Why settle for dangerous antidepressant drugs when safe and effective herbal remedies for depression exist?

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 10 million Americans are treated with antidepressants each year. That's a frightening statistic especially when you consider that proven, effective herbal remedies for depression already exist. The following herbal remedies for depression are common in alternative health circles and are popular in European countries but meet considerable resistance in the United States due to the strong influence major pharmaceutical companies have over the Federal Food and Drug (FDA) administration and health establishment.

St. John's wort

St. John's Wort (hypericum perforatum) is the leading therapy for depression in Germany and is recommended far more often than antidepressants. Unfortunately that's not the case in the United States. The herb works by raising serotonin levels. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter involved in controlling moods which antidepressants like Prozac and Zoloft target in order to control depressive states. The main problem with antidepressant drugs is that they control mood at the expense of creating serious side effects. St. John's wort has considerably fewer and less severe side effects than prescription mood altering drugs. A study in 2005 as published by the British Medical Journal, reported that an extract of St. John's wort was found at least as effective as the antidepressant Paxil in treating a group of patients with moderate to severe depression. Side effects from the drug were almost twice as common as in patients taking the herb. Recommended dosage is 300 mg three times a day. Anyone taking statin drugs, digoxin, oral contraceptives and other drugs related to psychosis, HIV infection, chemotherapy or organ transplants should avoid this herb.

Super SAMe 

This natural amino acid know as S-adenosylmethionine is found in virtually every one of our cells. It plays a critical role in methylation which is a process that controls genes that activate biological functions from detoxification to cartilage synthesis and neurotransmitter production. SAMe functions considerably faster, generally in one week, versus approximately six to eight weeks for antidepressants. It also has relatively minor side effects such as headache and  constipation. A meta-analysis of studies regarding SAMe by the government's Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality proves that this herbal treatment for depression is about equal to that of antidepressant drugs. However, the story of the effectiveness of SAMe goes well beyond that of depression treatment and has been found to be effective in treating arthritis and liver disease. Typical dosage is 200-400 mg twice a day on an empty stomach. Anyone who is suicidal or has bipolar disorder should avoid this herb.

DHEA and hormone replacement

Testing for hormonal imbalance should be the first step in treating mood and depression disorders. Often natural hormone replacement therapy is effective against mood disorders. Testing for estrogen, testosterone, thyroid and DHEA levels should always be done prior to any therapy regarding treatment of depression. In a 2005 study by the National Institute of Mental Health with midlife-onset of major and minor depression showed that DHEA improved depression scores by 50 percent or more for those that responded positively. This study concluded that DHEA was an effective treatment for midlife-onset major and minor depression.

Herbal treatments for depression - a viable alternative

Given the vast amount of research available on natural herbal treatments for depression, of which we didn't even scratch the surface in this article, it would be reasonable to ask why doctors aren't embracing and prescribing more herbal treatments as is currently done elsewhere such as in Germany. The answer lies mainly in the strangle hold that giant pharmaceuticals have on doctors and the health establishment. There's literally billions of dollars at stake for big pharma and they spend billions every year pushing the idea down our throats that either a pill or shot can cure almost anything. If you ever watch a commercial or read print advertising for a prescription drug do you notice all the negative side effects we are warned of concerning that particular drug? The reason for all the warnings, is that there's a very real possibility that you could die from taking that drug. Consider that there were about 65,000 deaths attributed to Vioxx before it was voluntarily removed (due to extreme public and media pressure) from the market. And that's just one drug! That's more American live's lost than during the entire Viet Nam war. Yet we still seem to tolerate this without a major revolt?

You would never dream of going to your local grocer and buying a loaf of bread that had numerous warnings on the label concerning all the possible detrimental side effects that you may experience if you ate the bread. So why would you take a drug knowing that it is potentially very dangerous to you when safe and natural therapies exist as an alternative? It's probably because most of us have been brainwashed by our doctors who we trust implicitly with our health and those doctors in turn have been brain washed by profit hungry pharmaceuticals who may not have your best interests at heart.

Take control of your health and educate yourself by learning more about alternative health options available to you so that you will be empowered to make decisions over your own health and welfare and not have to rely on others that may not have your best interests at heart.

Consult with an alternative health professional and explore the options best suited to your lifestyle.

Learn more about how herbal remedies may benefit you.