Rebuild from Depression Blog

I went to Trader Joe's the other day and the free sample guy Bryan said "Hey, the depression book lady! You know, that stuff really works."

He went on to say that since we spoke last a few months ago he started taking an Omega-3 and a B-vitamin supplement religiously and has gotten mood relief.

Bryan started taking these supplements even without blood work because of the evidence for their effectiveness in alleviating depression. First, most of us do not get enough of these nutrients and fats in our diet and just adding them will give us a better sense of wellness. Second, in clinical trials participants tend to have improved moods while taking them. The clinical trials often do not even test to see if the participants are deficient. And frankly, most of them would be.

Unless you have made a concerted effort, the smart money is that you have not consumed enough Omega-3s or folate, perhaps for your entire life.

If you or a loved one are struggling with depression, read Chapter 8: The Usual Suspects.

This chapter describes the importance of Omega-3 fatty acids and B-vitamins. This version of the manuscript is not final in content and has not been edited since my last round of revisions, so pardon the typos. They are all mine and I apologize in advance.

Finding Omega-3 supplements

The book excerpts do not include the Appendix which will have recommendations on supplements. You can easily access Omega-3 fatty acid and B-vitamin supplements. I am looking for the best supplements to offer on the website, but one simple solution is to walk into your local independent health food store and ask for their best supplement. My preferred cod liver oil is from Nordic Naturals. The best price right now is at www.vitacost.com. I have purchased the 16 oz liquid form because that is the best value. If the thought of cod liver oil or fish oil makes you gag, look for a gel cap form.

Dr Andrew Stoll recommends about 4 grams of EPA for depression. That is a lot of supplementation, so even if you take half that amount, you'll want to shop the price. Look at the label on the back of the supplement for the amount of EPA. Most will be in milligrams. One thousand milligrams equals one gram. You'll see that it takes a lot of cod liver oil to reach four grams of EPA.

Finding B-vitamin supplements

Brewer's Yeast enriched with B-vitamins is a very good B-vitamin supplement. I used to take a tablet form from GNC that worked well. A cheaper form is powder that you mix with water, available at any health food store. If you take the powdered approach, get the "de-bittered" variety. Ask at your independent health food store for Brewer's Yeast and, if it's powdered, ask if they've tasted it. You might take about double the recommended levels for a couple of weeks. If you find yourself reorganizing the cupboards at midnight, you've taken too much. Brewer's Yeast can give you some energy, but you need your sleep more than your cupboards need reorganizing.

Alternatively ask someone at your local independent health food store for their recommendation on a B-complex vitamin for you.

B-vitamins and liver

Those who know me well know that my favorite B-vitamin supplement is actually liver. I mentioned the Brewer's Yeast above because that is the most palatable choice for most people. Another path to B-vitamins is through eating liver. Yes, I mean the internal organ of an animal. When I eat liver about three times a week, I have a great boost of energy, I am able to handle stress, and the many life stresses do not upset me as much as they normally would. If I haven't disgusted you with this, liver is another strategy for you.

Nothing is easy if you are struggling with depression

There may be no supplement on the planet that can turn your life around in a few days if you are at the bottom of a bad cycle.

If you are able to begin to take a B-vitamin an Omega-3 fatty acid supplement, do that today. The B-vitamins may only take a week to show an effect, but nutritional therapies in general may take weeks or months. It is a long-term strategy. And on bad days you'll forget to take the supplements. That's OK. Take them when you remember. Over time, your down cycles should be shorter and less bad. The time between these down cycles will be longer. That's progress. I am hoping for many good days for you.

Tell a friend

If you have a friend who needs this information, send them this entry. At the bottom of the page for this post, you will see an option to "share with a friend." Send this to them today. It's a good day to get started.