Best natural way to increase serotonin?

My doctor told me my depression is most likely making my stomach and heart issues a lot worse and says I should just take the anti-depressants. But from my experience, they cause me hair loss and other side effects..

I heard St. John's Wort is good but should not be taken regularly? I heard 5-HTP causes hair loss like SSRIs...I'm so confused right now.

Any suggestions?

st johns wort interacts with medications and shouldnt be combined with anti-depressants. it also makes u hypersensitive to sunlight and a resulting burn will be a nightmare of itchyness.

mirtazapine works differently than most other antidepressants, because it is a antagonist at 5-HT receptors as well as lots of others. so it decreases serotonin receptors activity, instead of increasing them, like other agonists. the best way may be an antidepressant in a small dose but not an SSRI. ask about mirtazapine.

If you want worsen your depression and hair loss, increase your serotonin levels.

droddy wrote:If you want worsen your depression and hair loss, increase your serotonin levels.

Sorry to interrupt or follow into this thread but Vitamin D increases Serotonin levels and does not cause hair loss. So does B-12 and a myriad of other nutrients. If you ever try Nettle Root, Pumpkin Seed Oil and Antler Velvet, they all stimulate Serotonin and actually benefit and stop hairloss. Also Serotonin stimulation will raise one out of depression, but not as well as dopamine or ticyclics that stimulate those 2 in addition to norepiniphrine. I don't like pharmaceuticals but there are many herbs out there that will help folks in that regard.
These are some of the things I found to be sketchy about Peat. While I think he is on to something especially in regards to Generative Energy he pans some things and accepts them in other cases or might not understand them totally. I don't think its as black and white as that.

Coconut oil is great for improving mood as it raises dopamine levels, reduces prostate size(and anxiety), kills bacterial infection and candida and increases levels of CQ10.

steve215 wrote:My doctor told me my depression is most likely making my stomach and heart issues a lot worse and says I should just take the anti-depressants. But from my experience, they cause me hair loss and other side effects..

I heard St. John's Wort is good but should not be taken regularly? I heard 5-HTP causes hair loss like SSRIs...I'm so confused right now.

Any suggestions?

Vitamin D 5000mg- for depression

Bacopa Monnieri. Can get the herb at any vitamin shoppe- Anxiety and depression, memory

For- St. John's Wort look for hyperforin content. Kira is a good brand. Amoryn is another.

Ecklonia Cava- for anxiety, depression memory

Krill Oil- for depression, memory

Read this! The entire article is well worth reading as it goes into much more depth, but this is a key section...
from: here


In all these years since 1988, scientists are still not sure why serotonin boosters seem to "alleviate" depression. They assume that low serotonin levels could be a possible cause of endogenous depression, but it's still just a theory and not a proven fact! New research present us a different view on serotonin, which may not even have that connection with mood as previously thought. By experimental research, scientists discovered that a new drug, code-named MK-869, blocked a neuropeptide called " Substance P." By blocking this neuropeptide, people became less depressed. An interesting fact was, that blocking substance P did not affect the function of serotonin! This raises new concerns about the involvement of serotonin in mood and/or depression.

"But why do I hear people talking about benefits from these SSRI-AntiDepressants?", you might want to ask in this stage. "They surely must work somehow don't they?" The answer is yes, they "work" somehow, but not in a very proper way. The mechanism of action on serotonergic neurons implies a lot of other neuro- endocrine responses. What actually happens when you increase serotonergic neuronal activity or elevate your serotonin levels is this: the stress hormones "Cortisol" & "Adrenaline" (Epinephrine) in the brain and body are triggered by increased serotonergic activity or elevated serotonin levels. It is a natural reaction from the body to combat the excessive serotonin levels. These released hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, are secreted from the "Adrenal Glands." They give the human personality a boost, producing a euphoric state, which can last for a prolonged period of time. In this manner SSRI-AntiDepressants initially produce the deceptive results the doctor and "patient" are both expecting. *

If a patient continues to ingest a particular SSRI-antidepressant over a prolonged period of time, eventually the bodies Adrenal Glands may lose their efficiency and "Adrenal Exhaustion Syndrome" will be the end result. Adrenal Exhaustion causes levels of adrenaline initially to fall and levels of cortisol to rise. Ultimately, also cortisol levels fall. When untreated, Adrenal Exhaustion will lead to seriously declining physical health. Many (former) SSRI-AntiDepressant users reported fatigue as a long term side-effect or were diagnosed with "Chronigue Fatigue Syndrome." People suffering from stress are generally diagnosed with this disorder. Symptoms range from simple exhaustion to much more complex problems that are secondary to excessive output of adrenal hormones in the bloodstream, leading to Adrenal Exhaustion. Unlike the other hormones, it takes a long time before the Adrenal Glands have their adrenaline levels restored. Could we say that the SSRI-AntiDepressant "works" by slowly excavating the body's Adrenal Glands?

