Kids and Depression–Natural SSRIs?

Many patients with depression are on medications called SSRIs, selective seratonin reuptake inhibitors. They increase the amount of available serotonin, which is a hormone that helps keep us in a good mood. Some SSRIs help many people, while others have been shown to be no more effective than placebo. Still SSRIs are not the whole picture. For example, we need certain vitamins to help make serotonin. Deficiencies of these, not surprisingly, can lead to depression. One vitamin involved in this cascade is the B vitamin B-6, found in fish, seeds, bananas and nuts. Oral contraceptives decrease the available amount of this vitamin so be sure to keep it maintained with these foods or a supplement. Correcting the imbalances in our diet can go a long way to correcting imbalances in our brain.