Jack Challem The food mood solution John Wiley & Sons 2007

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Note: In serious or long-lasting cases of depression, work with your
physician. Do not transition from an antidepressant medication to St.
John s wort, and do not combine St. John s wort with antidepressant
medications without guidance from your physician.
Omega-3 fish oils. Several studies have found that fish oil supplements
may help in depression. These oils are rich in eicosapentaenoic acid
(EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), members of a family of
healthy and essential fats. The contemporary diet is very low in these
fats; this allows less healthy fats to take their place and affect brain
chemistry. Try 1 to 6 grams daily.
DHEA. The hormone dehydroepiandrosterone is the precursor to estro-
gen and testosterone. In the 1990s, it became a popular supplement
because it often boosted energy levels, increased muscle, and improved
libido and sexual performance. In a recent study, researchers used
large amounts of DHEA to successfully treat middle-aged men and
women with major depression. The subjects also had increases in sex-
ual activity.
Unlike most hormones, DHEA is sold over the counter and is widely
available at health food stores and pharmacies. There is great potential
for DHEA to be abused, though. You probably don t need DHEA if
you are under thirty-five years of age, and odds are that you won t need
it if you re younger than fifty. Before taking it, ask your physician to
232 THE FOOD-MOOD SOLUTI ON
measure your DHEA-S levels. If your DHEA-S levels are low, take 50
to 90 mg of DHEA daily but only under your doctor s supervision. Take
larger amounts only if your doctor recommends that you do so, and be
sure to have him or her retest your DHEA-S levels after six months and
one year.
Quick Tip
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Many people become depressed during the shorter daylight hours of fall and
winter, rebounding emotionally during the spring and the summer.This pat-
tern of depression is called seasonal affective disorder, and many researchers
believe it is caused by an imbalance in levels of melatonin.This hormone,
made by the pineal gland, regulates our circadian, or daily, rhythm and also
makes us sleepy. Levels of melatonin tend to increase in the evening,
decrease toward morning, and decrease further when we expose ourselves
to sunlight. Sunlight suppresses the production of melatonin.
When it s cloudy, when we spend too much time indoors, or when we
commute to and from work in the darker days of fall and winter, we re less
likely to dispose of our excess melatonin. As a result, our circadian rhythm
gets out of kilter, and we tend to feel depressed or physically sluggish.
There are several ways to rectify the problem and reset our circadian
clocks.The simplest and cheapest is to spend at least fifteen minutes in the
early morning sunlight, such as by going for a walk. If this isn t an easy option,
you can take two other steps.
One is to buy a bright full-spectrum lamp or light box (which mimics the
full light spectrum of natural daylight) and spend at least fifteen minutes
early in the morning reading or working in front of the light. For example,
I read my newspapers under a full-spectrum lamp immediately after waking
up, and I feel that doing so helps to sharpen my mind.
Another option is to take melatonin supplements, which are sold without
a prescription at most health food stores and pharmacies.You ll have to
experiment with the dosage too little won t help and too much may leave
you feeling drowsy. Start with a low dose, such as 250 to 500 mcg (0.25 to 0.5
mg), about one to two hours before you go to bed. Don t drive until you get a
sense of how drowsy melatonin makes you, and don t combine it with alco-
hol or any other sedatives. If your initial dose has no effect, increase it to 1 mg
and then keep increasing it by 1 mg up to when it starts to have an effect or
to a maximum of 9 mg.
It might strike you as odd to take melatonin when you already feel
depressed or sluggish.The key is in the timing, which will help you to get a
good night s sleep and reset your circadian clock. Even if you re not
depressed, melatonin may help if you have difficulty sleeping.
DEALING WITH DOWN DAYS, DEPRESSION, AND BIPOLAR DISORDER 233
L-Tyrosine. This amino acid is needed to make norepinephrine, epi-
nephrine, and dopamine, all of which are neurotransmitters that are
involved in promoting upbeat moods, wakefulness, and feelings of
excitement. It is also used in the manufacture of thyroid hormones.
L-tyrosine can be a potent natural upper, and you may benefit from daily
doses ranging from 500 to 2,000 mg divided in three or four doses each
day. L-tyrosine may increase blood pressure, however, so if you have
hypertension, please check with your doctor before taking it.
Phenylalanine. If you notice a slight improvement from L-tyrosine but
not as much as you would like, try adding 500 mg daily of L-phenylala-
nine. This is another natural upper amino acid and one that the body
uses to make L-tyrosine. If you aren t helped by phenylalanine, do not
continue to take it. Of course, if you experience a negative reaction to it,
stop taking it immediately.
The Ups and Downs of Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder and manic depression are the same mood disorder.
Manic depression is still an apt description, but psychiatrists now use the
term bipolar to describe the same symptoms. Bipolar disorder is gener-
ally characterized by alternating episodes of extreme emotional lows
(depression) and abnormal mood elevations (mania). The mania can be
so intense that people seem to be high or acting like maniacs. Each up
or down episode typically lasts from one week to several weeks.
What You Should Know
The main feature of bipolar disorder is the shift between days or weeks
of depression to days and weeks of abnormal euphoria. In general, bipo-
lar patients have symptoms of depression about one-third of the time.
The manic symptoms consist of repeated episodes of extreme euphoria
or irritability, nonstop talking, talking extremely fast, racing thoughts,
engaging in risky or dangerous behavior, and going with little or no
sleep for days or weeks at a time. The risky behavior comes from a feel-
ing of invulnerability and may affect personal relationships, finances,
and business dealings. The odds of having bipolar disorder at some
234 THE FOOD-MOOD SOLUTI ON
point in your life are surprisingly high almost 10 percent, according to
an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Hypomania is a mild form of mania in which people might feel that
they are functioning exceptionally well and are especially productive.
Some people in the manic phase might say they are busy with projects
and can t afford to sleep. In such cases, it is usually family members or
friends who notice that the person s behavior is unusual or extreme.
Hypomania can turn into severe mania, and occasionally, mania will
involve psychotic perceptions, including delusions and hallucinations.
For example, delusions of grandeur and paranoia may characterize some
cases of mania.
At its essence, bipolar disorder reflects a highly unstable brain chem- [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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