Depression Hits Blacks Harder Than Whites
By Lac Tran
Black Americans are more likely than whites to suffer severe, untreated and disabling depression, U.S. research shows.
As reported elsewhere, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed data on 6,082 people who took part in a national survey conducted between 2001 and 2003.
They found that 17.9 percent of white Americans had depression at some point in their lives, compared with 10.4 percent of blacks of African descent and 12.9 percent of blacks of West Indian or Caribbean descent.
In addition, relative to whites, both black groups were more likely to rate their major depressive disorder as severe or very severe and more disabling, the researchers reported in the March issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry. It also appears that most Caribbean blacks diagnosed with depression do not receive adequate treatment.
So what can be done? If people aren't receiving the right medication for their depression, then taking natural vitamin supplements can help in both the prevention and treatment of depression.
Supplements Useful in Depression Treatment:
Vitamin D
Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, is found in food, but also can be made in the body with the help of sunlight. The liver and kidney help convert Vitamin D into its active hormone form, calcitrol. The main function of Vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus, and maintain strong bones. However, it can also play an important role in treating depression.
Supplementation of Vitamin D has been found to help patients suffering from depression and improve their condition.
B Vitamins
Any natural depression treatment must be able to target each one of the symptoms of depression and reduce them in the patient. This is where B vitamins come in, as their wide-ranging properties can effectively deal with all signs of depression.
B vitamins for feelings of sadness and dejection:
Pyridoxine, or vitamin B6, is an essential component in the production of SAM-e, a “feel-good” neurotransmitter that can significantly improve a person’s mood. Depression has been linked to deficiencies of vitamin B6 in the body.
B vitamins for an inability to concentrate and make decisions:
Depression has also been linked with anemia, and inability to concentrate, coupled with a feeling of tiredness, is consistent with a low

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