Depression treatment in men by increasing BDNF and testosterone
Increasing BDNF against depression is an effective means of recovery in men. In order to increase BDNF we need to increase serotonin as increased serotonin increases BDNF. Increasing testosterone can also help in some cases if low testosterone is (partly) the cause.
Read here why BDNF plays a role in depression
BDNF and testosterone
If you, as a man, think you produce enough testosterone, you could only focus on BDNF. We recommend that you do not read this article but the article about BDNF.
Read here more about BDNF
Nutrition for more BDNF, serotonin and testosterone
All anti-inflammatory foods and nutrients help to increase serotonin and BDNF. All antioxidants, polyphenols and omega 3 therefore increase BDNF. The building blocks of serotonin must of course also be included in the diet. Stress lowers testosterone. With low stress you have higher testosterone. If we can reduce metabolic stress by eating healthy, this also has a beneficial effect. Concentrate on good fats, slow carbohydrates and a high protein intake with a correct amino acid profile.
More information about the right proteins and amino acids
Complex carbohydrates: Complex carbohydrates are slowly digestible and ensure stable blood sugar levels, which means less insulin is needed. This prevents insulin insensitivity and thus various inflammatory reactions in the body. Most sources of complex carbohydrates also contain many antioxidants and dietary fiber. It is advisable to consume vegetables for half of all food, with 2 pieces of fruit per day and a little oats. A handful of nuts per day can also have a positive effect on serotonin production.
Omega-3: Omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA play an important role around the serotonin receptor. For example, EPA is an important anti-inflammatory agent and DHA makes the cell membrane of the 5HT receptor more sensitive to serotonin. DHA and EPA rich foods are fish, crustaceans and shellfish. Algae and krill also contain a lot of EPA and DHA and the human body can also make them from the Omega 3 fatty acid ALA, which is often found in linseed oil and walnuts (oil).
Omega-6: Where we consume omega 6 in abundance and we actually have to limit our intake, GLA (gammalinolenic acid), an omega 6 fatty acid, can help us against inflammation. The body can only produce this rare omega-6 fatty acid to a limited extent. Supplementation can be done with Borage oil (Borogo Officinales), Middle evening primrose oil (Oenothera Biennis) or Black currant seed oil (Ribis Nigrem).
Polyphenols and antioxidants: Antioxidants and polyphenols in particular work very well against the oxidation of body molecules because they can absorb free radicals such as free oxygen. This prevents the body from inflammation due to oxidation (such as iron can rust). Almost all natural plant foods are full of polyphenols and antioxidants. The better a food protects against free radicals, the higher the ORAC value, which stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity.
View a list of here ORAC values
Tryptophan-rich diet: Tryptophan is the precursor of 5-HTP and serotonin and must therefore be obtained through food. Foods high in tryptophan include oatmeal, nuts, seeds, spirulina, cocoa (pure), sesame seeds, chickpeas, spinach, sunflower seeds, parsley, asparagus, mushrooms, broccoli, beans, nuts, seeds, soy beans and turkey.
Vitamin B: Vitamin B3, B6 and B12 are additives in the formation of serotonin. Food that can provide the B vitamins is (grass-fed) meat, fish, (acidified) dairy, whole grains, vegetables, fruit, potatoes, legumes, eggs, and (cashew) nuts. A vegan should supplement with B12 because B12 only occurs in animal foods.
Minerals: Minerals such as zinc, iron and magnesium play an important role in many biochemical processes in the body, including the formation of serotonin. Eat as much vegetables as possible and if you cook vegetables, cook them for as short a time as possible. Combine with as many vegetables as you can eat. Vary with nuts such as cashews, pistachios, walnuts and pecans. Cocoa is very rich in minerals in its pure, unprocessed form. Whole grains such as brown rice and oats (malt) are also good sources of minerals.
MAO inhibiting foods: MAO is an enzyme that breaks down serotonin, among other things. This is a natural process that should take place. However, with certain foods the MAO effect can be slowed down in a healthy way and in moderation so that serotonin is broken down less quickly. Seaweed, turmeric, passion flower and rhodiola are mild MAO inhibitors.
We also wrote earlier about an anti-depression diet. This diet is also suitable for increasing testosterone due to its anti-inflammatory function.
Read more about it here anti-depression diet
Increase testosterone to suppress stress and depression
Stress lowers testosterone, whether it is mental or physical stress does not matter to the body. High testosterone, on the other hand, lowers cortisol (the stress hormone), because it works both ways. Men with more testosterone feel more masculine and calmer and build more muscle mass while retaining less fat. In short, a healthy male body has enough testosterone. The same principle also applies to women. However, women have about 10 times less testosterone naturally, which means that stress and burnouts occur more often in women.
Quick fix to get rid of stress
Pulling off a super-fast sprint and then calming down again is a sign to the body that a life-threatening situation has been escaped and that the stress level can be reduced again, because there is no longer a real threat. You can use this trick if you experience a lot of tension due to anxiety. It lowers cortisol and therefore stress.
