Archive for December, 2008

How Pregnancy Depletes Nutrients

December 30, 2008 at 10:00 pm · Filed under Clinical Nutrition

The Deep Need for a Comprehensive Postpartum Vitamin System for all Postpartum Women
by Dr. Dean Raffelock

Throughout the past 30 years in private practice, hundreds of women have told me they felt that their current health problems started soon after the birth of their child. The child may have been her first or fifth, and might now be a teenager or even a grown man or woman, but the mother remembers the postpartum onset of her symptoms as if it were yesterday.

The symptoms that usually start within the first to twelfth postpartum months vary widely among mothers. A few of the most common are despondency and despair, chronic fatigue, sleeplessness, anxiousness, lack of confidence, loss of sex drive and passion, muscle and joint pains, unhealthy skin, hair and nails, digestive disturbances, bladder problems, heart disease, trouble breathing, and a host of troubling emotions and moods swings. A woman can be puzzled, frustrated, even embarrassed when she reveals symptoms that have plagued her for years. She may have shared these self-observations with doctors only to find that they were not worthy of an acknowledgment or comforting comment from her physician. Any attempt on her part to connect the birth of one of her children with those symptoms may have been met with skepticism or passed over. Yet, she can’t shake the feeling that something about that particular birth began her health decline.

Her observations do have validity and merit. What most mainstream medical practitioners don’t fully take into consideration is that a baby’s body is formed and made entirely of nutrients donated by the mother’s body. Her child’s brain, eyes, muscles, bones, organs, glands, nerves, skin, tissues and fluids are entirely make from the nutrients taken from its mother’s bloodstream via the placenta.

If there is a lack of vital nutrients, the mother’s body is the first one that is deprived because her developing baby is Mother Nature’s priority. All mothers need to consciously replenish their lost nutritional and energetic reserves during the postpartum period. If this isn’t done, they might end up spending the rest of their lives wondering why they “just haven’t felt the same since the baby was born.”

The energy demands of caring for a newborn can further drain and deplete the mother’s nutrient reserves, especially if she is breastfeeding and sleep-deprived. If a woman has lost a great deal of blood while birthing her baby, the need for replenishing the nutritional components of blood is even more critical. Women who undergo Cesarean section also need to restore nutrient reserves; not only have they become mothers, they have had to have major surgery in the process. Women who lose a good deal of blood during the birth process and who don’t replenish key nutrients might experience light-headedness and throbbing headaches, along with extreme fatigue, sleeplessness, anxiety, and depression.

A new mother is also faced with the stress of integrating the intense needs of a new baby into her lifestyle while tending to her mate and perhaps other children and returning to work. All of these responsibilities that women – and those who are cared for by them – have taken for granted for millennia demand high-quality nutrients.

Our food supply presently contains only about half the nutrients that food contained in the 1940s due to the nutrient depletions in our soil. This fact makes it very difficult, if not impossible, for a mother to fully replenish the nutrient reserves her body donated to make her baby’s body solely from the food she eats. Eating highly refined and processed “junk” foods further depletes vital nutrients, which deepens the need to replenish postnatal nutrients even more.

Every physiologic process in the human body depends upon nutrients. The most important time to consciously replenish postpartum nutrient reserves begins immediately after giving birth and extends to 24 months postpartum. The failure to do this often sets the stage for chronic health problems that may last for decades.

There was a time that women throughout the globe would be given their placenta in some edible form to consume directly postpartum, much like dogs and cats do instinctively. The placenta contains highly concentrated amounts of the nutrients that the mother has lost through giving birth. The fact that eating one’s placenta is now culturally distasteful further supports the need to make a concerted effort to consume the appropriate nutrients and nourishing foods necessary for rebuilding and replenishing the new mother’s donated nutrient reserves.

A high potency postnatal nutrient program is now essential to help a postpartum woman replenish her nutrient reserves.

Presently, about 30 million Americans take anti-depressant and anti-anxiety drugs. Many of these are postpartum women. Many doctors prescribe Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, and a host of other anti-depressant drugs before considering whether the mother’s depair, fatigue, or lethargy might be caused by postpartum nutrient depletion. All the major brain neurotransmitter chemicals (like serotonin, norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine and GABA) that effect mood, energy, and many other physiological process are formed from nutrients.

Postpartum nutritional depletion can cause a physiological depair that is far too often misdiagnosed as a mental/emotional despair. This is a medical short-sightedness that needs to change. A postnatal nutrient recovery program should be the very first thing a doctor thinks of and prescribes for postpartum women presenting these symptoms; especially with women who have no history of despair, hopelessness, anxiousness, sleeplessness, or fatigue prior to giving birth. Continuing to take a high quality, comprehensive postnatal nutrient program can also help determine if there is truly a need for pharmaceutical antidepressant support or if replenishing nutrients is sufficient.

