Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Subscribe Today! Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode. THE MINERAL MAGNESIUM & OUR BRAIN, INVITEⓇ HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 666 Hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph. *Intro Music* InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed health …
Written By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, and ATT For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected] We all know what an important topic anxiety and depression is, as so many suffer with these issues. In part one of this article, we discussed what …
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected]
We’ve been talking a lot about stress and how it can affect our well-being. No conversation about stress management would be complete without understanding anxiety and depression. Let’s take a look at these and see how they differ from common, everyday stress. †
What is anxiety? The American Psychological Association defines anxiety as “an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure”. The American Psychiatric Association tells us that there are many different types of anxiety disorders, including but limited to the following: †
I like to describe anxiety as the body’s way of reacting to stress. †
Depression can be seen in different forms. There’s bipolar depression (times of lows and manic highs), postpartum depression (after childbirth) and persistent depressive disorder (mild, long-term depression). However, for this article, let’s focus on depression, also referred to as clinical depression or major depressive disorder. When we think of depression, this is commonly what we think of. The National Institute of Mental Health defines depression as “a common but serious mood disorder that causes symptoms which affects how you feel, think and handle normal daily activities”. †
When it comes to the signs of anxiety and depression, they are very similar. Some common signs may include fatigue, panic attacks, and changes in appetite, lack of interest in favorite activities or in extreme cases thoughts of death or suicide. For a more detailed list of signs of anxiety and/or depression, check out https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961 . However, those that have been diagnosed with depression commonly will more intense and longer lasting symptoms. Experiencing signs such as these in certain situations may be an indication of anxiety or depression and should be assessed by a doctor. †
If you or anyone you know is showing signs of depression, contact your doctor or encourage them to do so. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers additional information, as well as 24-hour hotlines and assistance at the following: †
https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/index.html
So how can one cope with anxiety and/or depression? Here are some of my go-to ways to find some relief, and are even suggested in an article entitled “Depression vs Anxiety: Which One Do I Have?” from WebMD has some effective suggestions to help cope:
Understanding the right coping strategies can be key in helping to manage mood. †
ICYMI: COMMON STRESSORS AND HOW THEY AFFECT US>>READ NOW
SUPPLEMENTATION
When it comes to supplementation, B-vitamins can be the missing link in our mental well-being. Let’s look at the three that are commonly studied for anxiety and depression…folate and vitamins B-6 and B-12. †
A lot of attention has been given to folate, or folic acid, lately and is being studied for its roll in brain health and depression. An article from Winchester†
Hospital discusses some of the findings from these studies. It is believed that having a deficiency in folic acid may be a contributing factor of depression and its symptoms. The studies in the article show that when adding folic acid, in combination with anti-depression medication, symptoms improved as opposed to those given a placebo. The article “Depression Won’t Go Away? Folate Could Be the Answer” from Psychology Today also suggests that a folate deficiency can be a risk factor when looking at depression. It recommends eating healthy foods that are rich in folate such as whole grains, beans and legumes. If you have trouble absorbing folate, it could be because there may be a genetic mutation, MTHFR, which may be causing this problem. A simple, non-invasive, genetic test can be done to see if someone has this mutation. If so, L-Methyl folate can be helpful and better absorbed. †
An article “Vitamin B6 May Reduce Anxiety Symptoms” from Medical News Today, discusses how deficiencies in B6 may be a factor in experiencing anxiety and/or depression. The study shows that adding 100mg of Vitamin-B6 may be helpful in reducing anxiety by helping the body to produce chemical messengers in the brain.†
When looking at Vitamin-B12, the Mayo Clinic published an article titled “What’s the Relationship between Vitamin B12 and Depression”. It suggests that those with conditions such as celiac or Crohn’s disease, as well as vegans and vegetarians are often prone to being deficient in Vitamin-B12. This can cause an increased risk for anxiety and/or depression. Proper supplementation of this vitamin may help manage health, mood but isn’t necessarily a substitution for more traditional treatments. It may be recommended to use a combination of traditional and alternative therapies.†
