Rethinking Serotonin And Depression: What SSRIs Really Do & What May Work Better

Dec 22, 2025

Chris Masterjohn, a biochemist and nutrition scientist, dives deep into the complexities of serotonin and SSRIs. He challenges the notion that SSRIs are solely mood boosters, revealing their potential disruption of mitochondrial function. Masterjohn emphasizes the role of brain energy metabolism and argues that exercise and nutrition can outperform medication in treating depression. He also highlights the benefits of morning sunlight on serotonin levels and mitochondrial activity, suggesting new pathways for understanding and addressing mental health.

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ANECDOTE

Nutrient-Dense Diet Reversed Severe Anxiety

Chris Masterjohn described how switching from vegan to nutrient-dense animal foods dramatically resolved his severe anxiety and mental symptoms.
He framed that personal reversal as the impetus for studying nutrition and brain metabolism.

ADVICE

Fix Diet And Track Before Testing

Clean up your diet first and track it with an app like Cronometer before ordering tests or supplements.
If diet looks good but symptoms persist, then pursue targeted nutrient and genetic testing to find your limiting bottleneck.

ADVICE

Track Micronutrients, Not Diet Labels

Track micronutrients to reveal hidden deficiencies instead of relying on diet labels or assumptions about what 'healthy' means.
Use objective nutrient data to guide targeted supplementation or dietary changes when needed.

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Do SSRIs help your brain?

SSRI medications are among the most widely prescribed antidepressants, but what if we’ve misunderstood how they work? In this interview, Dr. Bret Scher sits down with biochemist and nutrition scientist Dr. Chris Masterjohn to explore a deeper, more systemic view of mental health and how we treat it.

Dr. Masterjohn reveals why serotonin isn’t just a “mood booster,” how SSRIs may be disrupting mitochondrial function, and why focusing on lifestyle strategies that support brain energy metabolism could unlock new paths for treating depression.

🔍 What you’ll learn:

Chris’s personal journey from veganism to carnivore
The importance of testing for nutrient deficiencies
How mitochondria influence mood and cognition
Why SSRIs may disrupt brain energy metabolism
The truth about serotonin and morning sunlight
Why exercise & nutrition often outperform medication
What SSRIs really do (and what they don’t)

If you've ever questioned the serotonin theory of depression, or sensed there’s more to the story than what mainstream medicine tells us, this conversation fills in some of the missing pieces.

🔎 Have questions about how to apply metabolic therapies effectively? Submit them at metabolicmind.org/questions to be featured in a future Metabolic Mailbag episode.

👉 Subscribe to Metabolic Mind for more interviews, research, and updates in the field of metabolic psychiatry.

Expert Featured:

Dr. Chris Masterjohn

Resources Mentioned:

Substack: Prozac is a Performance Enhancing Drug

https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/prozac-is-a-performance-enhancing

Mitome: Mitochondrial Analysis

https://www.mito.me/

Free CME Clinician Trainings:

Are you a clinician who would like to learn more about the science behind these therapies and how to implement them in practice? Earn CME with our growing library of courses from some of the top experts in the field including Dr. Chris Palmer, Dr. Georgia Ede, Dr. Matthew Bernstein and Dr. Bret Scher with more coming soon.

Our courses have been made FREE by grants from Baszucki Group, so we can spread these powerful therapies as widely as possible. Earn CME/CNE credits: https://www.metabolicmind.org/for-clinicians/trainings-courses/?utm_medium=organic-social&utm_source=youtube&utm_campaign=cme-yt

Follow our channel for more information and education from Bret Scher, MD, FACC, including interviews with leading experts in Metabolic Psychiatry.

Learn more about metabolic psychiatry and find helpful resources at https://metabolicmind.org/

About us:

Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.

Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.