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winter blues supplements for sad treatment remedies for SAD 5HTP & SAD

How to beat the Winter blues? With feel-good chemical serotonin

Published Oct 25, 2022 | Updated Jun 17, 2025
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Key points

  • SAD is diagnosable, while winter blues are common during cold months
  • Serotonin levels drop in winter, affecting mood and energy levels
  • 5-HTP is a natural way to increase serotonin levels all year round

As the days grow shorter and the evenings draw in, these seasonal changes can impact more than just the environment—they can also affect your well-being. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects 5% of the population[1 Trusted Source 2016 - Psychology Research and Behavior Management Research evaluation Seasonal affective disorder, winter type: current insights and treatment options . There are ways to lift your mood even on the gloomiest of days. Simple lifestyle changes in your diet can make a big difference. This article explores what SAD is and ways to brighten your outlook during the winter.

How is SAD different from the winter blues?

A full-blown seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is far more serious and rarer than the winter blues, as it’s a clinically diagnosable condition. It’s actually considered a subtype of clinical depression specifically tied to seasonal changes in light and darkness[2 Trusted Source 2023 - NHS 3rd-party source Do you have the winter blues? . Compared to SAD, the winter blues usually affects about 10% of the population[1 Trusted Source 2016 - Psychology Research and Behavior Management Research evaluation Seasonal affective disorder, winter type: current insights and treatment options . When does SAD start? People can experience SAD in summer or winter, as the changes in the environment disrupt their internal body clock, known as the circadian rhythm. Compared to the winter blues, SAD is a more chronic condition that usually strikes year after year, and requires light therapy or other treatments like antidepressants to help you get through it[3 Trusted Source 2013 - NIH News in Health 3rd-party source Beat the Winter Blues: Shedding Light on Seasonal Sadness . With SAD, more frequent and severe symptoms make it challenging to function as you typically do on a day-to-day basis. Talking to your GP can help you get a diagnosis and additional treatment. Let’s have a look at how SAD affects your brain.

SAD and your brain chemicals

Your mood and mental state are a result of your brain’s chemical activity. The amount of light that enters your eyes, which is decreased in winter, influences two important brain chemicals, your feel-good chemical serotonin and your sleep chemical melatonin. Their balance plays a major role in the way you feel during the winter blues or an SAD episode. Melatonin responds to darkness and affects your internal body clock[4 Trusted Source 2015 - Depression Research and Treatment Systematic and meta-analysis Seasonal Affective Disorder: An Overview of Assessment and Treatment Approaches . Its production increases during the winter months, leading to low energy and sleepiness, while serotonin plays a more significant role in regulating your mood.

How do you know if you have winter blues?

Everyone can feel a little sadness as they kiss goodbye to the summer months. The winter blues mean you’re feeling sad and experiencing the seasonal funk during late fall and winter. This might come as a surprise, however, winter blues are fairly common[3 Trusted Source 2013 - NIH News in Health 3rd-party source Beat the Winter Blues: Shedding Light on Seasonal Sadness . The symptoms are mild and allow you to function and still enjoy life, just with a tendency to "pull back a little bit" socially compared to other times of the year.

How long do winter blues last?

The winter blues tend to clear up in a fairly short amount of time on their own, especially if they’re linked to stressors like the festivities during the holiday season. The symptoms get better as soon as the days start to get warmer and longer. So, how do you beat the winter blues? If you’re looking for a natural mood and sleep boost, let’s explore the science behind the winter blues and SAD. 

What is the link between SAD & diet?

There’s a link between depression and serotonin, your feel-good brain chemical, which is intimately involved in regulating your mood. Tryptophan is serotonin’s building block and a nutrient found in protein-rich foods. Upon intake, tryptophan enters the brain and is converted to 5-htp, which is then converted to serotonin (5-HT). 18 SAD patients entered a study that assessed the effect of tryptophan on SAD symptoms[5 Trusted Source 1999 - Psychiatry Research Human study Behavioral effects of tryptophan depletion in seasonal affective disorder associated with the serotonin transporter gene? . Participants provided with tryptophan-free drinks reported depressive symptoms, reinforcing serotonin’s central involvement in SAD[5 Trusted Source 1999 - Psychiatry Research Human study Behavioral effects of tryptophan depletion in seasonal affective disorder associated with the serotonin transporter gene? . Even though this study shows promising results, antidepressants, talking therapy and light therapy are currently the only recognised treatments.