Next week, we will continue this important topic to discuss supplements such as SAMe and Omega-3s.†
REFERENCES
https://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/anxiety-disorders/what-are-anxiety-disorders
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression
https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/index.html
https://www.webmd.com/depression/depression-or-anxiety
https://www.winchesterhospital.org/health-library/article?id=40045
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-integrationist/201310/depression-wont-go-away-folate-could-be-the-answer
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/vitamin-b6-may-reduce-anxiety-symptoms-study-shows#Large-amounts-of-B6,-B12
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/vitamin-b6-may-reduce-anxiety-symptoms-study-shows#The-vitamin-that-helped
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/expert-answers/vitamin-b12-and-depression/faq-20058077
Written By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected] Everyone experiences stress throughout their life. There’s no way to avoid stress all together. But what do you know about how to handle these situations and can …
Written By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected] During the winter months, there always seems to be a “mood” in the air. We often hear people talk about “cabin fever” or “the winter blues”. But what do …
OCD
InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH
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Today, I want to talk about what OCD actually is and how this can impact your life. It’s not super common, but I suppose that everyone, to some degree, maybe has a little bit of OCD tendencies. I want to define what OCD is, talk about the statistics of OCD within the population and what type of nutrients would be beneficial if someone has been diagnosed with or shows tendencies related to OCD.†
We know that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a big issue for someone who has been diagnosed with this. People will experience unreasonable, uncontrollable or recurring thoughts, followed by a particular behavioral response. When we think about the compulsions, that’s the repetitive behavior that is brought on by the obsession or repeated thoughts and urges.†
This can drive up a whole lot of anxiety and stress for people who are dealing with this issue. When we think about the compulsive behaviors, we look at things like checking to make sure your coffee pot is turned off or that you locked your door. If you’re repeatedly washing your hands, not in a healthy way, but in an obsessive compulsive way. This can get to the point where it really starts to impact people’s social interactions.†
There can also be mental compulsions, where maybe you’re having to do certain counting or mental checking on certain tasks that you’re doing.†
There are certain things that can help mitigate the symptoms of OCD. For instance, learning to deal with daily stressors can be beneficial because the more stressed someone is, the more likely it is that these symptoms will appear. It’s very important to look at stress and how this can exacerbate this issue. We also have to look at deficiencies in terms of different nutrients that may be triggering this.†
We can look at the different nutrients that have been linked to being supportive to those who are dealing with this. One of the most widely studied nutrients is NAC, which is N-acetylcysteine. Many double-blind, placebo-controlled trials have shown that NAC can really make a significant impact for those who have been diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. A meta-analysis done in 2015 looked at the use of NAC in patients who were diagnosed with OCD. They looked at clinical trials where patients received 2400mg to 3000mg of NAC each day. They found very encouraging results that demonstrated that the utilization of NAC was incredibly impactful to the diminishing of those obsessive compulsive behaviors.†
Another interesting find comes down to B-vitamins and Vitamin D. Researchers have found a link between Vitamin B12, folic acid, homocysteine, Vitamin D levels and OCD. They looked at children and adolescents who had Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and they started to see that those with OCD had significantly lower levels of Vitamin B12, Vitamin D and folic acid, but yet had high levels of homocysteine, so that inflammation was already occurring in childhood. Vitamin B12 is a cofactor for the synthesis of key neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, which are involved in the pathophysiology of OCD. Because of this, B12 deficiency can affect mood, emotion and sleeping and act as a stepping stone to the onset or development of certain conditions such as OCD.†
HOW SPECIFIC GENES IMPACT YOUR MOOD & HEALTH – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 202. Listen Now>>
In this episode, Amanda Williams, MPH explains Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. She details how this issue can present itself, discusses how common it is and provides recommendations for clinically-studied nutrients that may help support people who have been diagnosed with this condition.†
Key Topics:
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