Antidepressants are pharmaceutical drugs used in the treatment of mood disorders, which are commonly defined as psychiatric or psychological abnormalities of emotional state, not caused by an organic abnormality. But, if they’re not organic—which means caused by bacteria, viruses, chemical changes in the nerves or glands, structural or other physical impairments or changes—what are they caused by?

Society at large is familiar with the concept that poor diet leads to heart disease and many other physical ailments. Less well known is that poor diet can cause mood disorders, and that moods can indicate problems long before physical symptoms present themselves.

Vitamin depletion from poor choices (eating too much of the wrong foods, or not enough of the right foods) can clearly result in various psychoses. In the early part of the last century, 100,000 people were released from Southern mental institutions when it was found that they suffered only from pellagra, a dietary deficiency disease that causes skin lesions and insanity, and is completely cured by sufficient niacin1,2.

Everybody knows you should have the Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamins. However, today’s RDA is set at a level just barely high enough to prevent diseases such as pellagra3 scurvy4 and rickets5. No food label says “you may need more vitamins based on your personal biochemistry”. And, according to a 3-day study of 21,500 people, not one person achieved the recommended daily allowances6. Awareness is growing that diets with high sugar (simple carbohydrate) content lead to depression, ADHD, agression, and lack of energy.7 This means that extra vitamins are necessary in a daily diet, in addition to quality food, to bring about emotional and physical wellness.

Tryptophan is an amino acid, and amino acids are building blocks of protein. Many diets are deficient in tryptophan, which leads to irritability, sleeplessness, and depression as well as other health problems. Diets which provide adequate tryptophan may be imbalanced by having too many other amino acids which out-compete tryptophan. Such an imbalance will manifest the same symptoms of irritability, sleeplessness and depression as a lack of tryptophan. This is a case where supplementing may have to be combined with dietary corrections in order to create the necessary balance.

Many books are written about the treatment of mood disorders with nutrition: Mood Cure Diet, by Julia Ross; Dr. Michael Lesser’s Brain Chemistry Diet; Michael Murray’s Natural Alternatives to Prozac; Dr. Michael Norden’s Beyond Prozac; and Dr. Richard Brown’s Stop Depression Now, to name a few. It is clear from the work of these authors that natural alternatives are effective and do not introduce the toxicity and undesirable side effects of pharmaceutical medications.

We do Lab Testing to ensure the root cause of biochemical imbalance is found. (To learn more about this click HERE). Once found, an individual nutritional program is established by an Orthomolecular Medical Doctor who seeks to achieve optimum brain function by ensuring that the brain receives the naturally occurring substances it needs in the correct amounts. Naturally means using vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other elements found in high quality foods rather than in drugs. Naturally also means orchestrating a diet that complements good brain function.

The client begins to taper their medication. The stepdown is approximately 10% per week. As the medication levels come down, the natural alternatives levels go up. This allows the client’s neurology to adjust to each level.

It is a real privilege to see clients make the transition from scared, numb and medicated, to clear headed—and confident that they will remain that way.

1Dr. Michael Lesser Brain Chemistry Diet 2003 p 10

2Niacin, vitamin B3, is a component of the vitamin B complex found in meat, fish, wheat germ, dairy products, and yeast.

3Pellagra: a disease caused by a deficiency of niacin in the diet and is characterized by skin eruptions, digestive and nervous system disturbances, and eventual mental deterioration.

4 Scurvy: a disease caused by deficiency of vitamin C, characterized by spongy and bleeding gums, mental confusion and delusions and extreme weakness.

5 Rickets: a disease caused by deficiency of vitamin D or calcium, and from insufficient exposure to sunlight, characterized by defective bone growth.

7 Wilder J. Nutrition and mental deficiency, Nervous Child 1944:3: 174.

NOTE: Nothing on this Website is intended to be taken as medical advice, and always consult with your doctor before altering your medications.

Adding nutritional supplements may alter the effect of medication. Any medication changes should be done only after proper evaluation and under medical supervision. Please call the intake number to schedule an appointment.