Intro to Depression

Taken from Optimum Nutrition for the Mind by Patrick Holford

 “More people suffer from depression and schizophrenia than any other mental health problem.  1 in 20 people are diagnosed with depression.  1 in 100 are diagnosed with schizophrenia.”

Both are, for the most part, curable with the right nutrition plus psychotherapy.

  

This section of the book was full of hope for me and I am hopeful will be for my readers too!  My heart was racing as my eyes skimmed through the pages – I had heard whisperings for years, knew people first hand who had successfully fought these illnesses without drugs – but I had not held in my own hands the weight of research behind this idea - not in one spot - until now.  

In this post I talked a bit about how things like blood sugar and allergies are all linked to low mood.  If you suffer from depression and haven't already read this post, please follow the link and start there.

Depression is 10 times more common today than it was in the 50’s

Classic symptoms are:

• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
• Poor concentration
• Loss of energy and fatigue
• Thoughts of suicide or preoccupation with death
• Loss or increase of appetite and weight
• A disturbed sleeping pattern
• Slowing down – physically and mentally
• Agitation 

Four or more of the above symptoms? Read these posts!

There is no single cure.

BUT it's a good idea to keep neurotransmitters in balance – that is what the drugs aim to correct but have lots of nasty side effects.  Holford recommends 100-300 mg of the amino acid 5-HTP twice a day to boost serotonin levels. Tyrosine at 500-1000 mg 2 x daily helps those who feel a distinct lack of drive as well.

St.John’s Wort – gentle with minimal side effects, not addictive, enhances sleep and dreaming.  

Annual death rate of death by overdose on antidepressant drugs is 30.1 per 1 million prescriptions 

No one has ever died from an overdose of St.John’s Wort! (pg.243)

Other supplements that have been proven to help are:

• Omega 3 fats (and in order to turn omega 3's in to building materials for the brain....we need the B's - especially...)
• B12 Folic Acid,, B3 and B6 , which in turn further promote the brain's production of serotonin and other key neurotransmitters....We are fearfully and wonderfully made aren't we?
• Zinc
• Magnesium
• Manganese

Under-active Thyroid is a common link to depression as well- best way to find out is to do the basal temperature test - most accurate method!

Patrick Holford has a website www.foodforthebrain.org. I recommend this free questionnaire through his site- I took the questionnaire myself a while ago and it helps to narrow down your specific needs and things you can talk to your health practitioner about - like which blood tests would be good for you to take, what areas like allergies or blood sugar that you might want to direct your attention towards.

Looking for more research pertaining to depression and nutrition? some is listed  here

I am writing more - much more - this is a HUGE topic - coming soon - Atypical depression and Manic depression!

Addictions...

 (taken from chapter 32 of “The New Optimum Nutrition for the Mind, by Patrick Holford)

 I know I said I was going to do Manic Depression - still on it's way - this topic came up and was a bit more pressing for me so I hope you don't mind the diversion!

•         One in four people are addicted to SOMETHING – tea, coffee, sugar, nicotine, alcohol, tranquilizers – something!
•          Genes are important and play a role
•          But genes are only one side of the equation – predispose it but don’t determine it
•         “By providing optimum nutrition for a person…their mood, energy, and general well-being can be so substantially improved that compensations using addictive substances no longer become necessary.” (pg356)
•         One study with mice prove this – two groups – one group given junk food the other given a healthy diet – both with free access to water and/or alcohol.  The junk food mice soon became alcoholic and died prematurely.  The healthy mice did not choose the alcohol and lived to a ripe old age.
•          Also to note is that the mice, as they became more interested in the alcohol they became less interested in any food – leading to a downward spiral…

Most alcoholics and drug addicts have HYPOGLYCEMIA – one way of raising your blood-sugar level is to smoke a cigarette, drink coffee, eat chocolate, drink alcohol or take a drug.

Addictions have a lot in common with hidden allergies.  Often the allergic substance becomes addictive, and if it is not consumed, withdrawal symptoms set in, which can be relieved by consuming the allergen.

