Lifestyle impacts your health.

Introduction

"Melancholia", literally translated as "black bile", has been written about since the days of Hippocrates, the ancient Greek "Father of Medicine." Depression has been the theme of countless books, movies, plays and songs (especially country western!) because nothing causes more universal suffering and pain. If you're reading this page you're probably wondering if you, or a loved one, are depressed.

You're depressed if...

you experience five of these eight symptoms during a 2-week period and they represent a change from the individual’s previous emotional state:

1. Dramatic change in appetite with associated weight shift when not dieting (e.g., more than 5% of body weight in a month). This can be an increased appetite with weight gain or a diminished appetite with weight loss.
2. Insomnia or excessive sleep nearly every day.
3. Sluggishness or agitation nearly every day.
4. Loss of interest or pleasure in activities which usually bring pleasure, most of the day, nearly every day. A decrease in the sexual drive may also be experienced.
5. Loss of energy and feelings of fatigue nearly every day. The person experiences fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.
6. Feelings of worthlessness or excessive and inappropriate guilt or self-reproach (may be delusional) nearly every day.
7. Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness nearly every day. This may lead to an inability to function in social, occupational, or other important situations
8. Recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of death) or suicidal thoughts without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or specific suicide plan. If you are thinking about suicide, call 1-800-SUICIDE or 1-800-273-8255 (273-TALK). Someone is waiting for you to call!

What causes depression?

Although life is filled with unexpected events such as the death of a loved one, loss of a job, major illness, or other catastrophic events, not everybody becomes depressed. Most individuals suffer only temporary feelings of depression and find ways to adjust to life’s challenges. However, there are certain individuals who experience a major depressive episode when faced by stressful situations.

Mild depression that passes quickly may not require any diagnosis or treatment. However, when depression becomes recurrent, constant, or severe, it should be diagnosed by a licensed counselor, psychologist, social worker, or psychiatrist. Diagnosis may be crucial for determining appropriate treatment. For example, depression caused by low thyroid function can be successfully treated with prescription thyroid medication. Suicidal depression often requires prescription antidepressants. Persistent mild-to-moderate depression triggered by stressful events is often best treated with counseling and not necessarily with medications.

Depression is a one-two punch that knocks the sufferer out of the ring on a daily basis. Number one, the symptoms themselves make life miserable. Number two, the depressed individual struggles to function and keep up with the life’s normal demands. Conventional treatment for depression is aimed both at reducing symptoms and helping the individual regain the ability to function they once enjoyed. Usually the treatment includes psychotherapy and the use of anti-depressant medications.

When depression is not a function of external events, it is called endogenous. Endogenous depression can be due to biochemical abnormalities. Lifestyle changes and herbs may be used with people whose depression results from a variety of causes, but dietary and nutrient interventions are usually best geared to endogenous depression.

Listen to a discussion about the health impact of stress.
This 31 minute discussion covers:

• Costs of stress.
• Causes of stress. How many are in your life?
• What is the impact of stress on our body?
• What is the stress response and how does it work?
• What is chronic stress and how does it affect us?
• Who is most at risk for stress related health problems?
• How does stress effect our heart, cortisol levels, memory, and immunity?
• How do men and women react differently to stress?
• What can we do to lessen the effects of stress on our bodies?
• How does stress effect weight? How does diet effect stress? What should we eat to help our stressed out bodies?
• How can a cup of tea help?
• What other supplements can assist with stress and how do they help?

Additional Information: Read an informative pamphlet on a comprehensive stress relief supplement.

Learn more about stress and find supplements to aid in blunting the effects of stress on our bodies.

The connection between sleep and depression

Sleep is being studied by University of Rochester researchers as a potential treatment for major depression. A study presented at the 19th Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Denver found that depressed patients with insomnia were nearly 11 times more likely to still be depressed at six months than those sleeping well, and 17 times more likely to remain ill after a year. The study is the first to establish that insomnia prolongs bouts of sadness, hopelessness and loss of interest in life activities that characterize major depression, making patients less likely to recover. In recent years, researchers determined insomnia and depression are linked, but were unclear as to which came first. Many experts believed that depression caused insomnia until new drugs arrived that improved depression, but not insomnia. Data was drawn from Project IMPACT, a study in late-life depression that enrolled 1,801 men and women aged 65 years or older.

