14 Vitamins And Minerals That Can Make Depression Better Or Worse

There are 13 vitamins the human body needs to function optimally, as well as a bunch of trace minerals.

Deficiencies in any of these can cause health issues – both physically, and mentally.

This guide (which is in alphabetical order) lists some of those substances that can have a direct effect on depression – either causing / worsening if it you don’t ingest enough of them, or relieving it if you have the recommended amounts.

Iodine

Iodine is one of two chemicals (the other being selenium, which I discuss later) that are vital for the creation of thyroid hormones.

Every cell in your body requires iodine in order to regulate your metabolism.

If your iodine intake is too low, then many organs in your body “slow down” (i.e. their metabolic rate decreases), and this can cause problems such as:

• Forgetfulness / memory issues
• Inability to concentrate or focus
• Mood swings

Iodine can be found in the following foods:

• Cottage Cheese
• Egg yolks
• Lima beans
• Prunes
• Salt (as long as it has been “iodine-improved”)
• Saltwater fish (e.g. cod)
• Sea vegetables (like dulse, hijiki, kelp, nori, and wakame)

Iron

This is probably one of the better known minerals, and it has many uses.

Most people may know it for its ability to carry oxygen around the body, but more relevant to us here is the fact that an iron deficiency can lead to both an increased risk of depression and an increase in its severity.

Getting enough iron can therefore reduce your chances of being depressed, and if you are suffering from it, some studies suggest it can improve your symptoms by as much as 25%.

In fact, the symptoms of depression are very similar to those of a shortage of iron, such as brain fog, fatigue, worsening moods, and increased irritability.

You can add more of this mineral to your diet with iron supplements or consume more foods containing it, such as:

• Beans
• Blackstrap molasses
• Dark Chocolate
• Duck
• Eggs
• Fish (e.g. sardines)
• Fortified cereals
• Liver (e.g. beef or chicken)
• Nuts (e.g. cashews and pistachios)
• Poultry
• Raisins
• Red meat
• Shellfish (e.g. mussels)
• Spinach
• Spirulina

Magnesium

This mineral is essential for hundreds of the biochemical functions in our bodies.

And, unfortunately, it is estimated that over 75% of Americans do not get enough of this vital mineral.

Aside from that, it provides an incredible antidote to high stress levels, helping you stay more relaxed throughout the day. Low levels of this mineral can significantly contribute to the development of neuropsychiatric issues. This connection is so strong that individuals with depression actually tend to have lower magnesium levels.

You can get magnesium from:

• Avocados
• Bananas
• Dark chocolate
• Kelp / seaweed
• Leafy Greens (e.g. collar greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach, Swiss chard, and turnip greens)
• Legumes (e.g. beans, chickpeas, lentils, and peas)
• Nuts (especially almonds, Brazil nuts, and cashews)
• Peanut Butter
• Seeds (e.g. chia, flax, and pumpkin)
• Whole grain bread

Manganese

This trace mineral is used to provide aid to various enzymes, and studies shows that people who are depressed often have low levels of the enzymes that rely on manganese. Conversely, those who consume the recommended amounts of it (and no more – overdosing on manganese can cause neurodegenerative disorders) are apparently less likely to become depressed.

Manganese can be found in:

• Beans
• Chocolate
• Fruits
• Leafy Greens (e.g. collar greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach, Swiss chard, and turnip greens)
• Nuts (especially hazelnuts and macadamias)
• Seafood
• Seeds (e.g. chia, flax, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower)

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

There are two common types of omega fatty acids – omega-3 and omega-6. Unfortunately, the standard American diet too much of the latter and not enough of the former.

These omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory, and can boost both your memory and mood, which is why they are helpful for people with depression.

We cannot make fatty acids ourselves, we need to get them from our diet, and great sources include:

• Caviar
• Chia seeds
• Cod liver oil
• Egg yolks
• Fish (e.g. anchovies, black cod, halibut, herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines, and tuna)
• Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil
• Oysters
• Walnuts

Potassium

If you don’t get enough potassium, then this can affect the signalling within your brain, which in turn can lead to changes in anxiety, mood, fatigue, memory, as well as more serious issues, and also depression.

Studies suggest that people who are depressed often have low potassium levels, and that increasing your potassium intake can improve your depression and overall mood.

Sadly, one study reported that 98% of Americans are deficient in this important mineral. When you also take into account that about three quarters of Americans may be chronically dehydrated, that many people take diuretics, and that potassium can be lost in urine, it’s easy to see how this is such a big issue.

