Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
The events of the COVID-19 pandemic have caused more people to experience issues with depression and anxiety. Learn about how omega-3 fatty acids can help with these issues from Amanda Williams, MPH.
Vitamin B6 Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH Subscribe Today! B vitamins play a really important role when it comes to supporting energy levels, metabolism, heart health, brain health and so many more systems that are crucial for the everyday functions of …
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH.
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Now that we are officially a good eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are starting to have more discussions about the overall impact this is having on one’s mental health. There’s been a whole slew of scientific research studies just in the last month looking at the implications of the stress and anxiety that has been associated with this. I want to talk about what you can be doing during this time because this pandemic is still with us. We are not over the hump and now we are starting to move into normal cold and flu season on top of still having the concerns with COVID-19. I want to get into the heart of stress and really look at how this can have a really negative effect on our overall mental well-being, clarity, cognition, everything in totality, but also look at just a general sense of some of the new scientific research that’s out there discussing the implications of anxiety and stress that are associated with the pandemic.
So many people are feeling the effects of stress. So many people are still working from home and not having the same social interactions. For students, maybe this was your first year going off to college and everything has been kind of turned upside down because of different protocols and following different local and state guidelines when it comes to mitigation techniques. This can really start to take a toll and you hear more and more about it in terms of how people are feeling. People are getting, as they’re saying, the “COVID fatigue,” but we can’t let our guard down in the same sense and try and think we can go about normal life because this is still out there. We are seeing the real impact as a society in terms of the people who are still being heavily affected and there’s still significant loss of life. This is weighing on many people and it’s important to know why we need to be able to manage our stress and how we can actually avoid stress. We know that stress does so much damage to our body.
We know that there are multiple pathways in which stress really has a grip on how we feel. We can look at that hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and how that impacts our immune system. We know that the biochemical effects of stress are very complicated and are wide-scoping throughout the body, but we know that cortisol is our primary stress hormone and we can see issues that arise within the adrenals. We know that different neurotransmitters are impacted based off of our levels of stress, which is why we look at things like GABA, and when we do not have adequate GABA being released, this can play a role in terms of feeling anxious. These are the things that we want to be able to focus in on. We know that if our serotonin and GABA levels are kind of all thrown about because of higher levels of stress and anxiety, this will have a lasting effect on our overall sense of well-being.
Feeling Burnt Out? Rhodiola Can Help! – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 186. Listen Now >>
We can look at blood glucose levels right now maybe because of stress, or maybe low mood, because you’re not eating properly and we’re having this glucose-insulin imbalance, which in turn has an even greater impact when it comes to adrenal dysfunction.
For more information about how pandemic-related stress could be impacting your body, tune into the full podcast episode.
What can we be doing to manage our stress levels?
We certainly know that there are many different nutrients out there that can help to offset the negative impact of stress. We can look at things such as L-Theanine, which is a powerful amino acid that is sourced from green tea and we know that that plays a really critical role when it comes to the body’s natural release of GABA, that calming neurotransmitter. We have these bits of science that we know that things from nature can be beneficial. We can look at adrenal support with things such as Rhodiola and Ashwagandha, these adrenal adaptogenic herbs that can create an awful lot of balance within the body.
There’s one thing in particular I often like to turn people’s attention to and this is our Ribose Complex. D-Ribose is a very important sugar that is found in the body and it is different from other sugars in the sense that it is not impacting our blood glucose levels. This is important to keep in mind because oftentimes, when we think of sugar, we just think of how it will impact our blood sugar. D-Ribose is required by the body in terms of energy production. When we look at areas that have high energy demand, we think about our heart, brain, and skeletal muscles. D-Ribose has been shown to be very effective when we look at stress. When we’re under stress, sometimes the mitochondria, the little energy maker within the cell, loses its ability to properly produce adenosine triphosphate. So our Ribose Complex is this really great blend. It contains the D-Ribose, but it also has Acetyl-L-Carnitine, which is really good for brain health and mental clarity. It also contains dimethylglycine, which is required for over 40 different processes in the body and is a precursor for the manufacturing of glutathione.
Nutrients To Help Mitigate The Impact of Stress – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 182. Listen Now >>
Learn more about nutrients that can help support a healthy stress response by tuning into the full podcast episode.
Thank you for tuning in to the Invite Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at Invite Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the Invite Health Podcast.
What are the long-term impacts of stress and how can you manage your stress in a much more efficient way? So many people deal with stress on a daily basis. It can come in different forms and be caused by a variety of things. Let’s talk about what you can be doing to help mitigate the impacts of stress.
On top of living through a global pandemic, students and employees are heading back to school and work. This could mean a time of chronic stress is upon us. But you should know about Phosphatidylserine – a powerful brain health nutrient for learning and memory.
