The 6 Main & Common Causes of Depression – Dr.Berg

I explain the common causes of depression.

Timestamps:
0:00 Common causes of depression, including one most common one
0:37 DHA is the most important omega 3 fatty acid for countering depression
3:08 The more carbohydrates you consume, the more B1 you need

In this video, I cover the causes of physical depression. I’m not talking about something caused by the mind or a mental disorder, but what can happen to your physical body to cause depression.

First up is low omega 3 fatty acids. The three main kinds are ALA. DHA, and EPA. DHA is the most important one in terms of getting enough of its active form to counter depression. ALA is mainly found in plants not animals, and it’s a precursor that converts to DHA. Since only 5 percent of it converts, you may be unknowingly shorting yourself of DHA if you’re not consuming enough ALA.

DHA is found in fatty fish, cod liver oil, and eggs, among other foods. If you’re a vegetarian you can consume algae to get DHA.

Next, you could have low vitamin B12. One of the challenges, if you’re vegetarian, is that B12 is found mainly in animal products such as seafood, liver, eggs, meat, and dairy.

A while ago I had my wheatgrass tested, and discovered it has double the recommended daily allowance of B12. This is fascinating because wheatgrass doesn’t make B12. It was coming from the microbes within the wheatgrass! Microbes are another source.

Low vitamin D can cause depression. Think about the wintertime seasonal depression that’s caused by lack of sunshine. If you’re on a low cholesterol diet, or taking a statin to block cholesterol, you may not be able to make enough vitamin D because your body needs cholesterol to make vitamin D.

Low vitamin B1 (thiamine) is another cause. Nutritional yeast is the best source. Pork, of all meats, has the highest amount of B1. Organ meats and sunflower seeds are also good sources. Avoid refined sugars and grains, since they contribute to a B1 deficiency.

High cortisol, the stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands, is another cause of depression. First, your anxiety can get high, followed by depression. If you don’t get enough sleep, you can feel depressed even though it’s truly fatigue. Take vitamin D, so you can improve your sleep. And do aerobic exercise.

Insulin resistance, a prediabetic condition, is one of the most common causes of depression because it lowers your blood sugar until you have symptoms of depression. The solution? Do healthy keto and intermittent fasting to counter your depression.

Dr. Eric Berg DC Bio:
Dr. Berg, age 56, is a chiropractor who specializes in Healthy Ketosis & Intermittent Fasting. He is the author of the best-selling book The Healthy Keto Plan, and is the Director of Dr. Berg Nutritionals. He no longer practices, but focuses on health education through social media.

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Disclaimer:
Dr. Eric Berg received his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1988. His use of “doctor” or “Dr.” in relation to himself solely refers to that degree. Dr. Berg is a licensed chiropractor in Virginia, California, and Louisiana, but he no longer practices chiropractic in any state and does not see patients so he can focus on educating people as a full time activity, yet he maintains an active license. This video is for general informational purposes only. It should not be used to self-diagnose and it is not a substitute for a medical exam, cure, treatment, diagnosis, and prescription or recommendation. It does not create a doctor-patient relationship between Dr. Berg and you. You should not make any change in your health regimen or diet before first consulting a physician and obtaining a medical exam, diagnosis, and recommendation. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Thanks for watching!

Physical depression has several common causes.

[sharontaylor]

I believe that the American way of life is the major cause of depression. Debt, processed foods, 2 much work, 2 little pay, and no time to enjoy the little things we do have. 👪

[Debcrafty]

Very interesting, I am a retied R.N, so many people on cholesterol meds and antidepressants ! I did not know the correlations.!

[Erickid]

It's funny, I started my healthy lifestyle change in March and incorporated IF and keto with HIIT and resistance training. I've never felt better, i haven't had any anxiety or felt depressed SINCE. the energy levels I have now are through the roof! It's really amazing how much smoother ketones is compared to constant highs and lows carbs do to you..

[kareenafahim]

Depression is very environmental behavior the way people are treating us, financial, being alone or no affection. Poor or lack of empty , lack of good nutrients.

[Promisingact]

🙏🏾So in formative! Thank you. I've noticed lately that extreme stress has has hit me bad lately, not being able to sleep and obviously sluggish. Thank you again!

[amiref]

i wish you could go deeper and explain the mechanism of why and how these things cause depression. thank you dr berg, you're amazing

[pixeblood]

Thank you so much for all the videos dr. Berg!! They’ve really helped me a lot. 🙏🏻

[CalvinClimax]

This is a video I've been hoping to see you make. Thank you so much.

[DeanKanarg]

People need to know this, so many people can start feeling better and more motivated if they did this stuff. Also having more magnesium in the diet helps to reduce anxiety.

[MiekaFastingWeightLoss]

Wow, this is so helpful. Thank you so much for the insight.

[farahhumairamohd]

I realized that my body doesn't do well on carbs. I feel awful after eating.

[johnvajcner]

Thank you Dr Berg! Great information! Very relevant to me and the wife!

[DrJanelleSinclair]

I appreciate how you are educating people that there are physiological causes of depression. It's an undervalued area.

[livinglifeontrack]

Very informative. I have a weight watchers YouTube channel and I'm on the plan myself. I've lost 26 pounds in my husband has lost 70 and honestly when he eats the food I cook him on plan his depression is a sensually gone. Lots to absorb in that!

[denniswilliamson]

Awesome and very timely! Looks like I'll be sharing this with a captive audience: A depressed, terminal and mostly catatonic brother in law.

[FollowYah-az]

Thank you ... I soooo APPRECIATE your thoughtfulness and attention to those of us whose diets are vegetarian-based. May you and your family be blessed!

[manny]

After I lost my job in the early 2, 000 and decided not to look for a job caused me depression. At first, it was OK not working, then months passed then 2.5 years later of not working and started to deplete my savings including my 401K I started to get depressed. Luckily for me, while I was depressed I went back to college and found out that reading textbooks were very relaxing for me at the time. After 2.5 years of not working, used up all my savings, and finished up schooling again, I was able to find a job within a week of publishing my resume. Luckily I have a wife that was very supportive of me during my downtime. Depression sucks!!!

[MrDjhealth]

i cant believe this guy gives out soo much good info for free!

[mehwishowais]

You’re probably one of the most rare doctors because you have great handwriting

[aquarianess]

Shocking! Thank you so much for this video. Eye-opening!