If one does need the assistance of antidepressant drugs, it is important to note that these drugs contain no nutrients, so the need to replenish postpartum nutrient reserves still exists and should be addressed. This can also aid and prevent other postpartum health problems. The need for high potency postnatal nutrients is greater now than ever before because the pace of life keeps getting faster, more complex and stressful.

Omega-3 oils are robbed from the mother’s body at a very high rate via the placenta to help form her baby’s brain, eyes, nerves, and cellular membranes. Breast feeding robs even more Omega 3 oils from a postpartum woman’s body because it is removed from her body to form the milk her body is producing. Many studies show the importance of Omega 3 fish oils to relieve depression, dry skin, thin hair and nails, fatigue and prevent heart disease in postpartum women. Omega 3 oils are an essential ingredient in a good postnatal nutrient program to assist a mother to replenish her nutrient reserves. It is vitally important that the Omega 3 fish oils taken be certified free of heavy metals and PCBs and also contain at least 3 different antioxidants (Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and rosemary oil are best) to prevent these oils from going rancid. Flax oil does not easily convert into DHA and EPA found in fish oils.

All the major nutrients are taken from mother’s body to help form baby’s body. Alpha Lipoic Acid and Coenzyme Q 10are essential for the body to make energy. Without enough of these two essential nutrients, the energy producing mitochondria in our cells will often make only 2 units of ATP (cellular energy) instead of 39 units of ATP per cycle. These two deficiencies are major causes of postpartum fatigue and mood swings.

These two nutrients along with B vitamins, minerals including calcium and magnesium, and the Omega 3 oils are essential nutrients to help a mother replenish her postpartum nutrient reserves and should be included in a good postnatal nutrient formula. Typical prenatal vitamins do not adequately supply all of the nutrients that new mothers require after bringing new life into this world.

A high quality postnatal nutrient program should be an integral part of the pregnancy recovery program required for all postpartum women to fully replenish their nutrient reserves. This can assist new mothers to not only regain their health and prevent later health problems, but also to allow her the best chance of happily raising her family and having other healthy pregnancies and healthy children if desired.

Dr. Dean Raffelock is the lead author of A NATURAL GUIDE TO PREGNANCY AND POSTPARTUM HEALTH published by Avery, Putnam, Penguin in 2003. He is a holistic doctor in private practice in Boulder, Colorado. He has earned four board certifications including clinical nutrition, acupuncture, chiropractic, and applied kinesiology and continues to teach research-based clinical nutrition for numerous medical organizations. Dr. Raffelock formulates premium quality nutrition products for Sound Formulas and other nutriceutical companies.

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Pregnancy and Postpartum Fatigue

December 28, 2008 at 10:00 pm · Filed under Clinical Nutrition

Metabolism – How Your Cells Make Energy
Information from the book “A Natural Guide to Pregnancy and Postpartum Health” by Dr. Dean Raffelock

 

Metabolism

One of the most common postpartum symptoms is a lack of energy. While some fatigue is certainly par for the course, debilitating fatigue – such that day after day you feel you cannot even get out of bed – is not. Some women say they are absolutely exhausted and yet cannot sleep at night, even while their babies are sleeping. We have found that many women who lack energy also complain about weakness in their muscles and a rapid heart rate. The good news is that many women who thought their fatigue was normal have been surprised at how much more energetic they can be with a few nutritional and lifestyle adjustments.

Let’s go down to the cellular level and examine what happens there to drain your energy reserves. This may sound complicated at first, but hang in there and you will discover why it is so important to get the right nutrients to maintain your energy.

Where does your body get energy from?

You probably know that the food you eat is metabolized, or burned,” in your body to make energy. The foods you eat are broken dow n into their most basic components in your digestive system, or gastrointestinal tract. These basic nutrient components amino acids from protein foods, glucose (sugar) from carbohydrates, and fatty acids from fats are then absorbed into tiny blood and lymphatic vessels that line the intestines. The nutrients then either pass through the liver or circulate in the bloodstream until they are taken up by cells that need fuel. Vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients (nutrients that take part in bodily processes but are not burned for energy) are absorbed and circulated in a similar way.