Ways to handle your depression and feel better:

• Call 1-800-SUICIDE OR 1-800-273-8255 if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts. This toll free number, when dialed in the United States, will connect you with the closest crisis intervention center. Someone is waiting to help you!
• Contact your doctor. Explain your symptoms and request a physical to rule out any medical reasons for depression.
• Reach out to family, friends or a trained, licensed therapist. Emotional support can make all the difference. Many people who are depressed seek counseling with a psychologist, social worker, psychiatrist, or other form of counselor. An analysis of four properly conducted trials of severely depressed patients comparing the effects of one form of counseling intervention, cognitive behavior therapy, with the effects of antidepressant drugs was published in 1999. In that report, cognitive behavior therapy was at least as effective as drug therapy. While the outcome of counseling may be more variable than outcomes from drug or natural substance interventions, many healthcare professionals consider counseling an important part of recovery for depression not due to identifiable biochemical causes.
• Exercise at least 3 times a week. Check with your doctor before starting any new exercise program. Exercise increases the body’s production of endorphins—chemical substances that can relieve depression. Scientific research shows that routine exercise can positively affect mood and help with depression. As little as three hours per week of aerobic exercise can profoundly reduce the level of depression. One trial compared the effects of an exercise training program with those of a prescription antidepressant drug in people over 50 years of age. The researchers found the two approaches to be equally effective after 16 weeks of treatment.
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet that concentrates on whole, unprocessed foods. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. In general, the more fruits and vegetables are processed, the less nutritive value they have. Eat whole grains or foods made from whole grains. Beans (legumes) are a healthy, low fat source of protein and vitamins. Seeds and nuts contain essential fatty acids.
• Studies show a relationship between symptoms of depression and the a ratio of low omega-3 to high omega-6 fats in the diet. The quantity and ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 is critical because these fatty acids serve as building blocks for prostaglandins, a group of hormone-like substances that regulate many important aspects of biological function throughout the body. A clinical trial evaluated the antidepressant effects of an Omega-3 oil in 70 patients using an adequate dose of a standard antidepressant yet who continued to experience depression. Using three different scales to rate depression, the group taking 1gram/day (g/d) of ethyl-eicosapentaenoate had significantly better outcomes than placebo on all three rating scales. The 2g/d and 4g/d, did not do as well as the 1g/d group. In a book titled Omega-3 Oils, Donald O. Rudin, M.D. reports that giving patients omega-3 supplements often improves mood and relieves depression within one to two weeks. Consider supplementing with an Omega-3 supplement if you consume cold water fish less than 2-3 times a week.
• Drink 8 - 10 eight ounces of pure water. Reduce or eliminate alcohol, caffeine and refined sugar. Restricting sugar and caffeine in people with depression has been reported to elevate mood in preliminary research. Alcohol is a known depressant. However many people tend to try to self medicate with alcohol which provides temporary relief from some of the symptoms of depression. Over the long run, however, alcohol makes the depression worse.
• There is evidence that people with major depression may have insensitivity to insulin and impaired glucose tolerance. Whether treatment of impaired glucose tolerance helps depression is unknown, but a doctor can order laboratory tests to detect such abnormalities, and initiate treatment as appropriate.
• Reduce your stress. There are numerous studies documenting the deleterious effects of stress on health. Make time for friends and family. Find ways of relaxing throughout the day. Consider meditation, deep breathing exercises, visualization techniques or prayer.

