Zoloft, Prozac, Lexapro, Celexa are common words in our culture. It’s estimated that 12-15 percent of Americans take an antidepressant medication.

Depression affects a very large portion of our population. Even children are placed on anti-depressant medication at a very young age at an alarming rate.

I have many patients who are on antidepressants, and for many I have seen it help them. There is no shame in taking them, the medication is simply attempting to create blocks in our biochemistry. These blocks prevent the breakdown of certain brain chemicals to keep the brain in balance. Especially when dealing with dopamine and serotonin.

There are many causes of depression. The deepest would be trauma and emotional causes, which I see as the first thing anyone should address when healing depression. Let’s discuss the genes that can keep depression in an ongoing cycle.

Today we are going to keep it simple. There are 4 genetic markers of depression you can look for:

1. MAO-A (mono amine oxidase A)
   MAO-A is the enzyme that breaks down serotonin and dopamine.
2. MAO-B (mono amine oxidase B)
   MAO-B is the enzyme that breaks down dopamine primarily.
3. IDO (Indolamine-pyrrole 2,3-dioxygenase)
   IDO is an enzyme that can “high-jack” tryptophan when high amount of infections are present in the body. Tryptophan is needed to eventually produce serotonin.
4. MMAB (Methylmalonic Gene)
   MMAB enzyme is responsible for breaking down malonic acid, a by product of improper amino acid metabolism. It’s function is to form B12

Adenosylcobalamine – one of the primary B vitamins used in our mitochondria in the Kreb Cycle for energy. This pathway can create neurotoxins that produce depression and energy loss.