Important parts of the metabolic process then happen in microscopic power plants called mitochondria that exist in almost every cell in your body. About 2,500 mitochondria sit within each kind of cell in the body (except for red blood cells), and some cells can increase the numbers of mitochondria they have if the body perceives a need for more energy. For example, muscle cells create more mitochondria over time if you increase the energy demands on the muscles with an aerobic exercise program.

Energy is produced in the mitochondria by the breaking apart of the bonds that hold fuel molecules together. That energy is stored in the form of a molecule called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, and is released as needed by the splitting apart of the ATP molecule into adenosine diphospate (ADP) and inorganic phosphorus. Think of ATP as the workhorse of the cell, supplying the energy for whatever cellular work needs t o be done. For a muscle cell, this could be contraction; for an immune cell, it could be killing off bacterial invaders; for one of the cells that make up the intestinal lining, it could be bringing nutrients into and out of the bloodstream.

This conversion of food to energy is driven by a series of chemical reactions driven along by enzymes –complex molecules that regulate the rate of chemical reactions in the body. Micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals act as coenzymes and cofactors in the mitochondria, working alongside the enzymes to keep energy production going.

Figure 3.1 is a diagram that represents the metabolic processes that takes place in the mitochondria. It may look complicated at first, but as you read on, you will find that it is simpler than it looks.

Every fuel that goes into your body protein, fat, or carbohydrate is eventually transformed into a single substance, called acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl co-A) (5), before it is metabolized in the mitochondria. This allows these three different types of fuel to enter the same mitochondria1 energy making process. To become acetyl co-A, glucose (blood sugar) undergoes a process termed glycolysis (2), fats undergo beta-oxidation (3), and proteins undergo dearnination (1). The resulting acetyl co-A is a fuel that is transformed into ATP through the processes of the citric acid cycle and the electron transport chain. Once all of this has taken place, metabolic waste, in20the form of carbon dioxide and water, is all that is left of the fuel that started out as (hopefully) a nutritious meal.

In glycolysis, molecules of glucose are transformed into substance called pyruvic acid, or pyruvate. This process does not require oxygen, and so is called anaerobic (without oxygen) metabolism. This transformation, which requires the presence of vitamins B1, (thiamin) and B3, (niacin), yields two units of ATP (physiological energy) and leaves behind two molecules of pyruvate for each available molecule of glucose. Glycolysis produces energy quickly but inefficiently. Anaerobic metabolism is like trying to keep a fire going with nothing but tiny twigs. The flames up quickly, but go out quickly. Glycolysis — anaerobic energy production is often involved in the fight-or-flight reaction, a response to stress that mobilizes the body for a very fast expenditure of energy. The classic fight-or-flight example is that of a person who encounters a predator, such as a lion, in the wild — and who must then immediately either run from or fight the danger. Anaerobic metabolism helps to provide the quick energy release that helps us to respond to emergency situations. After the emergency is over, the body should be able to return to aerobic metabolism for he majority of its energy.

Approximately 90 percent of the body’s energy production should be aerobic, taking place within the mitochondria. Assuming the conditions are right, the end result of glycolysis — pyruvate — is first converted into acetyl co-A. (If the cells do not have enough oxygen available, however, they may convert pyruvate into another substance, lactic acid [lactate], which is usually involved in anaerobic energy production.) Acetyl co-A enters into the series of biochemical reactions known as the citric acid cycle, or Krebs cycle, and the electron transport chain (ETC). Here it is acted on by several enzymes and nutrient coenzymes to generate energy in the form of ATP. By the time the cycle has run its course, all that is left of the original molecule of glucose is carbon dioxide, water, and thirty-six units of ATP. This portion of the energy production process is aerobic — in other words, it requires oxygen — and it is obviously much more efficient than glycolysis, since it yields thirty-six ATP units for each original glucose molecule, while glycolysis yields only two. In addition to oxygen, the citric acid cycle requires the presence of adequate amounts of certain nutrients, among them vitamins B1, (thiamin), B2, (riboflavin), and B3, (niacin); lipoic acid; pantothenic acid; the minerals iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and sulfur; and the amino acids arginie, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, histadine, isoleucine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, tyrosine, and valine. The electron transport chain, which is the other energy (ATP)-producing metabolic pathway within the mitochondria, helps to produc e another three units of ATP. This process requires the presence of coenzyme Ql0, magnesium, zinc, and vitamins B2, B3, C, and K.

Another nutrient, called carnitine, serves as a sort of shuttle for fatty acid molecules, transporting them cross the membranes that surround the mitochondria so that they can be transformed into acetyl co-A and used for aerobic metabolism. Carnitine is made in the body from the amino acids lysine and methionine, with the help of iron and vitamins B2, B6, and C.

