Diet and Vitamins

[animalfanatic44]

Does anyone take any oils / vitamins that they feel help with their depression and anxiety? I am also interested in switching up my diet to see if that can help as well. Does anyone have any experience doing so?

[LovelySnow]

Good questions! I'm interested in others' responses!

Everyone is different of course and I do take medicine for my depression. Also, I'm obviously no doctor but:

I take D3 & iron (not for my depression directly, but because I am slightly deficient in D & was way deficient in iron). I believe a lack of either of those can result in lack of energy. I also take a B-complex (B12 & 6 along with other vitamins) as it's supposed to be good for your brain (I think?). Here's Harvard's take on vitamins, their function & foods containing them:

health.harvard.edu/staying-...

I also remember when I cut down on dairy I felt less moody - I was diagnosed with cyclothymia years ago (mild bipolar). My smart little brother said, "Well yeah - dairy has hormones!" Yeah...

Best wishes! I hope you find what works for you!

[LovelySnow in reply to LovelySnow]

Here's an interesting article on vitamins and diet:

hopkinsmedicine.org/health/...

This is an interesting topic for me as you can see by the multiple posts!

[animalfanatic44 in reply to LovelySnow]

ill definitely check all this out! I also take medication for my depression and anxiety, and most likely will for a while. I am in the process of weaning off one medication to another and it has been difficult, but I have heard some people change their diet and incorporate other things into their diet that help during this process and after! Thank you for the kind words, ill definitely check out these links!

[LovelySnow in reply to animalfanatic44]

Yeah - I feel like I've read people's posts about weaning off medicine and their experiences with more "natural" remedies.

Btw, the second article doesn't speak highly of supplements and doesn't mention depression. But it talks generally about healthy diets. I'm sure there are tons more resources out there! Best to you!

[Calm_mama]

Hi animalfanatic,

I worked with a Registered Dietitian for 13 years and sat in on her visits often. I've come to believe that essentially healthy people can get everything they need from a good diet, regular exercise, and a little sunshine (for Vit D). So I basically do (as well as I can) the food pyramid and I skip vitamins. I am vegetarian (and so is my anxious daughter) so I try to sneak protein into everything (egg, protein powder, tofu, etc). The only supplement I take right now is vegetarian omega-3 (vegetarian version of fish oil) since I don't get enough in my diet. I eat fish but not enough. From research studies, Omega 3's are thought to help reduce anxiety