You have sorted out what your symptoms mean. Check.

You have a treatment plan and have committed to sticking to it. Check.

You have your support network in place. Check.

You have stocked up on vitamins that will help you keep your brain healthy. Wait a minute! 

Yes, there are a few more tools you can add to your arsenal as you resolve to stay healthy. Some vitamin deficiencies are common in people with depression and anxiety disorders, so adding these six to your diet – even via vitamin supplements – can help fill that gap. Your body cannot produce them on its own, so give it a boost and it will thank you. 

Vitamin C

A lack of Vitamin C can slow your brain function, making it harder for you to move efficiently and control your behaviors. By taking a dose daily, you give your body a better chance at preventing anxiety, schizophrenia, major depression, and Alzheimer’s disease. 

This superhero also goes by the name ascorbic acid. It keeps your cells happy in your skin, by supporting blood vessels, bones, and cartilage. It also speeds up healing when you cut yourself. 

Vitamin D

This so-called sunshine vitamin is an anecdotal remedy for depression, particularly in the winter months when some regions get fewer hours of daylight. With fewer rays on your skin, due to more layers of clothes, you need to add more to your diet.

Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium and phosphate from the healthy foods you eat, developing stronger bones, teeth, and muscles. 

Folic Acid

This synthetic form of folate teams up with antidepressants to relieve symptoms of depression. You can take it in pill form or aim to eat more green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, beans, and fortified bread and cereals. 

As a family of the family of B vitamins, it is particularly effective when ingested by women along with their antidepressants. A shortage of folate is linked to bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Vitamin B12 helps your body produce more serotonin and other transmitters, which move happy thoughts through your body better.

Magnesium

A lack of magnesium can cause sleeplessness, constipation, and muscle tension. Without it, your body does not produce as many feel-good hormones in the brain, which is linked to the onset and continuation of depression.

Magnesium helps to prevent and alleviate anxiety, stress, and depression while supporting your nervous system so it can cope better with feelings of stress and anxiety. It is a mood booster, although it takes up to a week to feel a difference once you add it to your regimen.

Selenium

This trace element works as an antidepressant by regulating your neurotransmitters, including dopamine and serotonin. When these are working well, they help protect you from depression and other mental disorders. 

Selenium works as an antioxidant for your brain and nervous system.

While these vitamins are taken in small doses, they can make a big difference in your days. These small investments in your mental health add up to give your body a range of good things it needs to make you stronger and more prepared to take on the world. 

Of course, you need to check with your doctor or pharmacist before adding supplements that may interfere with medication. 

Reference: https://www.psychreg.org/vitamin-deficiency-mental-health/