If you're looking for all natural depression medication options, you may be wondering if vitamins for depression can be as effective as prescription medications. Actually, research has shown that for some people, nutritional supplements may be very effective at addressing the most common symptoms of depression. In fact, there are many natural health care providers that rely on this approach.

Without getting into a debate on this subject, suffice to say that nutritional supplementation is not the accepted, mainstream method of treatment in the US. In the European Union and some other countries, all natural depression medication like SAM-e and herbs like passionflower are regularly prescribed for depressive disorders.

If you're experiencing depression and have not found relief by using prescription anti-depressants, there are natural options available. It's now known that nutritional deficiencies are many times at least part of the cause of both physical as well as mental and emotional symptoms. This is why simple diet changes along with vitamins and nutrients can often provide depression relief.

Research has shown these vitamins and supplements for depression to be the most effective at this time;

* SAM-e-a nutrient present in every cell of the body, production is sometimes inefficient. In addition to providing relief from depression, it supports methylation, throughout the body. Inefficient methylation is a cause of cellular aging.

* Omega-3 fatty acids-a type of fat that is lacking in many people's diets, because dietary sources are limited. Oily fish are the primary sources. Some researchers feel that a lack of omega-3s is the underlying cause of the increased incidence of depressive disorders seen in industrialized societies. Low blood levels of an omega-3 called DHA are associated with major depressive disorders, including suicide.

* 5 HTP - Produced from the seeds of the African plant griffonia simplicifolia, 5 HTP is used for sleep disorders, depression, anxiety, migraine and tension-type headaches. Taking 5-HTP seems to significantly improve symptoms of depression, even in patients with treatment-resistant symptoms. Also, evidence suggests that 5-HTP might be comparable in effect to some conventional antidepressants.

* B-complex-especially beneficial for recovering alcoholics. Assimilation of the B-vitamins from food decreases with age and is interfered with by excessive alcohol consumption.

It's important to keep in mind that there is some variability in the quality of depression supplements. For best results, look for a manufacturer who provides information on their methods of production. Some nutrients like SAMe must used and packaged properly for the active ingredient to remain effective.

An enteric coating is often used by the companies which produce the highest quality supplements. The enteric coating protects the fragile nutrients from being destroyed by stomach acids, and ensures that they are released in the small intestine where they will be better absorbed.

With natural depression treatment, nutritional intake is important. After making healthy diet changes, vitamins for depression can help to provide additional "insurance" to make up for any gaps in dietary nutrients.