Is it possible to reduce symptoms of depression without antidepressants? The simple answer is yes. You don’t need pills to reduce depressive symptoms or even to recover from depression. By making a few lifestyle changes at home, your symptoms may decrease significantly or disappear altogether. This opinion piece introduces five different treatments for depression – and none of them includes antidepressant medication.

The antidepressant diet
Randomised, controlled clinical trials have consistently shown how food impacts mood. In 2017, the HELIUS study with 4,969 participants demonstrated that those who ate a lot of red meat, added sugars and high-fat dairy products experienced more depressive symptoms. This means that a meal at our nearest fast food restaurant is not as cheap and convenient as it seems – we eventually pay for it with our mental health.