Many people who regularly consume alcohol also become allergic to it, or to something in it.

ALCOHOL: the greatest anti-nutrient of them all.

            Well proven to deplete almost every vitamin (A,B1,B2,B6,folic acid, B12,C,D, and E), mineral (calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and selenium) and amino acid(trypophan, taurine, glutathione etc.) essential fat (omega-3, omega 6) as well as disturbing blood sugar control.

            MANY OF THE SYMPTOMS AND PROBLEMS OF ALCOHOL ABUSE ARISE DIRECTLY FROM THESE NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCES.  For example, tryptophan depletion leads to depression, while B-vitamin deficiencies make you anxious, unable to concentrate, and even feeling like you are crazy.

*So the first step in treating addiction is to prepare the person for withdrawal by CORRECTING THESE DEFICIENCIES.  GIVING ALL ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS IN OPTIMAL AMOUNTS DRAMATICALLY REDUCES CRAVINGS FOR ACOHOL.

            In a rat study, rats given B1 vitamins cut their drinking by a staggering 80 %

Lots of nutrients protect the liver too – Taurine, choline, glutamine, glutathione, and many others.

 HOW TO QUIT:

•          Alcohol: a number of researchers reports have found that mega-doses of a cocktail of nutrients, given orally as supplements or intravenously, can virtually eliminate symptoms of withdrawal.  “A whole-food diet plus a multivitamin kept 81 % of alcoholics off booze six months after withdrawal, compared to 38% left to their own devices.
•        Cigarettes: an alkaline diet with plenty of fruit and veggies and high doses of Vitamin C and niacin as well as other nutrients.  – most smokers are hypoglycemic so a diet with COMPLEX carbohydrates (brown rice, beans, lentils, no refined white flour products) AND no sugar, tea, and coffee is essential.  Extra chromium, B6 and zinc also help to stabilize blood sugar.  Nutritional factors PLUS counseling are highly effective

In Summary:

•          get professional help and guidance
•          deal with psychological issues with a psychotherapist
•            increase your intake of nutrients, including a high strength B complex plus niacin 500 mg, pantothenic acid 500 mg, vitamin B6 100 mg, folic acid 1 mg, vitamin C 3-10 g a day spread throughout the day.
•           Take L-glutamine powder, 5 g am and pm plus enough essential fats including GLA, EPA and DHA and minerals including calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc.
•             Come off your addiction slowly
•       Eat an extremely healthy diet that supports your brain:

 Eating Healthy –   what does it look like? More info in my older posts but here it goes again! 

        

•           wholegrains  (such as rice, buckwheat, millet, rye, oats, whole wheat, spelt or quinoa), lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, fresh fruit and vegetables.  Eat five or more servings of fruits and veggies per day.  Choose dark green, leafy and root vegetables such as watercress, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, brussel sprouts, spinach, green beans and peppers, either raw or lightly cooked and limit your consumption of starchier veggies like potatoes.
•           Choose fresh fruit such as apples, pears, berries, melon or citrus fruit.   Have bananas in moderation.  Dilute fruit juices and only eat dried fruits infrequently in small quantities preferably soaked.
•           Avoid sugar and foods containing sugar – this means anything with added glucose, sucrose, or dextrose, malt sugar, honey.  Don’t be tempted to go for sugar substitutes – they all keep sugar cravings alive and most are detrimental.
•          Combine PROTEIN foods (fish, meat, eggs, beans)with carbs by eating cereals and fruit with nuts or seeds, having carbohydrate rich foods with protein rich foods (fish, chicken, lentils, beans or tofu)
•          Eat breakfast every day!

Sleeping Eazzzzy...

As I go through this book, and as you go through my posts, you will see some common threads.  Though this post is specifically about sleep, it is all interrelated as we are all quickly learning.  If we are not well, then we are often not going to sleep well,  and if we don't sleep well we will very quickly become less well.  Sleep has to be a priority, so rather than ignoring it or turning to over-the-counter, addictive medications, read on and find some simple solutions!