So, here are a few natural sources of potassium:

• Acorn squash
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Beet greens
• Broccoli
• Cantaloupe
• Chicken breasts
• Fruits
• Halibut
• Legumes (e.g. beans, chickpeas, lentils, and peas)
• Pistachios
• Potatoes
• Raisins
• Salmon
• Sweet potatoes
• Tomatoes
• White button mushrooms

Selenium

Like iodine, which I discussed earlier, selenium is a trace mineral used in the production of thyroid hormones.

Selenium can help boost the immune system, provide antioxidants, protect from toxins, and keep your mood positive.

There are studies that show an association between depleted selenium levels and depression.

Source of selenium include:

• Beef (e.g. skirt steak, and preferably grass-fed)
• Brazil nuts
• Chicken breasts (if they are lean)
• Eggs (especially pastured ones)
• Fruits (preferably organic)
• Pork chops (if they are lean)
• Shellfish (e.g. clams, lobster, mussels, and oysters)
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Vegetables (preferably organic)
• Whole wheat pasta
• Yellowfin tuna

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

This is one of the eight vitamins in the B Complex group.

Vitamin B6 is involved in over 150 enzyme reactions, which help you process dietary carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

It is also associated with the healthy functioning of your immune system and nervous system.

More recent studies have discovered B6 also has both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

There are many symptoms of B6 deficiency, including cracked and sore lips, low energy, mood changes, seizures, skin rashes, sore glossy tongue, tingling and pain in your hands and feet, tiredness, and a weakened immune system.

Sources for Vitamin B6 include:

• Avocados
• Bananas
• Beef (e.g. skirt steak, preferably grass-fed)
• Chicken breasts (if they are lean)
• Pistachios
• Pork chops (if they are lean)
• Potatoes
• Salmon
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Sweet potatoes

Vitamin B8 (Inisitol)

This vitamin is vital for, amongst other things, nerve transmission and brain nutrition.

Deficiencies in this vitamin can result in anxiety. Depression, and panic disorder, as well as other more physical issues.

Sources for Vitamin B8 include:

• Bananas
• Beans
• Eggs
• Leafy Greens (e.g. kale, spinach, and Swiss chard)
• Legumes (e.g. beans, chickpeas, lentils, and peas)
• Nuts
• Organ meats (e.g. brains, hearts, and livers)
• Seeds

Vitamin B9 (Folate)

This B Complex vitamin is vital for human growth and development, but it also stimulates normal functioning of the brain and nervous system. There are also reports that it can slow down the memory decline that is associated with growing older.

You may be aware that many women take folic acid when pregnant, but studies show that it can contribute to your overall mood, and you may therefore want to consider using it to help treat depression.

If you are deficient in B9, you may experience depression and memory loss, amongst other physical symptoms.

Note that folate is the natural form of B9, while folic acid is synthetic.

Sources of Vitamin B9 include:

• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Broccoli
• Dark leafy greens (e.g. collard greens, pak choi, spinach, and turnip greens)
• Fruit (e.g. guava, kiwi, mango, pomegranate, papaya, and strawberries)
• Legumes (e.g. beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, and lentils)
• Oranges
• Salad greens (e.g. cress, endive, and lettuce)
• Sweet corn

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)

This vitamins helps keep your nerves healthy, it supports the production of DNA and red blood cells, and it helps maintain normal brain functioning.

And yet studies suggest that about 40% of Americans are not getting enough of this vital vitamin, a deficiency of which can result in:

• Delusions and paranoia
• Loss of taste and smell
• Memory loss
• Severe joint pain
• Shortness of breath

Harvard Health also indicates that a severe deficiency can even lead to worsening levels of depression.

Note that B12 is not manufactured by plants, which means vegetarians and vegans are most at risk of not getting enough of this vitamin.

Good sources of Vitamin B12 include:

• Beef
• Clams
• Eggs
• Organ meats (e.g. brains, hearts, kidneys, and livers, and especially from lamb)
• Salmon
• Sardines
• Trout
• Tuna

Vitamin C

This vitamin’s ability to boost your immune system and overall health is probably well known, but it’s also capable of enhancing your mood.

There was a study about 20 years ago that demonstrated long-term supplementation with Vitamin C was linked with an improvement in intellectual functioning, fewer memory errors, and improved moods.

However, you need to consume Vitamin C every day because it cannot be stored in your body.

