Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Supplements

Seasonal Affective Disorder occurs primarily during the winter or rainy months. This results in a depression and lethargy that makes it difficult to cope with daily life. Fortunately, there are some supplements you can take for SAD.

The best supplement for seasonal affective disorder is natural sunlight! Get outside and get some sun! 20 minutes a day will almost certainly help brighten your mood! Exposure to sunlight helps the body keep higher levels of serotonin, a brain chemical that helps a person have a sense of well-being. When sunlight exposure is limited, serotonin decreases, and thus SAD and other problems can occur.

Add more D to your diet. It is possible you are deficient in Vitamin D. You can have your physician do some blood tests to see if a Vitamin D supplement would help! Some natural food sources of vitamin D include: pink salmon, milk, orange juice, vitamin D fortified cereals, sardines, mackerel, tuna, raw broccoli, artichokes, and raw kale all have the high levels of vitamin D per serving. When taken along with vitamin D supplements, eating these foods will help the vitamin D absorption.

Spend more time outdoors to help improve the regulation of important brain chemicals that affect mood

If you must stay indoors, you can often reduce symptoms by using a full-spectrum fluorescent light during dark mornings or evenings

Check out St. Johns Wort- this well-known herbal remedy may improve mild to moderate depression; take 900 mg a day of a standardized extract

Workout - Get an hour of aerobic or anaerobic exercise three times a week in bright light to improve mood