Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
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.
SAMe, or S-Adenomethionine, has been shown to help maintain a stable mood and to support joint and liver health. But this compound has also been studied for its benefit against depression. Here’s the clinical research behind this powerful compound.
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.
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A new study suggests that eating added sugars can actually trigger metabolic, inflammatory and neurobiological processes tied to depressive illness. Here’s what that means for you during the holiday season, when so many foods are centered around sugar.
A new study has revealed that resveratrol displays anti-stress effects by blocking the expression of an enzyme related to the control of stress in the brain.
New research, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, explores the link between two conditions, finding that for many who suffer from depression, exercise is the best treatment that keeps both the mind and the body healthy.
Depression is a disorder that affects around 6.7% of adults in the United States each year. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that more than 300 million people currently live with the disorder. This disorder is not a normal “up and down” of emotions; this illness greatly affects mood, body, behavior and the mind and commonly interferes with daily function.
‘Just 1 Hour of Exercise Per Week Prevents Depression’
Researchers from The Cooper Institute and University of North Texas set out to determine whether fitness measured in midlife would be inversely associated with later-life CVD (cardiovascular disease) mortality in those with depression.
Data collected from January 1971 through December 2009 of generally healthy men and women who presented for preventive medicine examinations at midlife and who were eligible for Medicare from 1999 to 2010 were analyzed. A total of 17,989 participants with a mean age of 50 years old were included. Those with a self-reported history of depression, myocardial infarction, or stroke at examination were excluded.
‘New Link Between Intestinal Bacteria and Depression’
The study’s findings showed that higher levels of fitness in midlife were associated with a 16% lower risk of depression. Also, after a diagnosis of depression, higher levels of fitness were associated with a 56% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality.
According to researchers, these findings suggest the importance of midlife fitness in primary prevention of depression and subsequent CVD mortality in older age and should encourage fitness and physical activity for healthy aging.
Turmeric (aka Curcumin) is the brownish herb in curry that has so many benefits. Turmeric is a powerful antioxidant herb useful for inflammation and tenderness, but Turmeric is difficult to absorb. Bio-Curcumin is a vastly more absorbable version of Turmeric with up to 8 times greater bioavailability. Human clinical trials show that Bio-Curcumin lasts much longer in our body, giving a more sustained benefit.†
A number of studies show that BioCurcumin may help adults with depression. In a new study, 123 patients with major depressive disorder were treated with BioCurcumin, or placebo, or BioCurcumin with saffron; saffron supplies powerful antioxidants. Biocurcumin significantly improved symptoms of this condition and anxiety compared to placebo at doses of 250mg or 500mg a day with food. Adding saffron gave no additional benefit. The study is published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.†