Now you can understand why nutritional deficiencies can affect one’s energy and sense of well being at the most basic level.

Aerobic energy production is the slow-burning counterpart to anaerobic energy production — the big logs on the fire that take a little longer to catch but that last for hours. You need the twigs to get those logs going, how ever, just as you need glycolysis (or deamination, or beta-oxidation) to make aerobic energy in the mitochondria.

The conditions are right for aerobic metabolism when all of the nutrients needed for the citric acid cycle and electron transport chain are readily available. If they aren’t, the cell can still make energy through glycolysis — the first step shown in Figure 3.1. The problem is that this only creates two units of ATP from each original glucose molecule rather than the thirty-six made via the citric acid cycle and the three from the ETC. This is important bec ause mitochondria1 energy production shifts into this less efficient mode when the nutrient cofactors necessary for aerobic metabolism are not present in adequate amounts. Another way to look at this is that if the body lacks the necessary nutrients to fuel these metabolic pathways, fewer mitochondria are able to produce the high amounts of ATP that the citric acid cycle and electron transport chain yield.

The Far Reaching Effects of Inefficient Energy Production

When the mitochondria produce energy inefficiently, the adrenal glands and thyroid gland pump out more of their hormones in an effort to get more fuel to the cells. While this will give you energy, it is not the kind of energy that feels good; it is a “fight-or-flight” kind of energy that feels stressful and further depletes your body. (A more detailed discussion of adrenal and thyroid hormones appears in Chapter 9.) Your muscles, which are your body’s main storage depot for glucose, become depleted as the adrenal and thyroid hormones cause them to give up their stored fuel to be burned by cells throughout the body.

The brain has an especially high requirement for glucose; along with the red blood cells (which carry oxygen through the bloodstream); it uses up about 65 percent of the glucose circulating in the blood. If your body is burning glucose inefficiently, your brain may not get as much glucose as it needs, possibly leading to the “brain fog” that is so common in new moms, and that is often c halked up to sleep deprivation.

If pyruvate, the end product of glycolysis, is not transformed into acetyl co-A and handed on down to the processes of aerobic metabolism, it is transformed into lactic acid. This can happen due either to anaerobic exercise — exercise that raises the heart rate too high — which causes the body to burn glucose, or to a deficiency of the B vitamins required to convert the pyruvate into acetyl co-A and move it through the citric acid cycle and electron transport chain. The presence of excessive levels of lactic acid in the body can have a number of different effects. Lactic acid buildup stimulates the adrenal glands to produce the stress hormone cortisol, leading to even more losses of glucose from the muscles, more glycolysis, and less aerobic energy production in the cells. Excessive cortisol production in turn also induces the body to break down tissues and reduce the production of other important hormones and of the neurotransmitter serotonin all of which can have negative effects throughout the body as well as on mood. Lactic acid buildup also causes a distinctive fatigued sensation in the muscles — you may have felt the “burn” of lactic acid buildup in your muscles during heavy exercise.

A subtler, chronic form of lactic acid buildup can occur if the nutrients your mitochondria need for aerobic metabolism are scarce. If you tend to awaken in the middle of the night and have trouble going back to sleep, lacti c acid buildup could be the cause. Fatigue, the shakes and sweats of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and cravings for sweets all can be signs that your cells are using up your body’s glucose stores too quickly. Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and physiologic depression have problems with lactic acid buildup.

Medical research has linked chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia (a mysterious chronic muscle pain syndrome), migraine headaches, heart rate irregularities, and diabetes to mitochondria1 dysfunction. Our clinical experience has shown that supplying plenty of the right nutrients can do wonders for postpartum fatigue by supplying the mitochondria with the fuel they need to burn energy efficiently. (In later chapters, you will find guidelines for increasing your intake of these nutrients with diet and supplements.)

Controlling Free Radical Production

Just as your car makes toxic exhaust during the process of fuel combustion, the mitochondria make their own potentially toxic byproducts in the process of metabolism. These byproducts are free radicals, and they can do significant damage in the body if produced in excess, or if the body is unable to remove them safely. Free radical production is escalated under certain circumstances, such as when your immune system goes on the attack (either against harmful organisms or, in the case of autoimmune disease, against the body’s own tissues), when your liver filters out and disposes of toxic substances, or when you are under a great=2 0deal of physical or emotional stress. Free radical overload is thought to play a role in causing many, if not most, chronic and serious diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as in the aging process.

