Mild depression is often characterized by anxiety, obsessive thoughts or actions, lack of interest in activities that the person used to enjoy, mood swings, and a general blue mood. Changes in your lifestyle, diet, relaxation practices, a regular amount of sleep, and supplementing with certain vitamins and minerals can improve the symptoms of mild depression and help you get your life back. Do some research about your specific symptoms and talk to your doctor before you buy vitamins and supplements.

It is important to keep in mind that vitamins and exercise may not solve all of your problems. Some neurological symptoms may be genetic and therapy and/or medication may be necessary to find relief. However, many vitamins work directly on the neurotransmitters that are affected by these genetic abnormalities and can still be an effective form of treatment. Work with your doctor or therapist because you should not try to combat depression alone. With that said, let’s take a look at which vitamins may be able to help you and why.

Vitamins, such as vitamin D, have proven very useful in combating depression. Vitamin D3 is the more active form of vitamin D and has proven to be helpful in treating mood disorders. Vitamin D is often called the “sunshine vitamin” because our bodies normally produce it when exposed to the sun. However, a lot of things can hinder our production of vitamin D and more people than ever are deficient, despite their sun exposure.

Inadequate levels of B vitamins can cause the nervous system to malfunction, causing many depression symptoms to worsen. B vitamin deficiencies also hinder red blood cell production and the delivery of oxygen to the brain, leading to depression and fatigue. Serotonin production is also hindered by low B vitamin levels. B vitamin deficiencies are most common in patients with severe psychiatric problems. The nervous system and serotonin levels are also hindered by a lack of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, iron, selenium, vitamin C, and folate.

Many vitamins and minerals have a role in maintaining a healthy mental state, but none so much as vitamin C. Vitamin C facilitates the production of acetylcholine, which has a calming effect on all of the body’s processes. It is also necessary for your body to make serotonin, which is used in regulating anxiety levels, as well as making it possible for you to get recuperative sleep. Vitamin C clears out toxins that affect neurological transmitters and that cause mass inflammation and oxidative stress. It protects all of your cells from damage and invasion, but particularly your brain tissues.

Discuss your symptoms with your doctor before you buy vitamins. A supplement regimen should start with the best vitamin C so that your body can properly synthesize the other vitamins and supplements that your doctor recommends.

About the Author: Phil Le Breton, the owner at Wholesale Nutrition, has a strong interest in helping people achieve greater brain and body health with vitamins and supplements. Wholesale Nutrition has the best vitamin C powder on the market (C-Salts). Visit http://www.nutri.com to buy vitamins or buy supplements of the highest quality.

PMS seems to occur when estrogen levels drop. In a normal menstrual cycle, estrogen levels slowly rise until about two weeks before menstruation. Then, they sharply fall until menstruation begins. During this two weeks, many women experience anxiety, fatigue, headaches, mood swings, fluid retention, insomnia and depression.

There seems to be a link with the drop in estrogen and production of the mood, appetite and sleep regulating hormone, serotonin. While there is no medical proof that low serotonin levels result in PMS, the symptoms are consistent with low levels of serotonin. Additionally, we know that estrogen keeps serotonin from breaking down and the two normally work together in the body to regulate mood and cognition.

Treatment for PMS revolves around treating the symptoms. Your doctor may recommend drugs for depression, therapy, dietary changes and exercise to ease symptoms. In addition, you may find supplementing with certain vitamins helpful. Talk to your doctor about the proper dosages before you buy vitamins.

Many studies have been done to determine which vitamins and minerals are most helpful in relieving PMS symptoms. There is substantial proof that taking calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, vitamin B6 and vitamin C can ease symptoms, each in a different way.

Calcium supplements can relieve all PMS symptoms except fatigue and insomnia. Almost all women that suffer from PMS are calcium deficient. It can take up to three months of supplementing to correct the imbalance, so be patient and take your supplements regularly.

Calcium works in three ways. The nervous system, muscular system and the hormonal systems all require a certain amount of calcium to function properly. When estrogen levels drop, the demand for calcium is increased. The body takes the calcium that it needs from the bones.

The calcium that is taken from bone is very hard for the body to use and it is believed that a lot of the fatigue associated with PMS is attributed to the body’s concentration on processing the bone calcium. Low calcium levels cause muscle cramps and spasms. Nerve impulse transmission is also affected. Additionally, low estrogen levels make the absorption of calcium more difficult.

Vitamin D can also be taken to increase absorption of calcium. Magnesium is also proven to greatly reduce PMS symptoms by working with estrogen to reduce stress, water retention, and relax muscles. Magnesium combined with vitamin B-6 also can relieve anxiety.

Many women suffer heavy menstrual bleeding, which can lead to anemia through iron loss. Vitamin C has a significant impact on iron absorption and can help with fatigue. Heavy bleeding is generally caused by weak and fragile blood vessels. They leak as inflammation increases and can make menstruation more painful, exhausting and even dangerous. Vitamin C taken daily reduces heavy bleeding by strengthening blood vessels and reducing inflammation. If vitamin C is not well tolerated by your stomach, try a buffered vitamin C powder.

Talk with your doctor about treating your PMS with vitamins and supplements before you buy vitamins. It is important to be sure that your symptoms are caused by PMS and not another underlying condition.

About the Author: Phil Le Breton is owner at Wholesale Nutrition. He has a strong interest in helping people achieve greater brain and body health with vitamins and supplements. Wholesale Nutrition has the best vitamin C Powder on the market (C-Salts). Visit http://www.nutri.com to buy vitamins or buy supplements of the highest quality.