How can you support your feel-good chemical serotonin?

5-htp, the building block of serotonin, is available in supplemental form as a safe way of increasing serotonin naturally. 5-htp can freely enter the brain and is directly converted to serotonin. 5-htp has been researched in mood disorders, with promising results. A review of 13 studies suggested that those supplemented with 5-htp reported improvement in mood and lowered depression scores[6 Trusted Source 2020 - Nutrition Reviews Systematic and meta-analysis Effects of 5-hydroxytryptophan on distinct types of depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis . Compared to an antidepressant, 2 weeks of supplementation with 5-htp was hypothesised to offer equivalent benefits in managing depression[7 Trusted Source 2013 - Asian Journal of Psychiatry Human study Comparative study of efficacy of l-5-hydroxytryptophan and fluoxetine in patients presenting with first depressive episode . These findings are promising; however, 5-htp has yet to be recognised as an authorised treatment for any kind of mood disorder or as a supplement for SAD by the NHS. 
If you’re looking to increase your serotonin levels in the brain, brain feed’s 100 mg 5-htp is extracted and isolated from Ghanian Griffonia simplicifolia seeds. 98% of the tablet is comprised of 5-htp, making it the smallest, nutrient-dense tablet available and no unnecessary bulking agents.


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Is Vitamin D good for seasonal depression?

Some people swear by vitamin D for seasonal depression. Wondering if that’s a good choice? Studies have suggested that vitamin D plays an important role in regulating your feel-good chemical serotonin production in the brain[8 Trusted Source 2015 - The FASEB Journal Research evaluation Vitamin D and the omega‐3 fatty acids control serotonin synthesis and action, part 2: relevance for ADHD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and impulsive behavior ,[9 Trusted Source 2014 - The FASEB Journal Research evaluation Comparative study of efficacy of l-5-hydroxytryptophan and fluoxetine in patients presenting with first depressive episode ,[10 Trusted Source 2021 - Sleep Medicine Reviews Research evaluation Effects of vitamin D on mood and sleep in the healthy population: Interpretations from the serotonergic pathway ,[11 Trusted Source 2020 - Journal of Affective Disorders Human study Effects of vitamin D supplementation on depression and some involved neurotransmitters . It helps convert serotonin’s building block, tryptophan, into your feel-good chemical quicker by boosting the power of a compound, responsible for the chemical reaction that produces serotonin[8 Trusted Source 2015 - The FASEB Journal Research evaluation Vitamin D and the omega‐3 fatty acids control serotonin synthesis and action, part 2: relevance for ADHD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and impulsive behavior ,[12 Trusted Source 2018 - The FASEB Journal Animal study Vitamin D Stimulates Serotonin Production via Induction of the Tryptophan Hydroxylase 2 Isoform in B14 Rat Medullary Neurons . Sufficient vitamin D and tryptophan intake are essential to maintain optimal serotonin production. In the general population, vitamin D levels are at their lowest in winter[13 Trusted Source 2018 - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Research evaluation Is Sunlight Exposure Enough to Avoid Wintertime Vitamin D Deficiency in United Kingdom Population Groups? . Even though supplementing with vitamin D and maintaining healthy levels during the colder months supports your serotonin levels, it’s far from a SAD treatment.

What is the best treatment for seasonal affective disorder?

Current treatments available for seasonal affective disorder (SAD), according to the NHS, include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), antidepressants and light therapy[14 Trusted Source 2022 - NHS 3rd-party source Overview - Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) . Consult with a GP if you think you’re experiencing SAD. They will recommend the most suitable treatment for you, based on the nature and severity of your symptoms. What can help with SAD? To get the best results, you might need a combination of treatments. NHS advises that you can also improve your symptoms by exercising, eating a balanced diet, managing stress, and sitting in the light when indoors or getting as much sunlight as possible. All these activities support the release of your feel-good chemical serotonin in your brain. Since serotonin levels vary between seasons, being higher in summer compared to winter, sunlight is definitely one of the factors that keeps serotonin levels high[4 Trusted Source 2015 - Depression Research and Treatment Systematic and meta-analysis Seasonal Affective Disorder: An Overview of Assessment and Treatment Approaches ]. It’s great if you can tick off exercising and getting enough sunlight by working out outside. If the weather is playing tricks with you, however, try SAD light therapy, an effective SAD symptom relief.


Learn more about SAD disorder and different ways of coping with it. 

 

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