Your body employs substances known as antioxidants to protect it’s self against free radicals. Vitamins C and E and beta-carotene are well-known antioxidants found in the foods you eat. Dozens of other antioxidants are found in healthy foods as well. Study after study has shown that people who eat diets rich in antioxidants are healthier than those who do not. A shortage of these nutrients allows excess free radicals to age you prematurely, inside and out. (Dietary measures to increase your supply of antioxidant nutrients will be discussed in Chapter 5.) Your body also makes its own antioxidants, including the enzymes glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase, and coenzyme Q10.

However, it can produce these substances only with the aid of certain nutrients from foods, including the amino acid cysteine and the minerals selenium, manganese, copper, zinc, and iron. If the supply of any of these nutrient precursors (building blocks) is insufficient, antioxidant production suffers and free radicals can begin to build up and cause damage.

(Click image to view full size)

 

draffelock

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“Magnesium Oil” for Mood

December 23, 2008 at 10:00 pm · Filed under Minerals

Here is information from a company I found a few years ago.  At first, I was skeptical- but when I started reading their newsletter I became intrigued.  After I found out a friend buys their ‘Magnesium Oil’ by the gallon I tried it for myself.

Now, I soak in this wonderful oil each and every week.  Soaking in these minerals gives me a great sense of peace and wellness.  Indeed, transdermal mineral therapy is a great way to take in minerals.

Today I am happy to provide you with this information from Global Light Network.  It is not my practice to promote certain brands on WellPostpartum Weblog and I certainly don’t accept money from any company I feature here.  But this product is too good to miss- especially for those of you struggling with mood issues.  Magnesium is powerfully suited to alleviate mood and anxiety disorders (see all articles under ‘minerals’).   One study found that 89.7% of its depressed participants were deficient in magnesium. 

Global Light Network (like all other companies selling health-related products) is prevented from making health claims about its products.  So, they regularly post testimonials from their clients.  They also provide free CDs with great information.

Click here for more information or to order Magnesium Oil from Global Light Network.  Here are some testimonials:

Magnesium Absorption

One Person’s Depression and Magnesium Oil . . . Magnesium in a transdermal form is probably the best delivery short of IV injection for depression and anxiety. I got no relief from supplements in powder, liquid or capsule. I got 70% relief from depression/anxiety just by taking a footbath in magnesium chloride/ transdermal magnesium.
The relief was instant.

I took the footbath and went to the park for exercise, and I could see relief that was more than noticeable . . . it was remarkable. I don’t know about oral ingestion, because if your digestion or immunity is compromised, all you will get is relief from constipation.

Magnesium doesn’t cure anything in the wonder drug sense of things — it just goes where there is a deficit of magnesium the body bypassing the digestive tract. That fact is very important.
-Posted to Internet with No Name
Transdermal Magnesium Changed a Life . . . Magnesium changed my life I’ve been on Paxil and then Serzone for the past ten years. Recently suffering a LOT of work stress, depression, anxiety, nervousness, insomnia, drinking too much. Was researching what antidepressant to turn to next and then I read about Magnesium.

Started fish oil and then a month later heard about magnesium. The magnesium eliminated all the above symptoms in a few days. I do not reach for the booze when stressed out anymore. I feel relaxed as ever.

Check out the Magnesium Miracle by Dr. Carolyn Dean and The Magnesium Factor by Mildred Seelig.

According to the above authors you could be deficient in magnesium if you are stressed out, nervous, depressed, take too much booze, caffeine or sugar.
-Posted with No Name

This stuff is MAGIC! . . . In one year I had been in the hospital for three operations: first a total hip replacement (THR) of my left hip, then a total knee replacement (TKR) of my right knee, and then a shunt in my skull to drain off fluid which had been causing me short-term memory problems. It was far more convenient for the hospital and rehab facility to keep me in bed rather than to let me up to walk around. So, swelling and pain caught up with me for lack of exercise.

The very first day that I put the Essence of Life Magnesium Oil on top of my knees and on my calves and then rubbed it well into the knee joints, some of the pain went down. Next the edema (swelling) around my knees began to go down. It’s awful when you can’t reach down to pick up a piece of paper you just dropped on the floor because your knees won’t bend, and you can’t tug your shoes on over the heel of your foot. Then, too, a short period of standing would bring on uncomfortable aches in my legs. The Magnesium Oil began to bring these abilities back to normal for me, gradually but permanently. I use it every day now, and my body rewards me by feeling better all the time.

I’ve been studying alternative ways to improve my health for many years now. Naturally I began to wonder WHY this Magnesium had become so important to my health that it could knock me flat if I didn’t have enough in my system. The answers came slowly and in strange puzzling ways.

