, which causes antidepressant effects. Kanna also contains mesembrenone, mesembranol, mesembrenol. These are all also alkaloids found in antidepressants.
All of these have an influence on our amygdala, which is the region in the brain responsible for emotional processing. Read this Kanna guide for more information on Kanna and its antidepressant properties.
Want to Discover More Holistic Mental Health Healing Options?
These aren’t the only natural antidepressants available. Do you workout for depression relief and mental clarity? Do you practice meditation? Or maybe you eat to relieve your stress and depression.
If any of these sounds like you, you’ll find it useful to click through our mental health section. Read our advice to boost your mental health, naturally.