• Find ways of relaxing and de-stressing in the evening
• make sure your supplement program includes vitamin B6 100 mg, and zinc 10 mg – up to 30 if no dream recall
• Supplement 400 mg of calcium and 300 mg magnesium in the evening and eat calcium and magnesium rich foods – such as seeds, nuts and crunchy or dark green vegetables
•  Maintain blood sugar levels throughout the day– eat protein rich foods at EVERY meal and avoid refined foods, coffee, sugary foods and drinks and minimize alcohol.
•  Balance your sleep neurotransmitters- serotonin which aids in making melatonin (a neurotransmitter - without which it is difficult to get to sleep and stay asleep)- B6 and the amino acid tryptophan are needed to make these.  Read this post about serotonin, tryptophan and 5-HTP
• If necessary and you suffer from insomnia supplement either 200 mg of 5-HTP - direct precursor to serotonin (discussed here) before bed. (Incidentally 5-HTP has also been shown to reduce sleep terrors in children when given at an amount equal to 1 mg per pound of body weight before bed.) 
•  avoid sugar and stimulants (caffeine!) especially after 4 pm

How significant is caffeine and my sleep?

One study done in Israel found that volunteers given regular coffee, compared to decaf, slept an average of two hours less. (pg 189). Melatonin  production is suppressed by caffeine for up to 10 hours.

A note about Valerian - considered nature's Valium and worth a look
**valerian can interact with alcohol and other sedative drugs so please only take under close medical supervision **

One double blinded study in which participants took 60 mg of valerian 30 minutes before bedtime for 28 days found it to be as effective as oxazepam, a drug used to treat anxiety. (pg 193) Recommended 150-300 mg

Sleep well!
Sarahjane

Anxiety

(remember this is a summary from the book by Patrick Holford called New Optimum Nutrition for the Mind - you can purchase it here)


I think I need this one. Bad. Anyone that has seen me in the last few weeks can see it. I’m irritable, I talk quickly, I can’t relax. I need to relax – oh help me relax!!

Do you know that in ONE WEEK in Britain – (okay the author of this book is from Britain so that is why there are so many UK stats) they pop 10 million tranquilizers, puff 10 million joints and drink 120 million alcoholic drinks – don’t’ think for a second that we are any better.

Anti- anxiety drugs (tranquilizers) like Valium (diazepam), Librium and Ativan are very effective at reducing symptoms of anxiety in the short term but they are highly addictive in as little as four weeks. Did you know that doctors are strongly advised to NOT prescribe these for more than four weeks!

Even the new class of drugs = nonbenzodiazepines that were developed in order to be a safer, less side effect option, are proving to be just as bad.

“Dependence can develop in as little as one week of continuous use.”

So... What is the alternative?

GABA – is a neurotransmitter which is the brain’s peacemaker, Holford says. It helps to turn off excess adrenalin and calm you down. Tranquilizers (ie.Valium) discussed above promote GABA.

Natural GABA promoters ensure you produce and release GABA when you need to. Those promoters include amino acids, minerals and herbs and he lists the most effective as being: GABA (it’s a neurotransmitter and an amino acid), Taurine, Kava, Valerian, Hops, Passionflower and Magnesium.

As much as I am not against these options – they all are reasonable and safe options- I am going to spend more time looking at giving your body what it is needing…this is my bent…if you are lacking a specific nutrient for your body, you are going to be experiencing symptoms, so let’s look at what your body is needing if you are experiencing anxiety and stress…

Like Magnesium.

It not only relaxes your mind but it also relaxes your muscles too. Muscles aches, cramps, spasms, anxiety and insomnia are classic symptoms that you need more. We need 500 mg daily. Seeds and nuts are a great source as well as dark green leafy veggies (gotta love kale!) so if you are eating lots of these foods daily, supplementing with 300 mg as well is wise. If you are especially anxious, Holford recommends 500 mg in the evening.

