Depression, also known as major depressive disorder, is a common mental illness that affects more than 16 million Americans each year. Treatment usually consists of a combination of talk therapy and antidepressant medications. However, about 33% of patients who use antidepressants report them to be unsuccessful. However, many recent studies have pointed to nutrition as a highly effective depression treatment—even more effective than many antidepressants—and new research out of the University of Illinois shows that fish oil may play a major role in boosting the mood.
In the study, researchers used stems cells from those with depression to see if certain medications could help with their depressive disorder. Using skin cells from those with depression, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital converted them into stem cells for the study. The skin was sampled from two types of patients: those with depression who responded to antidepressants, as well as from those who did not respond to antidepressants. They found that fish oil was effective for promoting a positive mood with an antidepressant-like response in both types of patients.
But fish oil isn’t the only supplement that can boost the mood.
- B-vitamins play an important part in producing mood-boosting brain chemicals like dopamine. B12 and folate are associated with creating a positive and balanced mood.
- Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin and helps with producing serotonin and dopamine. Even though we can get vitamin D naturally from the sun, most people have a deficiency due to inactivity and staying indoors for the majority of the day.
Of course, some cases of depression require more than nutritional supplements, talk therapy and antidepressant medications. If you or someone you love is suffering from severe depression, anxiety, PTSD or another mood disorder, we may have a solution for you. Ketamine infusions are proven to alleviate depressive symptoms in 70% of patients, acting quickly to deliver relief. Contact our clinic today for a free consultation and find out if you are a candidate for ketamine infusion therapy.
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