Training and testosterone
If there is not yet complete adrenal exhaustion, you can train carefully. Proper strength and/or endurance training can reduce stress and increase testosterone. The highest increases can be expected with strength training where you acidify while you can perform between 8-12 repetitions. Endurance sports are less effective and long cardio sessions lower testosterone levels because they promote stress (cortisol). Interval training with an inverted pyramid system, where the longest sprint and longest rest comes first, works very well. Make sure that interval training does not last longer than fifteen minutes in total.
Posture and testosterone
Men with more testosterone often walk slower, are more physically present and act taller. This also works the other way around. Men who act big and do so for long periods of time increase their testosterone levels significantly. They grow into alpha males. Act big, stretch completely or stand in a v-pose for 2 minutes. Football players who score automatically make themselves bigger, this is a natural reaction and gives more testosterone.
Social dominance for more testosterone
Thinking about dominance in any situation gives the body a reason to become more alpha in order to really be able to handle the situation. For example, as a man or woman, be more of the alpha in bed. It doesn't have to mean that you are alpha in the gym, but there is certainly something you can be alpha in or imagine that you are alpha in.
Phytotherapy and higher testosterone
The herbs below are mainly used to restore an imbalance in hormones and in older men who already have lower testosterone levels. In already healthy people with normal hormone levels, these herbs can only slightly increase testosterone levels. We should pay special attention to astragalus because it increases the production of testosterone and the number of testosterone-producing Leydig cells in the testes.
- Astragalus membranaceus – Fleshy cockle pod
- Cyperus esculentus tubers – Tuberous cyperus or Tigernuts (not from Duyvis)
- Dioscorea villosa – Wild yam
- Eurycoma longifolia – Tongkat ali
- Epimedium – Horny goat weed or Elfenbloem
- Gingko biloba – Japanese nut tree
- Lepidium peruvianum – Maca
- Nigella sativa – Black cumin or Black seed oil
- Pedalium murex
- Pfaffia Paniculata – Suma or Brazilian ginseng
- Phaleria macrocarpa – Gods' Crown (tropical tree fruit)
- Pleurotus eryngii – Cross thistle oyster mushroom
- Rhododendron ponticum honey – Mad honey
- Rhodeola rosea – Rose root
- Serenoa repens – Saw palmetto
- Smilax officinales – True sarsaparilla
- Tribulus Terrestis
- Trigonella foenem araceum – Fenugreek
- Withania somnifera – Ashwagandha
Some additional tips
Another list of random facts that can help boost testosterone levels
Lowering testosterone and increasing cortisol:
- Peppermint
- 10 cups of green tea
- Ibuprofen
- Bad sleeping
- Too many orgasms
- Overweight
- Higher blood sugar levels
- Cannabis
- Lose weight quickly
- Training (too) intensively
- Coke
- Marathon
- Air pollution
- Alcohol
- Ecstasy
- Aging (without training)
- Dioxins
- Sitting for a long time
Increasing testosterone and decreasing cortisol:
- Cryotherapy
- Fertilized eggs
- Taurine
- Dill
- Parsley
- Onions
- Black Korean raspberry
- Royal Jelly
- Slowly reduce fat percentage
- Magnesium
- Sex (orgasm in moderation)
- Cold shower
- Low-carb food
- Vitamin B5, C, D and K2
- Shajit (clay)
- Cruciferous (broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts, etc.)
- Olive oil
- Coconut oil
- Probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri BM36301
- Lactic acid
- A little clove
- View beautiful women/men
- Lower blood pressure
- Do your own thing
- Healthy living
Psychedelic therapy, EMDR, meditation or hypnotherapy
The most powerful remedy for stress by reducing anxiety is psychedelic therapy. If you find psychedelic therapy too intense, you can first try deep meditation, EMDR or hypnotherapy. These forms of therapy work in a similar way to psychedelic therapy. If you are ready for psychedelic therapy, we are happy to help you.
Our protocol for trip therapy
We do more than just supervise a psychedelic ceremony. As you can read in this article, we tackle the entire body to combat depression. We believe that a healthy body provides a healthy basis for being psychologically healthy. We do everything we can to address all facets of life and that is why we also advise our customers on nutrition, exercise and supplements. The complete approach for body and mind ensures the best results. Typically, we use a schedule that looks like this with most clients:
- Report, neurotransmitter test and intake
- Advice about nutrition, exercise and supplements based on point 1
- Review a period of 2-3 weeks of progress from point 2
- An individual psychedelic ceremony (Unless a group has additional use or preference)
- Discussion of the truffle ceremony on the same day
- After about 1-2 weeks there will be another discussion
Extras during ceremony
Our psychedelic therapy through a truffle ceremony includes the following extras to make the experience even better:
- Individual guidance truffle ceremony
- Aromatherapy (during trip)
- Color therapy (during trip)
- Musical support
Contact details
Would you like to know more about what we do and who we are? You can ask us any questions you may have. This can be done via the options below. Choose a medium that you feel comfortable with.
Public questions via forum: click here
Telephone and WhatsApp: +31640898455
E-mail: info@triptherapie.nl
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