8 ways you can reduce the risk of depression

Depression is common mental illness that can severely reduce your quality of life. We'll go over 8 ways you can fight depression, from the dietary to the behavioral.

• Depression is often caused by something physical rather than by emotions.
• Researchers from the Institute for the Health of the Elderly in England examined the brains of 40 people who had died, half of whom had had at least one major episode of depression. They found significant hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, in the brains of those who had been depressed. If your doctor spots this early, medication and lifestyle changes can make a big difference.

• Sprinkle it over yogurt and salads, mix 1 tablespoon into pasta sauce, and blend it into smoothies.
• The seed of the flax plant is one of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids available in our diets, and many studies find that this valuable fat significantly reduces the risk of depression.

• Just as important as adding omega-3s to your diet is cutting back on omega-6 fatty acids, found in vegetable oils used to make everything from margarine to doughnuts to potato chips.
• One study found that people diagnosed with major depression had nearly 18 times as many omega-6s as omega-3s in their blood, compared with about 13 times as many for subjects who weren't depressed. The depressed patients also had much higher levels of inflammatory chemicals.

• A major Finnish study found that taking B supplements boosts the benefits of depression treatment. Other studies have found that depressed people have low levels of B12 and folate (another B vitamin), with B12-deficient older women having twice the risk of depression compared to those with normal B12 levels.
• B vitamins play a role in brain health and can reduce levels of homocysteine, a marker of inflammation that has been linked to depression.

• Filled with healthy monounsaturated fat, the avocados in this tasty snack are also great sources of folate.
• A Finnish study found that people with the highest amounts of folate in their diets had the lowest risk of depression.
• Other good sources include fortified breakfast cereals, beans, leafy green vegetables, and sunflower seeds.

• Depression is in large part about the shortage of certain natural feel-good chemicals and hormones in your brain. Interestingly, brain scans of people who practice yoga show a nearly 30 percent increase in levels of an important mood-related chemical called GABA after just one hour-long yoga session.

• You probably know that exercise can help prevent or treat mild depression. For years, though, researchers thought that you needed a high activity level for it to have any effect.
• Now a study from researchers at the University of Iowa has found that just 15 minutes at a brisk pace can help. The benefits include increased energy, less tiredness, more pleasurable feelings, and a greater feeling of calm.

• You need a daily dose of sunlight to keep seasonal affective disorder (SAD) at bay. This form of depression is related to a lack of ultraviolet light.
• If the weather is too awful for walking, read the newspaper sitting under a full-spectrum light, which you can buy at most large discount and department stores.

Use these pointers as your front line defense against depression. However, don't be afraid to speak with your doctor if depression strikes in spite of your best efforts. While these tips are all effective, there's other treatment available as well.