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Depression |
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Depression |
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And no wonder. Those of us that have experienced the depths of clinical depression know just
how awful it really is. When you are in the bag, it is hard to think out of the bag. But there is a way out. Yes, I have written a book on this subject, with nutritional psychiatrist Bo Jonsson, MD, PhD. It is called The Vitamin Cure for Depression. More information at
http://www.doctoryourself.com/depreviesw.html It is also available in Spanish.
Rather than give a
synthetic drug to block or mimic the body's chemical nerve messengers
(neurotransmitters), it is possible nutritionally to encourage the body to
make its own natural ones. If we are what we eat,
then our nerves also depend on what they are fed. Here is tremendous potential
for the alleviation of depression and related disorders. MAKE YOUR OWN
NOREPINEPHRINE L-phenylalanine (from
protein foods) -> L-tyrosine (made in the liver) -> dopa -> dopamine
-> norepinephrine -> epinephrine This process looks
complex but actually is readily accomplished, particularly if the body has
plenty of vitamin C. Since one's dietary supply of
the first ingredient, L-phenylalanine, is usually adequate, it is more likely
to be a shortage of vitamin C that limits production of norepinephrine.
Physicians giving large doses of vitamin C have had striking success in
reversing depression. It is a remarkably safe and inexpensive approach to
try. MAKE YOUR OWN
SEROTONIN Carbohydrates
in your meals helps tryptophan get to where it does the most good: your
brain. In order to cross the blood-brain barrier and get in, carbs are required. So cheese and crackers provides a
better effect than the cheese standing alone. Cover your ears, animal
friends, for I am also about to condone eating the occasional bird.
Poultry, especially the dark meat, is a rich (yet very cheap) source of
tryptophan. Add potatoes or stuffing, and you have the reason everybody is
sprawled out and snoring up a storm after a typical Thanksgiving food orgy.
But to be able to look your parakeet in the eye after the fourth Thursday in
November, you can stay vegetarian and still get tanked up on tryptophan. Consider that five
servings of beans, a few portions of cheese or peanut butter, or several
handfuls of cashews provide 1,000–2,000 mg of tryptophan, which will work as
well as prescription antidepressants—but don't tell the drug companies. Some
skeptics think that the pharmaceutical people already know, and that is why
the FDA is less than enthusiastic about tryptophan supplements. Here are two
quotes in evidence: "Pay careful
attention to what is happening with dietary supplements in the legislative
arena. . . . If these efforts are successful, there could be created a class
of products to compete with approved drugs. The establishment of a separate
regulatory category for supplements could undercut exclusivity rights enjoyed
by the holders of approved drug applications." (FDA Deputy Commissioner
for Policy David Adams, at the Drug Information Association Annual Meeting,
July 12, 1993) "The task force
considered many issues in its deliberations including to
ensure that the existence of dietary supplements on the market does
not act as a disincentive for drug development." (FDA Dietary Task Force
Report, released June 15, 1993) Tryptophan is one of the ten
essential amino acids you need to stay alive. It is by law added to liquid
feedings for the elderly and all infant formulas. This says a great deal
about its safety, as well as its importance. And, tryptophan is really
quite easy to get from the good foods listed below. So go, eat, and be happy!
Foods High in the
Amino Acid L-Tryptophan (In milligrams per 100-gram (3.5 ounce) portion, about the
size of a deck of playing cards. That is not a large serving, and in a single
meal you might easily double or triple the figures listed here.) Beans Nuts and Seeds Tahini (ground sesame seeds) 575 Sunflower seeds 340 Other nuts generally
provide at least 130 mg per small serving; usually more. Grains Cheese Other cheeses tend to be
lower in tryptophan, but are still very good sources. Eggs 210 Poultry 250 (Note how vegetarian
sources are as good as, and often much better than, flesh sources.) Brewer's Yeast 700 (Source: USDA, Amino Acid
Content of Foods) Meats are generally
regarded as a good source of tryptophan, organ meats supposedly being the
highest. However, most meats are in the range of 160–260 mg/100 g, with organ
meats ranging between 220 and 330. These figures certainly do not compel meat
eating. They compel split pea, cheese, and cashew eating! Ample amounts of
B-complex vitamins, especially B-6 (pyridoxine) must be present for for your body's normal, depression-fighting chemical
reactions to occur. B-6 deficiency is very common in Americans, and that
"deficiency" is measured against an already ridiculously low US RDA
of only two milligrams. The amount of B-6 needed for clinical effectiveness
in, say, rabbits is the human dose equivalent of 75 mg daily. That is over 35
times more than the RDA! Really enormous doses of
B-6 taken alone have produced temporary neurological side effects. It usually
takes between 2,000 and 5,000 mg daily for symptoms of numbness or tingling
in the extremities. Some side effects have been reported as low as 500 mg
daily, but these are very rare indeed. Therapeutic doses between 100 and 500
milligrams daily are commonly prescribed by physicians for PMS relief. A
daily total of a few hundred milligrams of individual B-6, especially if
taken in addition to the entire B-complex to ensure balance, is very safe
indeed.
A good summary article is George A. Eby, Karen L. Eby, and Harald Murk's Magnesium and major depression. Free full text at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507265/
Click here to see Andrew
Saul discussing niacin (vitamin B-3) therapy for depression, in a video excerpt.
Andrew Saul is the author of the books FIRE
YOUR DOCTOR! How to be Independently Healthy (reader reviews at
http://www.doctoryourself.com/review.html
) and DOCTOR YOURSELF: Natural Healing that Works. (reviewed at http://www.doctoryourself.com/saulbooks.html
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AN IMPORTANT NOTE: This page is not in any way offered as prescription, diagnosis nor treatment for any disease, illness, infirmity or physical condition. Any form of self-treatment or alternative health program necessarily must involve an individual's acceptance of some risk, and no one should assume otherwise. Persons needing medical care should obtain it from a physician. Consult your doctor before making any health decision. Neither the author nor the webmaster has authorized the use of their names or the use of any material contained within in connection with the sale, promotion or advertising of any product or apparatus. Single-copy reproduction for individual, non-commercial use is permitted providing no alterations of content are made, and credit is given. |
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