Less Stressed Life: Helping You Heal Yourself #431 Hope for Depression (and Alzheimer's and Addiction) with Dr. James Greenblatt, MD
Dec 10, 2025
Dr. James M. Greenblatt, a board-certified psychiatrist and founder of Psychiatry Redefined, discusses innovative approaches to depression. He emphasizes the often-overlooked role of nutrition, revealing how amino acids and specific nutrient deficiencies like zinc and vitamin D can dramatically affect mood. Greenblatt critiques conventional lab ranges, highlights the risks of very low cholesterol, and showcases new research on nutritional lithium for brain health. He advocates for a whole-body approach to mental well-being, offering hope for those struggling with depression and addiction.
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Depression As A WholeâBody Problem
- Depression is a growing global disability driven by many environmental and biological factors.
- A functional psychiatry model looks for objective underlying causes instead of just prescribing antidepressants.
Start With Amino Acid Testing
- Test fasting plasma amino acids to assess protein digestion and neurotransmitter precursors.
- Use freeâform essential amino acid powder twice daily and add isolated precursors when needed.
A Mistaken Test Changed Practice
- In 1994 James Greenblatt accidentally ordered an amino acid profile and found fasting levels reflected digestion, not recent meals.
- That discovery led him to routinely test amino acids and treat low absorption with enzymes and freeâform amino acids.