In my mid-thirties, I began to have restless legs. This only came on at night when I became horizontal. They would twitch and keep me awake. I gritted my teeth and hung on. Many sleepless nights began to plague me.

One day while sitting at my desk, I began to have heart palpitations. My heart actually felt like it was going to jump right out of my chest. But when it missed a beat or two, then gave two irregular beats, I got really scared. I headed for the doctor at the military hospital. I thought he would put me through some tests. But no, he just listened to my story.

“We don’t know what causes it, but don’t worry about it. It’s called heart arrhythmia.” And I was turned out on my own. No advice, no concern, no magic pills to cure it all.

That was really what set me on the path to studying alternative health. I started taking vitamins, adding first one group and then another. The same with other supplements. The B vitamins did give me more energy, then most of my heart symptoms and leg twitches started to go down. But I couldn’t really tell which one of the supplements was helping me. OK, I’ll just take them ALL! As I read about their benefits, my dining room table became increasingly filled with more of these supplements. Then there would be excited announcements on TV about “the latest discovery for health.” But when you broke it down for information, it either had very little substance to it, was an expensive prescription item, or it had hideous side effects.

Then I remembered my older brother had had to give up going to his precious opera performances. By the middle of the first act he always had to get up out of his seat and walk the hallways because of his leg twitches, thus missing half the performance. Was this an indicator that it was a genetic problem? No, it turns out, we have all been suffering from a secret malnutrition.

During World War II there was meat and sugar rationing. From the viewpoint of my teenage years on an Iowa farm, it actually affected me very little. We raised our own cattle and hogs, pasture fed for the most part and butchered at the local locker plant. By keeping our sugar consumption at a low level, it no doubt kept diabetes at bay. We raised our own fruits and vegetables, canning a lot for winter use. I never realized until now that these were the most nutrition- filled days of my life.

Modern processing of foods has taken the most nutritious parts of many foods, and thrown them away. The hull of the wheat has been taken out of our bread. It is THIS hull which contains the magnesium and other minerals we so desperately need today.

Our ancestors roamed the fields and forest, stopping along the way to gather nuts and seeds to eat right on the spot. Thus in our evolution, our body wisdom said we didn’t need to conserve magnesium in our body, that it was always available in nuts and seeds for us to eat on almost a daily basis. Not now! So we end up short of magnesium! I love whole-grain breads. It MUST be the magnesium in them.

When you order this Essence of Life Magnesium Oil, be sure to order the book, Transdermal Magnesium Therapy by Mark Sircus.

Have you tried oral Magnesium supplements, such as magnesium oxide or magnesium citrate? According to Sircus they are the worst to assimilate, which is why they both have a strong laxative effect. (I can’t take more than 250 mg magnesium oxide before bedtime without encountering this laxative effect.) When I had my interview before surgery, I specifically asked if they added magnesium to the intravenous drip during and after surgery. “No, we don’t do that!” My request for it amounted to nothing, even though I said I knew I was magnesium deficient.

So having access to Magnesium Oil is truly MAGIC for me. It is absorbed through the skin immediately and goes right to work, bypassing the trials of the digestive system where it has to fight its way past digestive juices.

Magnesium and Calcium have a sort of love-hate relationship. They both head to the same connectors in the body, so they should be taken at different times of the day. Even so, magnesium is needed to an extent for proper calcium assimilation. Dr Christine Northrup recommends a 1:1 Ratio, especially important for women at the time of menopause. Magnesium also has the capability to calm our nerves. (I noted the loss of magnesium at the time of my surgeries coincided with terrible cases of nerves — which I had never had before then.)

On the list of common foods with magnesium, given in the book, I found a lot of my favorites among nuts: almonds, brazil nuts and walnuts. Uh-Oh! Peanuts are listed too, but I have become super-sensitized to them and even have to avoid peanut butter. I understand others have the same problem with peanuts, so I stay clear of them.

Ever notice how your magnesium deficiency symptoms seem to decrease around the holidays, like right now? Maybe it is because you are indulging in the luxury of eating lots of nuts during this holiday season. Take heed! Go ahead and indulge!

There is a saboteur among these foods though. I learned long ago, that although spinach had lots of calcium, it was not available to the body, because it also contained oxalic acid which bound tightly to the calcium. It seems it does the same with magnesium. Another source I read says that there is also oxalic acid in almonds. It isn’t mentioned in this book, however, so do your own research. Sea vegetables have lots of magnesium, although I find them a little difficult to take.

