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 since increased serotonin leads to higher BDNF. Increasing testosterone can also help in some cases if low testosterone is the (co-)cause.

Read here why BDNF plays a role in depression

BDNF and testosterone

If you, as a man, think you are producing 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 anti-oxidants, polyphenols and omega 3 are therefore BDNF-increasing. The building blocks of serotonin must of course also be in the diet. Stress lowers testosterone. So with low stress you have higher testosterone. If we can lower metabolic stress by eating healthy, this will also have 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 digested and ensure a stable blood sugar level, so that less insulin is needed. This prevents insulin insensitivity and thus various inflammatory reactions in the body. Most sources of complex carbohydrates also contain a lot of antioxidants and dietary fiber. It is advisable to take vegetables for half of all food with 2 pieces of fruit a day and a little oats. A handful of nuts a 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 and DHA makes the cell membrane of the 5HT receptor more sensitive to serotonin. DHA and EPA rich food is 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 common in linseed oil and walnuts (oil).

Omega-6: Where we get omega 6 in abundance and we actually have to limit the intake, GLA (gamma linolenic acid), an omega 6 fatty acid, can help us against inflammation. This rare omega-6 fatty acid can be produced in a limited way by the body. 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 especially the polyphenols work very well against the oxidation of body molecules because they can absorb free radicals such as free oxygen. With this, the body prevents inflammation through oxidation (such as iron can rust). Almost all natural plant foods are full of polyphenols and antioxidants. The more free radicals a food has, the higher its ORAC value, which stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity.

View a list of them here ORAC values

Tryptophan-rich foods: Tryptophan is the precursor of 5-HTP and serotonin and must therefore be supplied 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, soybeans and turkey.

Vitamin B: Vitamin B3, B6 and B12 are auxiliary substances 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 B12 because B12 is only found 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 as briefly as possible. Combine with as many vegetables as you can get in. 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 (meal) are also good sources of minerals.

MAO Inhibiting Nutrition: 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 inhibited 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 about an anti-depression diet before. 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 quell stress and depression

Stress lowers testosterone, whether it's mental or physical stress, the body doesn't care. 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 a super-fast sprint and then relaxing again is a sign to the body that it has escaped a life-threatening situation and that the stress level can go down again, because there is no real threat anymore. You can use this trick if you experience a lot of tension due to fear. 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 in strength training where you acidify while you can just make between 8-12 repetitions. Endurance sports are less effective and prolonged cardio sessions lower testosterone levels because they increase stress (cortisol). An interval training with an inverted pyramid system, where the longest sprint and longest rest comes first, works very well. Make sure that interval training sessions do not last longer than fifteen minutes in total.

Body 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 it for a longer period of time significantly increase their testosterone levels. They grow into alpha males. Act big, stretch all the way or get into a v-pose for 2 minutes. Football players who score automatically become big, this is a natural reaction and gives more testosterone.

Social dominance for more testosterone

Thinking of superiority in any situation gives the body a reason to also become more alpha in order to actually handle the situation. As a man or woman, for example, be the alpha in bed. It doesn't have to mean you're alpha in the gym, but there's bound to be something you can be alpha at or think you're alpha at.

Phytotherapy and higher testosterone

The herbs below are mainly used to correct an imbalance in hormones and in older men who already have lower testosterone levels. In already healthy individuals with normal hormone levels, these herbs can only slightly increase testosterone levels. Astragalus should be given separate attention because it increases the production of testosterone and the number of testosterone-producing Leydig cells in the testes.

• Astragalus membranaceus – Fleshy hock pod
• Cyperus esculentus tubers – Cyperus tubers or Tiger nuts (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 – pleurotus eryngii 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:

• Mint
• 10 cups of green tea
• Ibuprofen
• Bad sleeping
• Too many orgasms
• Overweight
• Higher blood sugar
• Cannabis
• Lose weight quickly
• Exercising (too) intensively
• Coke
• Marathon
• Air pollution
• Alcohol
• Ecstasy
• Aging (without training)
• Dioxins
• Sitting for a long time

Increasing testosterone and lowering cortisol:

• Cryotherapy
• Fertilized eggs
• Taurine
• Dill
• Parsley
• Onions
• Black Korean raspberry
• royal jelly
• Slowly lower fat percentage
• Magnesium
• Sex (orgasm in moderation)
• Cold shower
• Eating low carbohydrate
• Vitamin B5, C, D and K2
• Shajit (clay)
• Cruciferous (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, etc.)
• Olive oil
• coconut oil
• Probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri BM36301
• Lactic acid
• 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 in trip therapy

We do more than just guiding a psychedelic ceremony. As you can read in this article, we address the whole body to combat depression. We believe that a healthy body provides a healthy basis to be mentally healthy as well. We therefore do everything we can to address all facets of existence and that is why we also advise our customers on basic nutrition, exercise and supplements. The whole approach for body and mind ensures the best results. Typically, we operate a schedule with most clients that looks like this:

1. Report, neurotransmitter test and intake
2. Advice on nutrition, exercise and supplements based on point 1
3. Watch a 2-3 week progression from point 2
4. An individual psychedelic ceremony (Unless a group has additional utility or preference)
5. Debriefing of the truffle ceremony on the same day
6. After about 1-2 weeks another debriefing

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 the ears of the head. This can be done via the options below. Choose a medium that you feel comfortable with.

Public questions via forum: click here
Phone and Whatsapp: +31640898455
E-mail: info@triptherapie.nl
Contact Form: click here
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