Helpful Supplements:

• The AMA has endorsed the need for a daily multivitamin.
• Take 200 - 400 IU of vitamin E daily. Selenium enhances the action of vitamin E. Also supplement vitamin C, 500 - 1000 mg each day, as vitamin C converts vitamin E into its helpful form after oxidation. Some studies have suggested a protective value of vitamin E*.
• B vitamin complex supports normal brain function and can address a deficiency in B vitamins found by some researchers*.
• Vitamin B6 is required for the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin. Vitamin B6 deficiency may result in symptoms of anxiety and depression, due to decreased serotonin production. Numerous drugs can deplete vitamin B6, which can often lead to depression.
• Vitamin B12 deficiency can result in depression. B12 deficiency occurs much more frequently in the elderly. A Norwegian mental hospital measured the B12 level of every patient over 30 years old who was admitted during a one-year period. The results showed that the percentage of mental patients with below normal vitamin B12 levels was 30 times higher than in the normal population in that area.
• According to doctors from the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, depressive symptoms are the most common neuropsychiatric signs of folic acid deficiency. In one study, patients with major depression with low folic acid levels were treated with methylfolate (15 mg/day) or a placebo. At both three and six months, patients showed substantial improvements in depression scores compared to the placebo controls. Overall, folic acid supplementation significantly enhanced recovery from psychiatric illness.
• St. John’s is one of the world’s most popular herbal treatment for depression, thanks to its extensive use in Europe. The scientific evidence for St. John’s wort, gathered in a number of fairly large clinical trials, is solid. European physicians write millions of prescriptions for St. John’s wort annually and it is one of the most publicized herbs in the U.S. Several reports have suggested that taking of St. John’s wort and SSRIs together could raise serotonin levels too much. "Serotonin syndrome" could result with symptoms that include sweating, tremor,confusion, flushing, and agitation. Check with a physician before taking St. John’s wort with these medications.
• Preliminary evidence indicates that people with depression may have lower levels of inositol. Supplementation with large amounts of inositol can increase the body’s stores by as much as 70%. In a double-blind trial, depressed people who received 12 grams of inositol per day for four weeks had a significant improvement in symptoms compared to those who took placebo. In a double-blind follow-up to this trial, the antidepressant effects of inositol were replicated. Half of those who responded to inositol supplementation relapsed rapidly when inositol was discontinued
• Ginkgo has traditionally been used as a supportive herb treating difficult cases of depression, often in combination with St. John’s wort. Ginkgo is among the oldest living species on earth and has been used extensively as a medicinal herb worldwide for centuries. It is the most frequently prescribed herb in Europe. Additionally ginkgo not only enhances memory and decision-making, it also lowers homocysteine levels for cardiovascular health.*
• Less than optimal intake of selenium may have adverse effects on psychological function, even in the absence of signs of frank selenium deficiency. In a preliminary trial of healthy young men, consumption of a high-selenium diet (226.5 mcg selenium per day) was associated with improved mood (i.e., decreased confusion, depression, anxiety, and uncertainty), compared to consumption of a low-selenium diet (62.6 mcg selenium per day.) In a double-blind trial, people who had a low selenium intake experienced greater improvement in depression symptoms after selenium supplementation (100 mcg per day) than did people with adequate selenium intake, suggesting that low-level selenium deficiency may contribute to depression.
• Omega-3 vs. Hostility

  Young adults with a high intake of omega-3 fatty acids may be less prone to hostility, say researchers, and this could in turn reduce their risk of heart attacks. The study is part of evidence suggesting polyunsaturated essential fatty acids may play a role in mental health.

  Hostility predicts both the development and manifestation of coronary disease, writes a U.S. team in European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. They examined the association of dietary omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, as well as fish, with the level of hostility in a sample of 3,581 young adults living in California.

  Both intake of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intake were separately associated with lower odds of high hostility, they report.

• Vitamin D supplementation may be associated with elevations in mood. In a double-blind trial, healthy people were given 400–800 IU per day of vitamin D3, or no vitamin D3, for five days during late winter. Results showed that vitamin D3 significantly enhanced positive mood and there was some evidence of a reduction in negative mood compared to a placebo. In another double-blind trial, people without depression took 600 IU of vitamin D along with 1,000 mg of calcium, or a placebo, twice daily for four weeks. Compared to the placebo, combined vitamin D and calcium supplementation produced significant elevations in mood that persisted at least one week after supplementation was discontinued.

Related sites:

National Institute of Mental Health - Depression

Natural mind and spirit support!

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These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.