Free The New Bible Cure for Depression & Anxiety by Md Don Colbert

has created wonderful natural substances that can help you overcome depression: vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and herbs. These powerful substances are readily available in health food stores. Although they are no substitute for consulting a physician or professional counseling, they will usually help you to overcome depression.
    I’ve discovered that most people believe we get all the nutrients that we need from the standard American diet; however, this is simply not true. I find in my practice that nutritional deficiencies are quite common, especially in those with depression and anxiety. The standard American diet consists of fast food, sodas, junk foods, and processed foods that are usually very high in sugar and carbohydrates and low in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. These junk foods deplete our bodies of certain vitamins and minerals.
    Nutrient Deficiencies
    Three specific nutrient deficiencies have been associated with depression and anxiety: the B vitamins, magnesium, and chromium. I believe that in order to alleviate both depression and anxiety, it is important to take a good comprehensive multivitamin that contains the B vitamins, magnesium, and chromium that will enable your body to make the necessary neurotransmitters, or “feel-good chemicals,” to begin to change your mood. A comprehensive multivitamin and omega-3 fatty acid supplement, along with a healthy diet, provide the foundation for changing your mood. Let me discuss each nutrient briefly and then give you my specific recommendations for supplementing.
    The B vitamin family
    There are eight essential B vitamins, and these are important in patients who have depression and anxiety. Vitamin B-6 is extremely important in patients with depression and anxiety because it is critical to the synthesis of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine.
    Elevated levels of the amino acid homocysteine increase the risk of depression. However, three B vitamins—B-6, B-12, and folic acid—generally lower the homocysteine levels. These B vitamins also function as “methyl donors,” which are absolutely necessary for human neurotransmitters to function efficiently.
    Researchers have found that depressed patients are commonly deficient in B-6, B-12, and folic acid. I have found that vitamin B-6 levels are especially low in women on birth control pills. To insure you have adequate amounts of B-6, as well as the other important B vitamins, take approximately 800 mcg of folic acid, 500 mcg of B-12, and 2–10 mg of B-6. Good comprehensive multivitamins will contain adequate amounts of these important B vitamins. (Please see Appendix B for more information.)
    Magnesium
    Almost 70 percent of Americans are not consuming adequate amounts of magnesium in their diets. 1 Magnesium is very important for more than three hundred enzymatic reactions in the body. It also helps prevent muscle spasms, heart attacks, and restless legs syndrome, and it relaxes muscles. Magnesium may also help reduce nervousness and anxiety and may help you to sleep, especially if it is taken at bedtime. If you suffer from muscle spasms, eye twitches, jittery feelings, and anxiety, it is highly likely that you are not taking sufficient amounts of magnesium.
    I typically recommend approximately 300–400 mg of magnesium a day; however, higher doses than this may cause diarrhea. Magnesium is found in seeds, nuts, dark green leafy vegetables, grains, and legumes. Good comprehensive multivitamins will usually contain adequate amounts of magnesium. (See Appendix B .)
    Chromium
    Chromium is an important mineral that helps to stabilize blood sugar levels as well as insulin levels. This in turn may help with mood swings triggered by hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. Again, realize that the standard American diet with fast foods, junk foods, and excessive sugars depletes this very important mineral from our bodies. I prescribe at least 200 mcg.
    Antidepressants vs. Natural Supplements
    According to a recent