winter depression/seasonal affective disorder plague many people, myself and several family members included
research lead me to a supplement, *5-HTP*, that has been shown in clinical trials to be as effective as SSRIs in ameliorating mild to moderate depressive conditions... it is a precursor to serotonin, a neurotransmitter ...... speaking strictly anecdotally, 5-HTP has been incredibly beneficial to me as well as my 2 older children who suffer depressive moods as a baseline....
below are a few cited extracts with further information for your consideration
Therapeutic Applications: L-5-Hydroxytryptophan is reported to be of greatest benefit in psychiatric and neurological disorders where there is a deficiency of neurol serotonin. L-5-Hydroxytryptophan is also indicated for its uses in alleviating the symptoms of a number of common syndromes such as anxiety and depression. L-5-Hydroxytryptophan is also cited as a natural relaxant, to help alleviate insomnia by inducing normal sleep, for the treatment of migraine and headaches and to aid in the control of cravings such as in eating disorders. L-5-Hydroxytryptophan is also thought to assist and strengthen the immune system and may help to reduce the risk of artery and heart spasms. L-5-Hydroxytryptophan has also been cited in the management of Parkinson disease (PD) and epilepsy. http://www.linnea-worldwide.com/products/l5hydro.asp
"5-HTP is well absorbed from an oral dose, with about 70 percent ending up in the bloodstream. It easily crosses the blood-brain barrier and effectively increases central nervous system (CNS) synthesis of serotonin. In the CNS, serotonin levels have been implicated in the regulation of sleep, depression, anxiety, aggression, appetite, temperature, sexual behavior, and pain sensation. Therapeutic administration of 5-HTP has been shown to be effective in treating a wide variety of conditions, including depression, fibromyalgia, insomnia, binge eating associated with obesity, chronic headaches, and insomnia."http://www.thorne.com/altmedrev/.fulltext/3/4/271.pdf