In Rebuild from Depression: A Nutrient Guide, Including Depression in Pregnancy and Postpartum, Amanda Rose, Ph.D. and Annell Adams, M.D. identify the seven nutrients most commonly associated with depression in the medical literature, including Omega 3 in fish oil, B vitamins, vitamin D, iron, magnesium, and zinc. They provide readers with tools to: (1) Identify a nutrient deficiency, (2) Locate the best supplements / vitamins for depression, and (3) Select and prepare foods to maximize those nutrients in their diets.
The depression book opens with Rose's biography of depression and psychosis. She makes a compelling claim: My grandmother died at the age of sixty-one from complications of postpartum depression. Rose argues that her grandmother showed signs of nutrient deficiencies in her twenties, did not correct them, and suffered a life of depression, diabetes, and heart disease, all of which share a common nutrient deficiency: Omega 3 fatty acids.
The book describes the research basis for the nutrient-depression link, highlighting the nutrients with the strongest basis in research. With seven specific nutrients in mind, the authors review each of the food groups, recommending how to improve one's diet for the long-term. Which meats are highest in Omega 3 fatty acids? How do you select oils to improve your Omega 3 status? Should you trim your steak?
In a unique contribution published depression books, the authors present "depression buster foods": those foods for depression, highest in the seven focus nutrients. The Rebuild book is the only depression book of its kind to identify criteria for depression-fighting foods and apply those criteria systematically to the USDA's database of over 5,000 foods.