Here are a few good sources of this essential vitamin:

You must consume vitamin C on a daily basis. Your body does not store it. Consider eating more citrus fruits and vegetables rich in this vitamin or take a vitamin C supplement dosage of at least 100 milligrams.

• Acerola cherries
• American persimmons
• Bell peppers (e.g. green, red, yellow)
• Blackcurrants
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cantaloupe
• Chili peppers
• Grapefruit juice
• Guavas
• Kakadu plums
• Kale
• Kiwi fruits
• Lemons
• Lychees
• Mustard spinach
• Oranges
• Parsley
• Papayas
• Rose hips
• Strawberries
• Thyme
• Vegetable juice

Vitamin D

As more research is conducted, it is becoming apparent that Vitamin D plays a much more important role in our health than first thought.

Deficiencies in this vitamin not only reduce the effectiveness of our overall immune system, but there are documented links to depression as well as dementia – and the lower your Vitamin D levels, the worse the mental health problems are.

Going outside to spend around half an hour in the sunlight two or three times a week can also prevent a deficiency from occurring.

You can also find Vitamin D in the following foods:

• Almond milk (which is easy to make at home, and is probably better for you too)
• Canned fish (e.g. sardines and tuna)
• Cheese
• Egg yolks
• Fresh Fish (e.g. mackerel and salmon, but wild-caught, as opposed to farmed, only)
• Liver (from beef or calf)
• Oatmeal
• Orange juice
• Shiitake mushrooms

Zinc

This is one of the most important minerals, and, fortunately, it is estimated that no more than 10% of Americans are deficient in.

Zinc has many uses in our bodies, including helping with digestion, boosting the immune system, preventing allergies, lowering inflammation. There is also research to support the association between zinc deficiency and depression.

Good sources of zinc include:

• Crab
• Dark chocolate
• Eggs
• Legumes (e.g. beans, chickpeas, lentils, and peas)
• Lobster
• Meat (e.g. beef, chicken, pork)
• Nuts (especially almonds, Brazil nuts, and cashews)
• Oysters
• Raisins
• Vegetables (e.g. broccoli, garlic, kale, mushrooms, and spinach)
• Whole grains

RDAs

The following links will take you to pages where you can find the Recommended Daily Allowances for each of the above:

• Iodine
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Manganese
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids
• Potassium
• Selenium
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin B9
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Zinc

Note that there is no official RDA for Vitamin B8.

This information is linked rather than included within this guide because the RDAs may change without warning, and I didn’t want this guide to become outdated.

Caveats

There are a lot of good suggestions on how to make sure you get enough of these vitamins and minerals here, but there are a few words of caution:

1. Try to make sure you buy foods that is organic and GMO-free, whenever you can. Many non-organic foods are sprayed heavily with pesticides and herbicides, and if the fruit or vegetable has a thin skin, those toxins can seep into the food, where you cannot wash them off.
2. Try to use fresh food whenever you can, and when practical, make your own fruit juices and nut milks, where you know exactly what goes into them. (Hopefully, just the fruit and nothing else, unlike many commercial products.)
3. When buying fish, be aware that a lot of fish (e.g. tuna, swordfish) is increasingly contaminated these days. One study from the waters around Seattle found that most fish tested positive for all sorts of drugs (both legal and illegal). This is one reason why you are better buying wild fish (especially Alaskan salmon, for example).
4. Always check the ingredients, and if you see something you don’t recognize or like the sound of, find out what it is before buying.

Supplements

As I hope I have shown above, almost all of the vitamins and minerals that we need to help manage and reduce depression can be found in foods that are not hard to get hold of, and that aren’t too “weird” by most people’s standards.

However, sometimes you may need to look elsewhere for these nutrients, and you will find a wide range of supplements are available.

Again, be careful – you want to make sure it’s a trusted brand (which, by itself, is not always sufficient to guarantee purity), and that there are as few ingredients (especially the inactive ones) as possible.

Also, check the nutritional label to see how much of the vitamins and minerals you will get with each dose.

Conclusion

The above list is just a small sample of everything our body needs, but these are the vitamins and minerals that are most closely associated with depression (and other mental health issues).

Remember, many of the elements our body requires need to be in balance with each other. For example, it is often recommended that if you take magnesium supplements, you also take potassium too.

Additional Resources

These are suggestions for those who wish to delve deeper into any of the above:

1. Guide To Vitamins & Minerals