There are many alternatives to drugs for treating depression, including nutritional interventions, light therapy, exercise and more. If you’re in a place where you feel you can begin to make positive changes, here are some of the top alternative treatments for depression to consider:
- Exercise. Those who didn’t exercise were 44 percent more likely to become depressed compared to those who did so for at least one to two hours a week. Exercise primarily works by helping to normalize your insulin levels while simultaneously boosting "feel good" hormones in your brain. Researchers have also discovered that exercise allows your body to eliminate kynurenine, a harmful protein associated with depression.