So it is back to the Magnesium Oil rubbed into your skin. I found it does a wonderful job as an underarm deodorant as well. Just don’t put it on skin that is raw or nicked. The natural salt in this Oil will get your attention in these cuts real fast. I like to use a cotton square to spread the Oil around. (Then you can use it one more time by just wetting it and stroking the area. There is enough of the Magnesium Oil left in the cotton to do a second treatment.)
Towards calm, pain-free days, K.K., KY
Our Magnesium Oil Changed Her Life . . . I sent her a free sample when I heard that she was in the hospital:

Just wanted to tell you what a wonderful product the Essence of Life Magnesium Oil has been for me.

I was recently hospitalized in ICU for fluid buildup in my lungs (due to chemo toxicity) that resulted in congestive heart failure. I put on 20 pounds of fluid, and the diuretics took off only 10 of that by the time I was discharged. I had about 5 pounds of fluid in my lungs, which they tapped, and the other 5 pounds I lost in the hospital.

So I came home 10 pounds heavier. The diuretics took off about 1 or maybe 2 pounds per day. On my second night home I had my partner rub the Magnesium Oil on my back and sides where there was fluid “puffiness” and the next morning I lost a whopping 5 pounds of fluid all at once. I returned to normal weight very quickly with the help of the Oil.

The next few nights after that I rubbed it on my arm, which has had lymphedema for a year, and the next morning my arm would have less fluid in it. It is almost normal size now, from being about twice as big as normal. I consider the Magnesium Oil to be a miracle and highly recommend this safe and natural product to everyone.

I gave some to my mother to use on her swollen, arthritic knee, and it helped reduce swelling and pain, and it did the same for a friend’s arthritic hand as well. So this Oil is indeed a special gift. Thanks so much for sending it to me!
L.C., US

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Vitamins for Bipolar?

December 21, 2008 at 10:00 pm · Filed under Clinical Nutrition

Vitamins for bipolar: cure or quackery?Karen Gram, Vancouver Sun
Published: Monday, January 07, 2008

Monica Carsience says it’s the answer to her prayers. David Hardy calls it good pig husbandry. Health Canada suggested it was quackery and spent years trying to shut it down.

A dry cocktail of vitamins and minerals that calms aggressive pigs and seems to have eradicated bipolar disorder symptoms in almost 10,000 North Americans, drives these strongly held views. Views that pit bureaucratic rules against a human need for relief and squeeze the scientists in the middle.

Could pig pills really heal a mental illness, the cure for which has long eluded medicine?

Maybe.

Psychiatric experts familiar with it say the widespread anecdotal success of the pig formula indicates research into mental illness should make a sharp shift away from pharmaceuticals to examine the potential of vitamin and mineral therapy. One goes so far as to say it has the potential to be the most significant breakthrough in mental health since the beginning of time. READ ON…

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Women To Women- A Unique Approach

December 14, 2008 at 10:00 pm · Filed under Bio-identical Hormones, Clinical Nutrition

Postpartum depression’s silver lining

by Marcy Holmes, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner

Anyone who has ever had a baby knows that sometimes – or maybe I should say often – pregnancy and childbirth don’t match the picture-perfect image we see in the parenting magazines. The most classic instance of this mismatch occurs when a new mother experiences postpartum depression (PPD), especially when it hits after she’s had a terrific, even enjoyable pregnancy. But for me, a tale of a wonderful, happy prenatal experience followed by a bad case of postpartum blues points to a distinct health issue that might otherwise go unnoticed: a hormonal imbalance that can resurface or persist all the way through to menopause.

Maybe you’re long past your childbearing years, or maybe you’ve just had a baby recently. Either way, you should realize that it’s important for you to pay attention to your postnatal emotions. If you are a new mom who is feeling blue or depressed, or even if you felt that way when your now-teenage son or daughter was still in diapers, understand that there are physical circumstances related to these emotions that are important to recognize, even years later. I’ve had patients tell me, “I haven’t felt quite right ever since I gave birth,” long after their child has passed out of babyhood. It only makes sense: if there was an underlying imbalance before you had a baby that manifested in PPD, it’s probably still with you even after the PPD resolves. That’s the silver lining to PPD: it can highlight a hormonal balance problem that you can address before it starts causing you major difficulties with your menopause transition – which is especially important if you’re an older mom who might already be starting perimenopause. Trying to balance your hormones while chasing a toddler around can be a challenge, to say the least! So let’s talk about what happens to our hormones postpartum and how PPD can act as a signpost for regaining our hormonal balance afterward.

It’s not just a “mood” you’re in – our hormones after pregnancy

As we so often tell our patients at Women to Women, your endocrine system is inextricably linked with your brain and nervous system. This explains why we are more prone to problems with mood during hormonal fluctuations. These periods of vulnerability include puberty (menarche), premenstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause.

