Depression – Nutritional Guide

1. Avoid drugs.
• Beta blockers can cause a reduction in monoamines in the brain.
2. Avoid certain foods.
• Dairy? in some people.
• Follow the low stress diet.
3. Further dietary changes.
• Increase tryptophan – turkey, salmon, milk.
• Reduce caffeine.
• Reduce sugar.
• Eating more protein can be useful.
4. Correct any nutritional deficiencies.
• Selenium, zinc, magnesium, iron, vitamin C, B5 (burning feet).
5. Nutritional and dietary supplements that have been tried.
• L-5-OH-tryptophan 25-75mg daily (serotonin precursors).
• L-tryptophan 2-3g daily (serotonin precursors).
• Phenylalanine 200-2000mg daily (noradrenalin precursors).
• L-tirosine 2g daily (noradrenalin precursors).
• Calcium 10mg twice daily.
• Acetyl-L-carnatine 500mg four times a day.
• Inositol 12g daily.
• Lithium 400mcg.
• Phosphatidyl serine 300mg daily.
• SAMe 80mg twice a day – has an antidepressant effect on its own.
• Thiamine 50mg daily.
• Vitamin C 1000mg daily.
• Vitamin B12 injection.
• Selenium 200mcg daily.
• Iron 300mg three times a day.
• Folic acid 800mcg daily.
• Vitamin B6 40mg daily (in women on the oral contraceptive pill).
• Chromium – enhances insulin utilisation and increases tryptophan utilisation in the central nervous system.
• Note: folic acid and phenylalanines enhance the effect of conventional antidpressants.
6. Omega 3 fish oils 3000 mg daily.
7. Herbs – St Johns Wort.

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