An Expert Offers Insights on Alternative Treatments for Depression and Stress

Founder of SupplementWatch.com, Shawn Talbott, PhD, has authored two textbooks on dietary supplements and specializes in helping consumers and health professionals understand the pros and cons of choosing and using dietary supplements.

"Stress can lead to depression due primarily to an overexposure to the primary stress hormone, cortisol," Dr. Talbott revealed in an exclusive first-person interview with me.

In fact, according to Dr. Talbott, "the most common type of depression is stress-induced depression." Although he noted during our interview that traditional SSRI drugs do not work very well in cases of stress-induced depression, the encouraging news according to Dr. Talbott is that "exercise, diet, supplements, stress management, and a variety of approaches ARE very effective" in managing and reducing depression.

"St. John's wort is one of the most popular herbals for treating depression," Dr. Talbott said during the interview with me, and it "can be helpful for some forms of depression - BUT it interacts with almost every prescription medication that we know of." As a result, he added, "it can only be used safely in people who are "clean" in terms of using any other type of medication."

Other supplements that some have found helpful for depression, according to Dr. Talbott, include 5-HTP, Eurycoma, Theanine, and, in some cases, "even fish oil."

Dr. Talbott says that "Eurycoma root (50-100mg/day) is especially good for "stress-induced" depression that often comes with fatigue and loss of both physical/mental energy." Good for improving "mental focus" is "Theanine (pure amino acid - found in green tea leaves) at 50-100mg/day," in Dr. Talbott's view.

With regard to anxiety, Dr. Talbott feels that "Magnolia bark (200-400mg/day) is especially good for anxiety, which is subtle in difference from depression, but often shares some similar symptoms and often come together." Although 5-HTP (100-400mg/day) can be "effective in reducing symptoms of depression," he cautions that "it can make many people sleepy, so often it is best to use at night."

Common supplements that may help some individuals with depression are fish oil and vitamin D, according to Dr. Talbott. Although fish oil at levels of 1 to 2 grams per day is often recommended for general heart health, "some good evidence suggests higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids (high in fish oil) are associated with lower risk of depression symptoms," he added. Vitamin D (2,000 IU per day), also often recommended for "almost everyone," is associated with preventing depression, according to Dr. Talbott.

Sources:
Dr. Shawn Talbott, exclusive first-person interview with Associated Content writer Joanne Eglash, SupplementWatch.