Right now, we may be wrapped up in a whirlwind of merry and bright. When the holiday chaos subsides, the reality of the winter season is much more bleak for millions of people suffering from seasonal affective disorder—more colloquially known as seasonal depression. As the days get shorter and the darkness literally takes over, countless individuals experience an uptick in depression symptoms, making the cold, long season even harder to endure.
But, if you experience seasonal depression, the winter doesn’t have to be a lost cause. While the best thing you can do to manage depression symptoms is consult with mental health professionals, there are also lifestyle changes and supplements you can add to your routine to help your body fight off the winter blues. Ahead, holistic health experts detail the best supplements to help counteract seasonal depression symptoms.
Featured Experts
- Dr. Elizabeth Trattner is an expert practitioner in integrative and Chinese medicine
- Hope Gillerman is a wellness and Alexander Technique specialist and founder of H. Gillerman Organics
What is seasonal depression?
In the age of social media, it’s easy for medical terms to get thrown around lackadaisically. So, it’s important to understand what exactly seasonal depression is. “Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) usually starts in the fall as the daylight hours dwindle and continues until late spring when the light cycles begin to change,” Dr. Trattner begins. “This type of depression is more common in women, and symptoms include depression, fatigue, social withdrawal, craving for carbohydrates and an overall feeling of malaise.”
In terms of what causes seasonal depression, the possibilities are various, which makes seeing a doctor for a proper diagnosis all the more important, Dr. Trattner advises. “The causes of SAD are believed to be an imbalance of the brain chemicals and not enough light, which increases melatonin and causes us to sleep more,” she explains. “It is believed that lower levels of sunlight decrease the amount of serotonin which affects mood. With young women, especially teenagers, I caution parents to make sure women are getting enough exposure to daylight and not light from computers and or cellphones.”
The Best Supplements for Seasonal Depression
If you’ve been diagnosed with seasonal depression, all hope is not lost. Many solutions are available to bolster your wellness routine and possibly decrease SAD symptoms. Both Dr. Trattner and Gillerman have plenty of suggestions.
Vitamin D
Rather self-explanatory, taking vitamin D in the winter is a good way to counteract low exposure to daylight. “In the winter, with fewer hours of daylight and less exposure [to] natural sunlight by staying indoors more, we can become vitamin D deficient,” Gillerman says. “This affects our bodies in many ways, specifically in our mood and mental health, leading to increased depression, anxiety, sadness and irritability. As a result, vitamin D3 must be supplemented. You should ask your doctor to find the correct dosage for you, but vitamin D3 supplement dosages are usually between 1,000 and 2,000mg.”
Vitamin B
According to Dr. Trattner, today’s uptick in vegan and vegetarian diets has resulted in more vitamin B deficiencies. She notes that vitamin B12, folate and vitamin B6 are great additions to a supplement routine aimed at reducing seasonal depression symptoms. “B6 helps with brain function, B12 helps with nerve function and mood and folate is synergistic with B12 to help elevate mood,” she says. “You can purchase a good multivitamin with high amounts of B vitamins, or there are countless formulas that you can take at a separate meal (I like lunch) to help with stress and elevate your mood. A multi-B vitamin has the full spectrum of B vitamins and the correct (or higher) amounts of RDA in them.” In addition, B vitamins can also be found in animal products like fish, chicken and beef, and leafy greens are a great source of folate.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
“Omega-3s have an incredible amount of data showing improvement in symptoms of patients with depression, ADHD, lowering inflammation, improving concentration and focus and boosting cognitive function, mood and brain health,” Dr. Trattner raves. “Once again, for vegetarians and vegans, they have to be extra careful supplementing. Although they can get DHA from chia, purslane and nuts, you cannot get EPA—the other fatty acid in fish oil— and both are important. If eating fish isn’t your thing, I suggest supplementing. I like to see at least 2000 total mg of omega-3s, both DHA and EPA. I like to see at least 650 mg of DHA and 1200 mg of EPA in an omega supplement.”
In terms of dosing and results, Dr. Trattner advises that it takes about three weeks to get your blood therapeutic levels on par with omega-3 fatty acids. She also states that the supplements should be taken with fatty foods.
Magnesium
“I personally love recommending magnesium for a variety of reasons,” Dr. Trattner explains. “Magnesium helps us relax, helps with muscle tension, encourages bowel movements and plays a key role with the production of brain hormones. I like to recommend a minimum of 400 mg of magnesium in the evening or at bedtime to help unwind and go to sleep. There are many different types of magnesium like oxide, citrate and gluconate. If you have a sensitive stomach, avoid magnesium oxide.” You can also find magnesium in nuts, Dr. Trattner notes.
L-theanine
You’ve probably heard of L-theanine being used with magnesium. Dr. Trattner emphasizes how the ingredients help in fighting seasonal depression symptoms. “This superstar amino acid increases levels of serotonin in the brain and boosts alpha waves in the brain,” she says. Luckily, a popular green tea we all know and love contains L-theanine. “Matcha is what Buddhist monks drink to induce an alert state of calm,” says Dr. Trattner. “Matcha has one of the highest ORAC ratings in the plant kingdom and is a whole vegetal drink as opposed to green tea which is fermented leaves. One cup of good organic matcha can have you feeling great immediately.” If you’re sensitive to caffeine, opt for decaffeinated green tea instead.
Lifestyle Changes to Fight Seasonal Depression
Take Some Sun
In addition to oral supplements, there are tons of small daily adjustments you can make to help with seasonal depression, Gillerman explains. First on her list: make time for natural light. “When we stay inside during the day, we lose out on natural light and subsequently keep our artificial lights too bright at night, which disturbs our circadian rhythm. This disturbance not only affects our sleep cycle, it can affect mood and even cause a decline in cognitive function. To counteract this imbalance, one Huberman-reviewed option is to get outside in natural light without sunglasses within the first two hours of daylight. At night, turn lights you don’t need off and dim those you are using.”
Focus on a Clean Diet
“During cold winter months, our diets shift to unhealthier choices, like more comfort foods that are heavy on fat and sugar,” Gillerman notes. “Poor food choices leave us feeling tired and lethargic, which causes us to eat more sugar and comfort foods which cause weight gain. Then, we start skipping meals to lower daily calorie intake instead of substituting more fruits and vegetables. This makes matters worse—when we don’t get enough fiber and protein our body keeps telling us we are hungry, so we find it even more difficult to make healthy choices.” The right solution? Focus on adding fruits, vegetables and fiber-forward foods to your daily meals. She also recommends adding two servings of vitamin C into your daily intake to reduce anxiety.
