Antidepressants and Your Health
Antidepressants come in various forms. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, there are seven types of medications commonly used to treat depression:
- Atypical antidepressants
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
- Norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors
- Noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
- Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors
- Tricyclic antidepressants
In addition to these commonly prescribed antidepressants, there are other central nervous system drugs with antidepressant effects, such as antipsychotics, as well as herbs and supplements that have natural antidepressant properties.
Mental health statistics show that more than 5 percent of adults live with a depressive disorder globally, according to the World Health Organization.
SSRIs are the most commonly recommended treatment for depression, according to Mayo Clinic. Commonly prescribed SSRIs include sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), fluoxetine (Prozac), and citalopram (Celexa). SSRIs work by blocking the reuptake of serotonin in the brain, which essentially makes serotonin more available.
However, SSRIs don’t work for everyone, and other antidepressants work via different pathways in the body.
The exact type of antidepressant you take determines which foods, vitamins, and supplements you should or shouldn’t ingest. If you consume something that isn’t recommended, you could end up reducing the effectiveness of your medication or increasing the likelihood of side effects.
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