Condition
Functional Medicine for Depression and Low Mood
Low mood is rarely caused by one thing. Thyroid function, nutrient status, inflammation, blood sugar, sleep and gut health all influence how you feel, and any of them can make recovery harder. At Mosaic Medical, our functional medicine doctors work with patients across the UK to look for physical contributors to low mood, alongside the care you receive from your GP or mental health team rather than in place of it.
If you are in crisis or worried about your safety, please contact your GP, call NHS 111, or call Samaritans free on 116 123 at any time. In an emergency, call 999.
When Low Mood Has a Physical Contributor
Depression is a condition with many causes, and talking therapy and medication help a great many people. Some people, though, have an underlying physical issue that is making things harder and has never been looked for.
It is worth investigating when:
- Low mood arrived alongside fatigue, weight change, hair loss or feeling cold
- Symptoms began after an infection, pregnancy, surgery or a period of prolonged stress
- Energy and mood swing with meals, or dip sharply in the afternoon
- There are digestive symptoms in the picture as well
- Treatment has helped only partially, despite doing everything asked of you
What We Investigate
Your first appointment is a 90-minute consultation, and your doctor reviews your history beforehand. Depending on your picture, we may look at:
- Thyroid function, including antibodies, as low mood is a common feature of thyroid conditions
- Nutrient status, including B12, folate, vitamin D, iron and magnesium. Our page on B12 deficiency explains why standard tests can miss a functional shortfall
- Blood sugar regulation and insulin resistance, which affect energy and mood stability
- Inflammation and immune activation, including any autoimmune activity
- Gut health and the gut-brain axis, including microbiome imbalance and food sensitivities
- Hormonal changes, including perimenopause, postnatal changes and male hormone health
- Stress physiology and sleep, including HPA axis dysfunction and circadian disruption
- Chronic fatigue and post-viral illness, where mood and energy are affected together, as covered on our fatigue page
Our Approach
- We take a full history, including your mood, energy, sleep, diet, medications and life circumstances
- We test where results will change your plan, rather than testing for its own sake
- We treat what we find, which may include nutrient repletion, thyroid optimisation, blood sugar and gut support, and structured lifestyle change
- We support sleep, movement, light exposure and nutrition as part of the plan, not as an afterthought
- We work with our registered nutritional therapist where nutrition is central
- We stay in contact with your GP, and we never advise stopping or changing prescribed medication on your own
We are careful not to overpromise. Where the picture is primarily psychological, or where you need specialist mental health input, we will say so and help you get to the right place.
What we are not
- We are not a crisis service, and we do not provide urgent mental health care
- We do not replace psychiatry, psychological therapy or your GP
- We do not ask anyone to stop antidepressants. If you want to review your medication, that is a conversation to have with your prescriber, and we can support it
Online Appointments Across the UK
All consultations are held by secure video call, wherever you are in the UK.
- Your initial consultation lasts 90 minutes, with your history reviewed in advance
- Testing is arranged remotely, with home kits or a local blood draw
- Follow-up appointments are spaced around how you are responding
- You can read about the team on our Meet the Team page and see fees on our pricing page
FAQs About Low Mood and Functional Medicine
Can functional medicine treat depression?
We look for physical factors that may be contributing to how you feel, and we treat those. For many people that works best alongside conventional treatment such as therapy or medication, rather than instead of it.
Do I have to come off my antidepressants?
No. Many of our patients continue their medication. Any change is a decision for you and your prescriber, and we will not ask you to stop.
What tests might I need?
It depends on your symptoms. Thyroid function, B12 and folate, vitamin D, iron studies, inflammatory markers and blood sugar are common starting points, with gut testing where digestive symptoms are present.
Will you talk to my GP or therapist?
Yes, with your consent. Joined-up care produces better results, particularly where medication is involved.
Do you offer remote consultations?
Yes. We work virtually with patients throughout the UK.
Ready to Look at the Whole Picture?
Book a free discovery call with one of our doctors to talk through your symptoms and decide whether our approach would help alongside the support you already have.