Black Americans are more likely than whites to suffer severe, untreated and disabling depression, U.S. research shows.

As reported elsewhere, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed data on 6,082 people who took part in a national survey conducted between 2001 and 2003.

They found that 17.9 percent of white Americans had depression at some point in their lives, compared with 10.4 percent of blacks of African descent and 12.9 percent of blacks of West Indian or Caribbean descent.

In addition, relative to whites, both black groups were more likely to rate their major depressive disorder as severe or very severe and more disabling, the researchers reported in the March issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry. It also appears that most Caribbean blacks diagnosed with depression do not receive adequate treatment.

So what can be done? If people aren't receiving the right medication for their depression, then taking natural vitamin supplements can help in both the prevention and treatment of depression.

Supplements Useful in Depression Treatment:

Vitamin D

Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, is found in food, but also can be made in the body with the help of sunlight. The liver and kidney help convert Vitamin D into its active hormone form, calcitrol. The main function of Vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus, and maintain strong bones. However, it can also play an important role in treating depression.

Supplementation of Vitamin D has been found to help patients suffering from depression and improve their condition.

B Vitamins

Any natural depression treatment must be able to target each one of the symptoms of depression and reduce them in the patient. This is where B vitamins come in, as their wide-ranging properties can effectively deal with all signs of depression.

B vitamins for feelings of sadness and dejection:

Pyridoxine, or vitamin B6, is an essential component in the production of SAM-e, a "feel-good" neurotransmitter that can significantly improve a person's mood. Depression has been linked to deficiencies of vitamin B6 in the body.

B vitamins for an inability to concentrate and make decisions:

Depression has also been linked with anemia, and inability to concentrate, coupled with a feeling of tiredness, is consistent with a low red-blood cell count. Vitamin B12 can be used as a depression treatment because it helps in producing and maintaining red blood cells responsible in oxygen transportation in body, controlling mood swings.

B vitamins for feelings of fearfulness and anxiety:

Studies have shown that low levels of folic acid, or vitamin B9, can cause depression. Folic acid makes an effective depression treatment because it clears stress hormones from the liver, reducing feelings of anxiety.

B vitamins for mood swings:

A double-blind study conducted on women showed that vitamin B6 treatment for depression can bring emotional stability and hormonal balance. Supplements of vitamin B6 can help women get rid of their post menopause anxiety and depression. Folic acid is also important for the proper functioning of the brain and the maintenance of emotional stability.

DHEA

DHEA, (Dehydroepiandrosterone) is a hormone produced in the adrenal glands. It can also be manufactured by the gonads (ovaries for women; testes for men) when the adrenal gland is under stress. DHEA regulates the thyroid and pituitary glands besides exerting a powerful impact on the entire body by keeping up the physical and mental balance of the body.

Usually the level of DHEA hormone is at peak at the age of 25, after that, it starts decreasing at the rate of about 2% per year. Generally by the age of 40 its secretion declines considerably and you the effects of lower DHEA may be felt. DHEA hormone also declines rapidly when the body is suffering from disease. More importantly, if the body is put under stress for long periods of time then DHEA production can drop considerably - leading to fatigue, lowered energy levels, and anxiety depression. It is this connection between DHEA deficiency and anxiety depression that has led people to believe that DHEA can be an effective active anti depression treatment. Research done into DHEA appears to confirm this...