While the number of drugs to treat dopamine-dependent depression is growing, people interested in avoiding medication can try natural alternatives to increase dopamine. Dopamine is involved in arousal and motor function and is a precursor to adrenaline and a closely related molecule, noradrenaline. This key brain chemical is made from the amino acid tyrosine and […]
Category: Anxiety and Depression
DHEA Improves Stress Resilience & Depression – Anti-Aging Hormone Offers Mood Benefits
DHEA, a natural steroid and precursor hormone produced by the adrenals, has been shown to provide several anti-aging benefits, and research suggests DHEA may also improve mid-life onset depression in people who don’t respond to first line depression therapies, as well as improve resilience to stress. DHEA Improves Stress Resilience DHEA levels tend to peak around […]
Vitamin D Deficiency, Fibromyalgia, Anxiety & Depression: Possible Links
(Photo credit, Maggie Smith) While researchers have found a relationship between insufficient vitamin D, chronic pain, anxiety and depression, the exact causality is still unknown. Researchers in a 2007 study reported in Clinical Rheumatology that vitamin D deficiency is common in people with fibromyalgia and also occurs more frequently in those with anxiety and depression. Yet research […]
Depression Caused by Low GABA Rather Than Serotonin in Some
Photo credit, Flickr Doctors may be closer to treating major depression in individuals who don’t respond to selective-serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective-serotonin nor epinephrine re-uptake inhibitors (SSNRIs). Medications prescribed to treat major depression are often those designed to increase the availability of serotonin, dopamine and/or nor epinephrine in the brain, neurotransmitters involved in a […]
Five Ways To Improve Mood Naturally: Dopamine, GABA, Fish Oil…
(Photo credit: Kittikun Atsawintarangkul) Depression and anxiety treatment continues to explode as a highly profitable industry for drug companies. A growing number of people are popping prescriptions, desperately seeking solutions that will work long term and don’t carry risky side effects. Pharmaceutical companies continue to spend millions on advertising to convince consumers that the solution to […]
GABA: Increasing the Brain’s Own Calming Chemical
Photo credit: Renjith krishnan Anxiety has become nearly a near epidemic as thousands of people today struggle with feeling chronically anxious, irritable and unfocused on a daily basis. And for some, persistent untreated anxiety seriously interferes with their ability to function in social and workplace settings. Low levels of GABA, gamma-aminobutyric acid, may be a […]
11 Ways to Naturally Improve Depression or Anxiety
Photo credit: Digitalart While the pharmaceutical companies continue to promote expensive mood medications that come with a long list of side effects to manage anxiety and depression, in many cases, natural therapies alone or in combination with low dose medication can alleviate symptoms, and without side effects. Re-think Serotonin theory on depression Many prescription anti-depressants […]