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
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It is normal to feel sad after a loss or anxious in the face of a threat or new challenge. But when you can’t shake these feelings, or they seem to occur for no obvious reason, you may have depression or an anxiety disorder, such as panic disorder. Fortunately, most people respond well to treatment.
What is Major Depression?
Depression ranges in how serious it is. Some people experience mild and temporary episodes of sadness. Others experience severe and ongoing depressive episodes. Major depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States but it is not the only form of depression. For some individuals, major depression can result in severe impairment that interferes with or limits the ability to carry out major life activities.
Typically it is classified as a period of at least two weeks where a person experiences a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities, and had a majority of specified symptoms, such as problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration, or self-worth.
Serotonin is known as the happiness molecule. A supplement called 5-HTP can raise serotonin and this makes you feel good, feel happy, and feel free of the symptoms of stress and anxiety. Serotonin also makes you feel full when eating, making 5-HTP useful for weight loss; we describe this activity in a separate episode.†
Conventional and Lifestyle Therapies
You may successfully manage symptoms with one form of treatment. It is also common to combine conventional and lifestyle therapies. Your doctor may prescribe medication for depression and anxiety. Living with depression can be difficult, but treatment can help you cope. Talk to your doctor about possible options.
In a review of 28 studies, “forest therapy” was shown to improve depression. If you go into the woods for 15 to 20 minutes it lifts your mood. A review of 30 studies shows that “forest bathing”, also called forest therapy, reduces the stress hormone cortisol. When you reduce cortisol, you can sleep better at night and are able to focus better. This reduction is also good for weight loss. When you are stressed out and release cortisol, food is much more fattening.
In a study of 94 adults, visiting a park for 20 minutes boosted feelings of well-being and in a group of 60 adults, walking in a forest for 15 minutes compared to 15 minutes in a city area clicked their mood up a couple of levels and improved their attention span. The Japanese have a name for it – Shinrin Yoku or forest bathing – and it’s a good reason to visit a botanical garden or arboretum.
Nutritional Support for Mood Improvement
There are a number of nutritional supplements support or improve your mood.
ALCAR stands for Acetyl L-Carnitine. It is great for your nerves, good for energy, great for your heart and it is helpful with tinnitus (ringing in your ear). If you take ALCAR away from food, it is better absorbed into the brain and it has been shown in a number of studies to click your mood up. And it does this very quickly and it is very safe. ALCAR is also good for your memory as you grow older.†
Well absorbed Curcumin is called Bio-Curcumin. It is also called BCM95. Five human clinical trials have found that it is good for depression and if you add it to an anti-depressant, it works better.†
NAC stands for N-Acetyl-Cysteine and is a powerful amino acid. This supplement is useful for helping with addiction even to alcohol or tobacco, and it helps compulsive behavior, such as nail biting and gambling, as shown in thousands of human clinical trials.†
SAMe, or S-Adenomethionine, may help boost the formation of neurotransmitters needed for healthy brain function. It is also useful for liver and joint health.†
Fish oils help to a degree. Your brain is about 60% fat and one of the major fats in your brain is fish oil (omega-3 fatty acid).†
The Importance of 5-HTP for Brain Health and Mood Support
5-HTP stands for 5-hydroxytryptophan. It comes from the seeds of the Griffonia simplicifolia plant. It easily enters your brain and is quickly converted into serotonin. Serotonin is known as the ‘happiness molecule’ and is a very important neurotransmitter.
Neurotransmitters – and we know of approximately 100 of them in the human brain – transmit messages throughout the brain. Serotonin transmits happiness, and helps fend off depression, anxiety and stress.
In humans, studies indicate 5-HTP may reduce anxiety (although there are more trials looking at it’s effects on depression) and the studies find benefit. Results from more recent studies suggest that 5-HTP has antidepressant effects comparable with fluoxetine (Paxil), and there is benefit as part of augmentation therapy for drug-resistant depression.†
5-HTP augments the response to SSRIs by increased presynaptic serotonin availability, thus enhancing serotonins release into the synapse. It was also proposed to potentially reduce hot flashes in menopausal women with breast cancer or with risk of breast cancer by enhancing serotonin levels (27) , but a clinical study in postmenopausal women found it ineffective (20) .†
5-HTP can also increase levels of dopamine, and norepinephrine, these neurotransmitters are involved in mood and taking 5-HTP at night improves sleep; it’s metabolism at night takes an extra step and creates the sleep neurotransmitter melatonin.†
Talk to your doctor about possible lifestyle and treatment options.
Thank you for tuning in to the Invite Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at Invite Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the Invite Health Podcast.
