Foods that can help counter depression

Saturday, August 25, 2012 by: Fleur Hupston
Tags: depression, foods, natural remedies

(NaturalNews) Finding a suitable treatment for depression is often not simple. Many people find the labels and terms used by psychologists and psychiatrists confusing, to say the least, and often not particularly helpful in finding the root cause of their depression. Eating the correct foods may help to counter depression in certain cases.

Depression often, but not always, is linked to low blood pressure, low blood sugar, low thyroid functions and/or low adrenal gland function. Depressed patients who crave foods such as cheese, chocolate may be lacking enough of the amino acid tyrosine in the system. Tyrosine is said to normalize blood pressure, stimulate the thyroid and contribute to blood-sugar stabilization via adrenal support.

Foods containing tyrosine include alfalfa, almonds, apple, asparagus, avocado, banana, beet, carrot, cheese, cherries, chicken, chocolate, cottage cheese, cucumber, egg, fig, fish, leek, lettuce, milk, parsley, peanuts, poultry, spinach, strawberries, watercress, watermelon, yogurt.

Another amino acid, tryptophan, is important in reducing depression. Tryptophan is the precursor to serotonin, which is a necessary neurotransmitter that can lift some types of depression. Food sources that contain tryptophan include fish, poultry, organic beef, eggs, broccoli, endive, fennel, sweet potato, carrot, barley, rye, oats, rice, hummus, lentils, hazelnuts, peanuts, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds.

Improving adrenal functions

Some of the signs of adrenal insufficiency include an inability to concentrate, excessive fatigue, nervousness and irritability, depression and/or intolerance to stress.

Worn-out adrenal glands are sometimes helped by oral supplements of Vitamin B5. Vitamin C plays an important role in maintaining the adrenal's integrity.

Foods high in Vitamin B5 include bean sprouts, beef, egg, haddock, salmon, sardines, mackerel, lobster, mushrooms, peanuts, pineapple and watermelon.

Foods high in Vitamin C include alfalfa, banana, berries, Brazil nuts, cabbage, cauliflower, citrus fruits, spinach, sweet potato and leafy vegetables.

Herbs such as safflower, parsley, kelp and sage are also said to help adrenal functions. A daily intake of garlic and sesame seeds can also be beneficial.

Anyone suffering from severe depression should not try to self-medicate, and should see a qualified medical practitioner for advice pertaining to his or her specific condition.

Sources:

Foods for Moods, Dr. William Vayda, published by Geddes & Grosset, 2007 edition, pages 37 - 51
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0361923089900968
http://www.drkaslow.com/html/adrenal_insufficiency.html

About the author:
Fleur Hupston is a professional freelance writer. She is passionate about living as natural a life as possible and reducing damage to the environment wherever possible. She spends a lot of time researching and writing about alternate medicines and healthy, green living, and manages to find the time to home-school her two daughters.