How simple changes can lift the fog of depression
Sacramento, Calif.- Although there is rarely a single cause of depression, a poor diet often plays a significant role. A deficiency in even one essential nutrient can alter brain function and contribute to depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders.
Recently, a very thin teenage boy came to see me after struggling with depression for about six months. When I asked about his meals, he told me he typically didn’t eat anything during the day until he got home from school. My treatment plan for him was fairly simple: eat at regular intervals, test for food allergies and eliminate any allergens, take a high-potency multivitamin, and add fish oil to his regimen. By his next appointment just two weeks later, the depression that had cast a dark cloud over his life had begun to lift-simply from eating regularly and replenishing missing nutrients.
Deficiencies
Deficiencies in vitamins-such as B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, biotin, pantothenic acid, or folic acid-and minerals like zinc, selenium, and chromium, can all contribute to depression.
Because the brain requires a constant supply of blood sugar, several studies have shown that hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is common in individuals with depression. Reactive hypoglycemia is often caused by consuming refined carbohydrates, such as sugar and white flour. In fact, a study across six countries found a strong correlation between sugar consumption and annual depression rates…