Coping with Depression by Increasing Serotonin/Hormones

Most people learn how to deal with depression through daily consumption of antidepressants such as Prozac, Zoloft and Celexca.  These psychotropic medications help the brain increase the production of serotonin.  Serotonin is a chemical in the brain that alters mood, it helps us feel good.  It is thought that the lack of serotonin causes depression.  For some people, using antidepressants to deal with depression works; it makes them feel better.  But for many more people antidepressants do not help people deal with depression. 

So, how do we naturally increase the serotonin in our brains to help us deal with depression.  We can in four ways:

The first and most powerful way of how to deal with depression through increasing serotonin is to develop a healthy thought pattern.  We will go into great detail in a future post how you can accomplish this.  This is quite obvious I know, but positive mood within normal boundaries is an important predictor of health and longevity.   Learning to develop  positive conscious and subconscious thought patterns is paramount in learning how to deal with depression.

It has been proven that moderate exposure to bright light is a standard treatment in helping people overcome depression.  Depression was rare in men before the industrial revolution when most men worked long hours on the farm in the sun.  So, if you have consistent exposure to bright light, your serotonin will increase and you will feel better.  We will discuss in length in other posts how you can obtain and use bright light to learn how to deal with depression. 

The third way to naturally raise serotonin in the brain is through exercise.  It has been proven that people who exercise  moderately have higher levels of serotonin in their brains.  In the United Kingdom the National Institute for Health recommends that exercise be an alternative treatment to antidepressant medication when helping learn how to deal with depression.  Again, this is something we will go into great detail in future posts relating to how to deal with depression.

The fourth way to increase serotonin is through diet.  Serotonin is a hormone that is made up of different amino acids, the building blocks of protein.   Tryptophan is an amino acid, building block, in serotonin.  Tryptophan is one of 22 essential and standard amino acids we need in our diet.  It is used has a form of treatment to help people cope with depression.  In the UK it is considered a drug and in the US it is considered a dietary component.  The key is learning to eat the right foods in order to combat depression. 

It is widely known that turkey and bananas contain tryptophan.  So many people are told to eat turkey and bananas on a regular basis to increase the tryptophan in their blood and thus increase the creation of serotonin in their brains thus making them feel better and less depressed.  The problem is tryptophan in foods is not able to get to the brain to help increase serotonin levels and help us feel better from depression. 

The good news is that there are proteins in milk that contain tryptophan that are able to cross the blood-brain barrier, get into our brains and effectively help increase serotonin levels and thus hopefully make us feel better from depression.  So, according to one study, acute ingestion of milk can improve mood and cognition by presumably increasing serotonin levels in the brain.  If you are not consuming milk on a daily basis, it is time to begin.  There are many sources of milk: cow, goat, soy, almond etc.  They key is to make sure that milk is a key component in your diet to help you overcome depression. 

Another great thing about milk is that it also contains whey protein which is found in all dairy products.  It is also a very popular supplement you can buy and add to your diet. 

Whey protein contains other amino acids and enzymes that aid the brain in ensuring messages are delivered and delivered correctly.  A person can have healthy levels of serotonin in their brain but still be depressed.  According to a ground breaking study done by the University of Maryland’s School of medicine,  many people who take antidepressants to learn how to deal with depression never feel any better because  the other chemicals in the brain that are needed to make sure serotonin is able to do its  job ,send messages from one cell to another, are not doing “their” jobs.  Milk contains some of the proteins needed to ensure that messages get from cell to cell and more importantly ensure that  we are able to effectively cope with depression. 

There are many other foods that contain the right amino acids, proteins, fatty acids and other chemicals needed to ensure that serotonin and the brain is able to their jobs in helping us deal with depression.   Dairy, soy, meats, fruits, vegetables, nits, seeds, beans and grains all contain the amino acids necessary to ensure we are able to be happy, they all can help us feel happy and less down.  Additionally, chicken, turkey, fish, peanuts,, almonds, avocados, yogurt, cottage cheese, lima beans, pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds all can have a lasting impact on our mood.  If incorporated into our diet on a daily basis, they can help us feel better, stabilize our moods and help us deal with depression so that we can live the life we want and deserve.     

Additionally, consuming foods that are high in vitamin B, D and C are essential to ensuring we are able to remain happy and deal with depression.  Green, leafy foods are the best source for vitamin B. Additionally; there are many great supplements that contain the necessary vitamin B’s.  Vitamin D is found in milk and vitamin C in orange juice.  Vitamin C and D can also be bought in supplemental form.  All three vitamins; B,C and D; must be a vital part of our diet to ensure we remain alert, happy and able to produce the necessary chemicals needed to effectively deal with depression.

Lastly, it is important to eat five or six smaller sized meals throughout the day rather than three  big meals.  All six meals should contain the above mentioned foods to best help you create the serotonin, amino acids, enzymes and other chemicals you need to beat depression and be happy.

Below is a chart of some sample meals/foods that will surely help you be happy and deal with your depression.

 The video below does  a great job of explaining the role diet in learning how to deal with depression.  

 The video below does  a great job of explaining the role of serotonin in depression.  It's not the most exciting but very helpful and informative.