Naturopathic Approaches to Anxiety and Depression

 

Natural Treatments for Anxiety and Depression with Dr. Peter Bongiorno

Dr. Bongiorno covers:

Lab Testing for Anxiety and Depression

  • Testing for adrenal function, hormones, mold exposure, digestive function and more.
  • Testing for genetic predispositions – how genes affect mood.

Natural Remedies for Depression and Anxiety

  • The importance of sleep, stress, food, exercise and detoxification.
  • Why sleep and digestion have to be the first steps to any plan to help depression and anxiety.
  • Meditation to balance the HPA axis.
  • The Mediterranean Diet as most well-studied diet to lower inflammation which contributes to depression
  • The gut talks to the brain and the brain talks to the gut. The importance of digestive health
  • Exercise works wonderful for anxiety and depression.
  • Hydrotherapy – cold water as creating endorphins.
  • The importance of being in nature – phytoncides as a hidden part of nature producing calm and lowering stress hormones.
  • Detoxification

Supplements for Depression and Anxiety

  • Essential Fatty Acids, Probiotics, and Multi-vitamin as a beginning treatment.
  • Fish Oil, B12, Creatine, and Vitamin D to help medications work better.
  • Curcumin (Turmeric) – increases levels of glutathione and as effect.
  • Saffron – good for sexual side effects that can go with antidepressants.
  • Chromium, Rhodiola, Berberine, Curcumin combination supplement.
  • Important to work on diet, and sleep at the same time!
  • Sam-E , 5-htp – both very well studied and effective for depression.
  • Lithium Orotate – low dose compared to pharmaceutical. Societies with low levels of Lithium have lower levels of depression.

Herbs for Depression and Anxiety

  • Using Valerian for sleep.
  • Passionflower – reduces anxiety without causing sedation. Useful for anxiety before anesthesia with the help of a physician.
  • Hyperiucm (St. Johns Wort) – as effective as SSRIs, but safer in recent studies. Be careful when using with medications, can cause side effects.
  • Thyme in extra virgin olive oil can give low doses of Lithium that helps with mood.

Tapering Anxiety and Depression Medications

  • L-Phenylanine, Tyrosine, and 5-Htp can all be used successfully, in conjunction with a doctor, to taper of medications.

 

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