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.
