Depression and Brain Chemistry

 Depression is something that hits close to home for me. Having struggled with it in my late teens and early 20’s, I have been fascinated by it and wanted to learn all I could to help myself overcome such a crippling disorder. I saw psychologists, tried out three different medications, and even got a dog to try and improve my symptoms. Luckily for me, I had the best results once I started exercising, graduated from college, spent a lot of time in the sunshine and cleaned up my diet; I was even able to come off medication.  For others, depression is more severe and may lead to poor quality of life or, in extreme cases self-harm. 

So, let’s talk about depression in relation to brain chemistry and try to understand this disorder in physiologic terms.  

Depression is a mental health disorder that negatively affects the way you think, how you feel and how you act. It is characterized by persistent sad thoughts, loss of interest in activities, and sometimes anger or frustration. 

Depression is typically associated with the frontal lobe of the brain and may be associated with low dopamine or serotonin. 

If associated with low dopamine it typically presents with irritability, whereas low serotonin is associated with a guilty type of depression and a lack of joy. In this case you may have thoughts such as “I have a great life and I have no reason to feel this way, but, I’m just not happy.” 

Serotonin and dopamine are both neurotransmitters that are made within the brain. 

Serotonin: 

            Serotonin is made from tryptophan, an amino acid we can get from food. Typically, turkey is associated with tryptophan which is why most people say they get tired after eating thanksgiving dinner. 

            Tryptophan crosses the blood brain barrier with the help of a transporter and is then transformed into 5-HTP which is further refined into serotonin. This process requires a few things in order to happen including iron, oxygen, folate, vitamin B-12, vitamin B-6, magnesium, and Niacin. Most of these are found in our foods, which is why having a healthy balanced diet is so important for our mental health.

Dopamine:

            Dopamine is similar to serotonin in that it is also formed from amino acids. Phenylalanine is converted to tyrosine in the liver and actively transported into the brain where is it converted to DOPA and then the final product, dopamine. Just like with serotonin, dopamine synthesis requires iron, oxygen, and vitamin B-6. 

Remember how I said depression is associated with the frontal lobe of the brain? Well, that means that damage to the frontal lobe can lead to issues with depression. We often see this in athletes who have had multiple concussions. Professional football players are a great example of this. An estimate of ~40% of retired football players have symptoms of mild to moderate depression which is nearly 3 times the rate of the 

general population. 

It is also important to address blood sugar control and iron status. If the brain does not have enough fuel due to poor intake or inability to use the carbohydrates consumed as a result of insulin resistance, these neurotransmitters cannot be produces which leads to dips in mood. Poor oxygenation of the brain due to iron deficiency anemia also inhibits the production of serotonin and overall functioning of the brain which can further contribute to mood and development of depression. 

So, what can you do to prevent depression, or help manage symptoms?

·     Eat a well-balanced diet throughout the day to prevent low blood sugar or insulin resistance

·     Avoid over-processed sugary foods

·     Consume adequate amounts of protein with a variety of amino acids 

·     Consider taking a multivitamin or B-complex supplement, especially if you do not consume adequate amounts of animal protein 

·     Consume foods rich in iron such as spinach, red meat or tofu, especially during menstruation for females

·     Wear protective headgear when participating in contact sports or performing tasks that could result in a head injury

If you or a loved one are suffering from depression, consult a health care provider to get help. Depression is no joke, a professional can help find the best treatment for you.