Blood Sugar Level.  Again - this is coming up.  When blood sugar levels are going up and down, your body produces more lactic acid which surprisingly enough has been linked to causing anxiety attacks and hyperventilating - which actually produces more lactic acid again.  (incidentally this is why breathing in to a paper bag works - it levels out the glucose levels in the body)

"Finally, deficiency in vitamin B1 stops the body breaking down glucose properly, again promoting lactic acid.  So, make sure you are supplementing a good B complex or multivitamin."

Also - check for food allergies - see this link for more info.

Coming soon...sleep remedies and manic depression...

The Hormone Factor

chap. 16 of Optimum Nutrition for the Mind by Patrick Holford
Hormones and neurotransmitters are chemicals that tell the body and brain cells how to behave.
If hormones are out of balance, our moods get out of balance too…just like when the neurotransmitters aren’t working well.

Apparently, it is becoming a common trend in medicine to treat PMS with anti-depressants.


Holford says, “I have never seen a PMS sufferer who didn’t improve dramatically with the right diet and supplements.”

Here’s the bottom line. “If you are deficient in vitamins, lacking in essential fats and have poor blood sugar control, you are likely to suffer with mood swings when your hormones go up and down.”
So – the first steps are to go back to Patrick Holford’s first recommendations linked here.

Four most important nutrients for banishing PMS related symptoms are as follows: (and please remember that nutrients should always be taken in conjunction with each other – so take a good broad spectrum too) 1. 300 mg Magnesium daily : French researchers gave 6 g of magnesium daily for the week before and the first 2 days of the period - nervous tension relieved in 89%, weight gain 95%, breast tenderness 96% and even headaches in 43%

2. 100 mg vitamin B6 - up to 88% improvement from B6 supplementing


3. 20 mg zinc – not only helps vit. B6 work but also keeps copper lowered and high levels of copper with low levels of zinc have been associated with depression

4. EPO – Evening Primrose Oil –4 x 500 mg supplements daily will give you 200 GLA which is what you want. Several double blind studies have shown that EPO is highly effective in treating depression, irritability, breast tenderness and pain and fluid retention usually associated with PMS. And guess what? Magnesium, B6 and zinc are known to increase utilization and effectiveness of EPO

Menopause? Same thing as above will be of help. Also – serotonin deficiency is also very common among menopauseal women so they would benefit from 5-HTP


Men and Hormones? About 1/3 of men in the 40-69 age group complain of a range of symptoms that commonly include (in order of importance) loss of libido, depression and worsening memory and concentration. Holford calls these classic symptoms of ‘andropause’.

This needs to be taken very seriously. Men are hard to diagnose with depression because they become more angry than sad.

Also – they are more likely to commit suicide.

Andropause can be helped by supplementing testosterone and levels can be tested easily and accurately with a saliva test http://www.rmalab.com/ in Canada – for a provider. The provider can also assist in carefully bringing your hormones back into balance.

Also lots of protein and complex carbs, as well as antioxidants and zinc are crucial.

Okay folks - next we are on to stress strategies, sleeping better and then manic depression so stay posted! Thanks for helping me stay motivated!

Mood: Serotonin

I am going to deal with Clinical Depression in a later post. Today I am just addressing the milder ‘blues’ and moodiness.
Your mood and motivation isn’t only in your mind – as you should have already learned from my older posts- it’s in the chemistry of your mind.
Ensuring optimum nutrition for your mind not only improves mood but it also gives you the motivation to make changes in your life.

Serotonin of course influences our mood. Adrenalin and noradrenalin- made from dopamine – influence our motivation. All the major antidepressants are formulated to influence the balance of one of these neurotransmitters. From a nutritional perspective – we are lacking the building blocks, those nutrients, that are going to help us produce these vital mood enhancing neurotransmitters.

Serotonin deficiency is linked to one of these 5 main reasons:
1. Not enough estrogen or testosterone (female and male): the hormone connection. And what you might not realize is that if you are deficient in vitamins, lacking in essential fats, and have poor blood sugar control, you are very likely to experience mood swings when your hormones go up and down.

