Probably the best way to find out what supplements you need for Depression is to get a amino acid analysis and a neurotransmitter test done. I think they are costly, that is why I haven't done them, but I would if affordable.

There are a number of scientific studies which show that outdoor exercise is equally as good if not better than AD's for the cure of depression. This was part of my own programme in curing my own severe depression.

There is one product that I used (and still use) after trying many, which helped enormously and quite independently of the other measures I took, but apparently it is against the rules to advertise or mention any products for sale within Support Forums .

I have no affiliation/connection with the company who manufacture it.

Regards

Chrisb1.

The most powerful natural treatment I have found for myself, for depression, is the Budwig Protocol. I have been depressed, off and on, my whole life. After following this protocol, really only doing about 60 or 70 percent of it, for two months, I was not depressed at all. It was amazing that each day I did not feel depressed, even though I felt lonely and all the other stresses that usually would make me depressed. The food on the diet nourishes so well and feeds the brain with essential fatty acids. The sunshine every day gives vitamin d and generally helps with depression. Go to http://www.healingcancernaturally.com
and scroll down to Johanna Budwig Diet and Protocol. Read this and also you can join the yahoo group flaxseedoil2 to gain more info or ask questions.
I had tried same, 5htp, tyrosine, other amino acids and supplements; and also anti-depressents several times. I think the Budwig Protocol offers more health giving and help for my Depression than anything else. THe hardest part is that you need to learn how to do it, and you need to follow it consistently. It took me three weeks to notice a difference. That was that I had more energy. THen gradually I felt less depressed and eventually realized I had not felt depressed for two months at all. FOr me this was amazing, and my health was greatly improving at the same time. If you can't do the whole protocol any parts of it will help some, with the more you are able to do the more help it gives. THe most important thing is to eat the recommeded breakfast and lunch each day, and also to avoid Sugar and processed foods.
Hope this helps.

The use of individual natural remedies may not work, because Depression is usually caused by a combination of nutritional deficiencies. In other words the production of serotonin - one of the feel good neurotransmitter- is a complex biochemical matter. A huge combination of nutrients will be required to manufacture the feel good neurotransmitters. Many people overlook the fact that in order for the body to convert tryptophan (found in food) into tryptophan or to manufacture SAM-e, the body requires biological energy as a fuel to activate the biochemical machinery. This is energy is usually derived from carbohydrates in food.

Carbohydrates have to be converted to biological energy - called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) - in the mitochondria of brain cells. Without that energy the body is unable to covert one set of molecules into an other set of molecules. Thus when a person suffers from hypoglycemia -or pre-diabetes or diabetes or let us say from a digestive problem - it lacks the energy to convert and manufacture feel good neurotransmitters such as serotonin or dopamine.

Now it has been shown that most depressed people are hypoglycemic or have insulin resistance. This means that the person cannot convert glucose - the main source of ATP - into energy. This explains also why depressed people often have problems with obesity and weight gain, because the unabsorbed glucose is left in the body as first glycogen and then converted and stored as fat cells. Thus we find an association between Depression and obesity as both share a common problem: insulin resistance. The same association is found among many AD medications causing obesity as a side effect.

Thus Depression cannot necessarily be treated by the supplementation of individual remedies (natural or pharmaceutical). We need to find the biological causes of depression and treat that.

Nutritional therapy aims at helping the body produce feel good neurotransmitters by addressing the obstacles that prevent the body from manufacturing the right hormones and neuro chemicals. Nutritional therapy is aimed at the individual with a unique nutritional handicap, in unique circumstances and having a unique biochemistry. Just being on a healthy Diet is not sufficient and may be the very problem.

Please read:

Depression is a Nutritional Disorder at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/depression_disorder.html


Self Help Personal Growth Program at:
http://www.hypoglycemia.asn.au/articles/self-help_personal_growth.html


and ask to be referred to a Nutritional Doctor, Clinical Nutritionist or Nutritional Psychologist if you want to. But before spending money on expensive therapists try to help yourself as much as possible by studying Nutritional Psychology and possible biochemical mechanism that may be responsible for symptoms.

In my quest to cure my severe clinical depression, I've tried it all for six years now. Since prescribed meds did not work on me, I went natural:
1)Yeast-free diet and supplements of 400mg Magnesium, 3,000mg Fish Oil, and 5HTP 500mg helped alot, but only for 3 months, but without the diet the supplements did not work, and later none of it worked, don't know why--body got used to the
supplements, or supplement overload? who knows. symptoms of Depression returned.
SamE did not work for me, neither did St. John's Wart.
2) Homeopathic medicines for years with a holistic doctor, felt only 10% improvement.
3) This is where I found most of the improvement: NATURAL HORMONE PELLETS.
with the pellets I felt 50%. 50% for a depressed person is alot!!!! The fatigue as the first thing that went away completely. Good buy blue couch.
4) In my quest to be Depression free I am now starting the parasite cleansing program by Hulda Clark . I have to keep searching til I find the cure. It's awful to live with depression. No one knows, a person has to experience it in order to know. One of the worst things that happen when you are clinically depressed is that you can't work--well at least in my case. I used to work 16 hours a day and loved what I did. Can't do that anymore. But I won't quit, I have to keep working in searching. I hope getting rid of the parasites, if any, works on me.