* [ Actually, when a family doctor (GP) or psychiatrist is observing a patient in a "euphoric" state of being, this should ring warning bells immediately! The drug induced (iatrogenic) conditions Akathisia & Mania are well documented in the medical litarature. Drug induced Mania, an abnormally elated mental state, typically characterized by feelings of euphoria, racing thoughts and talkativeness, is a "forerunner" of Akathisia, a neurologically driven agitation ranging from mild leg tapping, feeling "caffeinated" to severe panic, an extreme manic state and hyper-sensitivity of the nervous system. Akathisia can lead to suicidal, aggressive and/or homicidal thoughts and behaviours. When a doctor or psychiatrist is observing symptoms of mania and/or akathisia in a patient, SSRI-AntiDepressant use should be discontinued immediately! The pharmaceutical companies are well informed regarding above mentioned conditions and the capacity of their antidepressant inducing these symptoms. Therefore it is strongly advised to medical professionals, physicians, to monitor a patient very closely after prescription of (SSRI) anti-depressant treatment. In the field of Bio-Psychiatry it was a conventional common thought that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system dysregulation/hyperactivity (and thus excessive secretion of cortisol) played an important role in the pathophysiology of depression and that normalization of HPA axis hyperactivity could be achieved by (SSRI) anti-depressant treatment, and thus relief of depression. However, a study and a case report involving the non-SSRI antidepressant Remeron (mirtazapine) and a review show us that nor amelioration of HPA system dysregulation, nor reduction of cortisol secretion in depressed patients is correlated with relief of symptoms of depression. See: (1), (2), (3). Furthermore, a study developed by D. Jezova & R. Duncko, Laboratory of Pharmacological Neuroendocrinology, demonstrated that repeated SSRI-antidepressant treatment in healthy men does not inhibit, but enhances stress-induced pituitary hormone release (neuroendocrine activation). Cortisol levels failed to be modified by antidepressants. A simple search through available PubMed articles uncovers clearly that SSRI-antidepressants not only fail to modify cortisol, but actually stimulate/increase cortisol release. See: (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6). Initially the rise in cortisol & adrenaline (secreted from the Adrenal Glands) may create the illusion of a patient making progress in his/her situation, but a potential tragedy may be surfacing very soon. It is very well known that (SSRI-AntiDepressant induced) increased cortisol secretion can lead to violent suicidal behaviour.
(I would like to encourage you to use your discernment when viewing antidepressant involved suicide/homicide/violence cases represented by the media. In the section casualties of this website, these cases are carefully stored up to be a "silent" witness for the future, in order to testify regarding the devastating & powerful destructive effects these "legal drugs" exercised on children, adolescents and adults, not discriminating between men and women). ]

the article is very interesting and somewhat convincing. droddy also says you need to reduce serotonin levels to balance your cortisol, adrenalin, prolactin and stop hair loss.

My question is:

Is it Ok to reduce the cortisol, adrenalin, prolactin individually rather than through the serotonin pathway. For example I can take PS and reduce my cortisol , will that help my hair loss? or if I take something to reduce my prolactin levels will that help my hair loss. or is it the serotonin that must be reduced?

Vitamin D increases Serotonin and Testosterone. SSRIs are bad but natural herbs, supplements and vitamins like I mentioned above can give one a mental boost without wreaking systemic havoc.

Thanks guys.. I'm going through a very depressing event right now and need all the help I can get if I don't want to go nuts.. ;p

DM5 wrote:Vitamin D increases Serotonin and Testosterone. SSRIs are bad but natural herbs, supplements and vitamins like I mentioned above can give one a mental boost without wreaking systemic havoc.

With proper REGULATION and linearity of surrounding co-factors, serotonin is not the bad guy. Serotonin is found in the brains of perfectly healthy individuals.

However, we could have Dr. Trevor Marshall disciples or distillers on the forum. I agree, at least, with some of Ray Peat's work, just not the overall definitive air -- major turn-off.

BTW, to me DM5, you strike a fairly healthy tone. I too am in a constant and exhaustive state of flux, reevaluating my entire core beliefs.

Also, don't forget a simple magnesium and Omega 3 deficiency for depression. For magnesium, try Jigsaw or Albion. I also like simple Omega 3 along with astaxanthin, instead of pricey Krill.

In fact, based on our modern refined diets and lifestyles, everyone should consider supplemental vitamin D3, K2 (also beta-carotene complex,) omega 3, mixed B-vitamins, perhaps some sodium ascorbate, and magnesium for starters. We could include some healthful coconut and palm oil.

We could also stop overthinking half of these exotic pharma-sponsored studies, or at least beat them to a labyrinthian dead end and the eventual see-saw backlash. Regulation and moderation is the key to life.

I have read a carbohydrate rich diet helps boosting serotonin levels but this is more hearsay than anything else though.

Cheers.