Vitamins for Depression

Depression is a disabling condition that is described by unhappy feelings of hopelessness, which can be a result from stressful events, hormonal imbalances, or many other causes. Those people with depression tend to withdraw themselves from the world, get angry easily, and lose the interests once enjoyed doing - exactly changes in mood! Didn't you ever wish that you can just take vitamins to treat your depression? Well, it may work for some people, but definitely not for everybody. There are actually several vitamin deficiencies that may lead to depression.

There are a lot of ways to overcome depression, such as change in lifestyle on top of medication and counseling and taking vitamins for depression. A change in lifestyle includes keeping healthy eating habit, proper exercise, and taking vitamins for depression. If these things are being followed, you're treatment will be as effective as you want it to be.

Deficiency of certain vitamins has been shown to have some effect in someone's mood, with which should be taken care of immediately by taking supplementation. Let us see what possible vitamins for depression are available that you can use to avoid both deficiency and depression. Here are some of the vitamins for depression that you might want to start taking to combat your condition:

Vitamin B-complex is important to keep us emotionally and mentally balanced. And since they cannot be stored in our body, we simply depend on our daily food and vitamin intake to replenish them. Unfortunately, B vitamins can easily be destroyed by alcohol, refined sugars, caffeine, and nicotine. Therefore, it is not surprising to know that many of us may be deficient in B-complex vitamins.

Vitamin B1 or Thiamine is being utilized by our brain to convert glucose or blood sugar into fuel for the brain to function properly. Insufficient supply of this vitamin can lead to fatigue, depression, irritability, anxiety, or worse, negative thoughts of suicide. Also, deficiencies can result to memory problems, loss of appetite, trouble sleeping, and constipation. Just by simply consuming refined carbohydrates, like simple sugar eats away the supply of vitamin B1.

Vitamin B3 or Niacin deficient can result to pellagra, which produces psychosis and dementia, and many other symptoms. At present, many commercial foods already contain niacin, keeping pellagra out of the scene. But, sub-clinical deficiencies in vitamin B3 may produce agitation and anxiety, and mental and physical slowness.

Vitamin B5 or Pyridoxine helps in the processing of amino acids, which is considered to be the building blocks of all proteins and other hormones. It is an essential element in manufacturing serotonin, melatonin, and dopamine. Although deficiencies in vitamin B6 are rare, it can result to impaired immunity, skin wounds, and mental confusion.

Vitamin B12 is essential to red blood cell formation. Therefore, deficiency on this will lead to an oxygen-transport problem, most commonly known as pernicious anemia. This condition can possibly cause mood swings, paranoia, dementia, hallucination, irritability, confusion, or mania and eventually followed by loss of appetite, weakness, dizziness, shortage of breath, palpitation, and more.

Folic acid is needed for DNA synthesis and for the production of Sadenosyl Methionine. Usually this is taken together with vitamin B12.

Vitamin C is needed, especially if you are pregnant or lactating, or under a lot of stress.

Deficiencies in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and manganese can also lead to depression. So, make sure to take not only vitamins for depression, but also certain minerals.