2. Not enough light - winter blues anyone?

3. Not enough exercise EXERCISE: counters the serotonin loss that stress causes so get out there and get moving!

4.Too much stress (especially in women)

5. Not enough cofactor vitamins and minerals (B6,B12,folic acid, magnesium and chromium especially

6. Blood Sugar imbalances (is this starting to sound familiar?) Again –Eat small regular meals of natural, unprocessed foods, including protein and fiber at each one and taking a combination of B vitamins and the mineral chromium. We covered this earlier to some extent I know but it bears repeating!

Choose foods that help make serotonin: fish, turkey, chicken, cheese, tofu oats, beans and eggs all have tryptophan which is an amino acid that – you guessed it – help make serotonin (come on – you knew this too didn’t you?)

5-HTP – short for 5-hydroxytryptophan is derived from an African Plant called griffonia .You can buy this affordably at your local Health Food store. They have been studying this nutrient since the 70’s and have found amazing results. One study where the patients were given either a common SSRI antidepressant or 5-HTP found that after 6 weeks, though both groups had improved, those taking 5-HTP had a greater improvement in each of the four criteria assessed- depression, anxiety, insomnia, and physical symptoms, as well as the patient’s self –assessment – and with no side effects.

50-100 mg two times a day Please note that though a recent review on 5-HTP confirms its safety again, Holford does not recommend you supplement this nutrient if you are currently taking SSRI medication.

Also – you may experience nausea the first time you take it but just decrease the dose and that should go away as your body adjusts. Try eating a piece of fruit when taking it but it is best if taken on an empty stomach – for absorption.

Oh and if you get very sleepy on 5-HTP then you probably don’t need it.

Anyone trying to find out their root cause for depression needs to take blood and urine tests to discover:
Serotonin and noradrenalin levels – do they NEED boosting?
Homocysteine level – is it too high?
Essential Fats – are your levels high enough?
Blood – sugar balance – is yours within a healthy range?

This makes sense – give the body what it needs! I will cover this more in a later post too.

Long again but good yes?

Better IQ and Memory Anyone....?

Okay - sorry about that last entry - TOO MUCH - got it. Rather than try to summarize all the great information in this fantastic book (buy the book - no I don't make any profits off it!) I am going to try to give some highlights that I think will be of interest to most folks out there. Here goes - and please keep the comments coming because I would love to know if this is hitting home for folks or not, and if I can help answer a question I would love to do that too.



I was really happy to know that I can improve my IQ and memory - believe me I need some help in this area! Lots of research backing this up once again...

like one involving 200 teenagers. They gave them either 20mg of zinc, 10 mg of zinc (the RDA - Recommended Daily Amount) or a placebo. Most kids get about 7 mg of zinc from their diet (so that would be the placebo group), so then the others would have gotten 17 mg and 27 mg (or so) per day.

The researchers found that only those taking 20 mg of zinc a day had faster and more accurate memories and better attention spans within three months.

1.Ensure you are intaking optimum amounts of vitamins and minerals from food sources as well as (good!) supplements. Zinc and all the B's are crucial

2. FOCUS on taking lots of essential fats - through flax seeds, oily fish and supplements too. You don't need a supplement if you are consuming THREE servings of OILY fish per week - (Mackerel, herring, Sardine, Tuna (not so much due to high mercury amts), Anchovy and Salmon -100g of one of these 3 times a week will get you enough - that gets you from 500-1400 mg of DHA each time) Supplementing 250-500 mg daily is recommended. (more if serious mental health stuff is going on but we will get to that later)





3. Eat Lecithin - but you have to eat a lot of it so there is another product called High-PC lecithin - it has 2x as much phosphatidylcholine in it which is vital for producing acetylcholine. You could also take 500 mg of choline





4. Watch the Blood -Sugar Levels again. Remember - eat slow release carbohydrates (the complex guys) and graze -no gorging!





5. Learn something new every day – keep your brain active! (wow –homeschooling grade 7- definitely doing that these days!)





As much as Memory and IQ are important, Beating the Blues is what I really want to spend some serious time on soon. If we are blue than everything in our lives is affected – our energy, our mood, our motivation, our spiritual lives. Beating the blues, to me – is key! So we are going there real soon! Stay tuned!