I don’t think many would dispute that having a baby ranks near the top of that list of hormonal transitions when it comes to how “big” its impact is in our lives! Mother Nature offers us many wondrous ways to maintain our wellness through change, but historically, childbirth has been the biggest risk to survival (never mind wellness!) that a woman may face. The hormonal tides of adolescence, perimenopause and menopause generally wash over us more gradually than the hormonal tsunami of childbirth. In today’s world the mother’s survival is not usually a concern, but the risk of depression and other mood problems does rise during any one of these times in a woman’s life, especially when she is under stress of any kind (as most of us are).

Postpartum emotions can make you feel like something is surely wrong. In truth, your feelings are perfectly natural – in the sense that they reflect the hormonal changes happening in your body and brain – but that doesn’t mean that they are optimal for keeping you and your child healthy. In all likelihood, the message they are conveying is, “Send more support!” And that can mean both emotional support, help caring for the baby, and most importantly, support for your physical healing.

If you’re long past your bout with PPD, you may be saying, “NOW you tell me!” – but bear with me, because it’s still not too late to benefit from your PPD experience.

What PPD tells us about our hormones

One of the most significant hormones related to PPD is progesterone. During pregnancy, the level of progesterone in the body is at an all-time high. Progesterone helps to prevent lactation during pregnancy, and a sudden drop in levels takes place just before birth to facilitate onset of labor and allow lactation to kick in. For some women whose depression manifests itself in irritability, poor sleep, and agitated, restless behavior (these are the women who go down to the basement to clean it when they feel out of sorts), progesterone has calming effects in the brain, too, and if you’re one of those, it follows that your mood can change following childbirth, as it returns to your prepregnant levels around day five. For you and women like you, progesterone deficiency is an important aspect of PPD.

But what’s tricky about progesterone is that it’s not always that the hormone itself is deficient. Some women are unusually sensitive to fluctuations in progesterone levels. That means that even if the hormone is at what most would consider a “normal” level, these women’s bodies and brains respond as if they’re experiencing abnormally low progesterone. So the answer is not simply to test whether progesterone is low – we also must assess whether a woman has a history that points to this kind of sensitivity.

So how do you know if you’re one of those women who is highly sensitive to fluctuations in progesterone levels? By understanding your own personal reproductive rhythms. In your menstrual cycle, progesterone is at its highest after ovulation, then drops off just before menstruation. Mood changes associated with this drop in progesterone are similar to those seen in PPD-it’s almost as if PPD is a magnified form of PMS moods. If you have major mood changes around your menstrual cycle, it could indicate that you are highly sensitive to changes in your progesterone levels, meaning you’re more likely to develop PPD. And if any of the above rings a bell – “This is me!” – then hormonal balance could also become an issue for you at menopause.

When motherhood and menopause converge

We’ve heard repeatedly that many women 35 and above are becoming mothers for the first time, often accompanied by a lot of handwringing as to what this influx of mothers in their late 30s and 40s means for maternal health during and after pregnancy. We think that concern is overstated, and that women who choose to delay their families until their 30s or 40s actually have certain advantages over younger women – particularly when it comes to postpartum depression. A healthy 40-year-old woman is actually at less risk than some younger mothers for PPD because she is more likely to have a stable family life and a social support system, not to mention a stronger sense of self. Mothers in their late 30s and 40s may also have spent more time planning for motherhood and may be better prepared for the ups and downs of caring for a newborn. And studies show that women over 35 are more likely to seek help for depression than younger mothers, so they don’t suffer with it as long.

The one area where mothers in their 40s have more to think about than younger moms is their hormonal balance. It’s not unusual for a later-life mom to go straight to menopause after childbirth without any interlude. If you’re a new mom nearing (or in) perimenopause, it’s that much more important that you do what you can to care for your overall health if you’re to avoid PPD, not to mention limit your menopause symptoms while caring for young children (particularly if you’re breastfeeding).

So let’s take a look at some things you can do, whether you want to address PPD right now, or if you’re trying to restore hormonal balance long after childbirth:

Think nutrition, nutrition, nutrition.

If you’ve just given birth and are breastfeeding, you may still be taking the prescription prenatal vitamins offered to pregnant women – and you should absolutely keep taking them! And consider adding a high-grade omega-3 fatty acid supplement – studies show it acts as a natural antidepressant. But if you’re not breastfeeding, or if you’re long past childbirth, then it’s important that you make sure you get all your key vitamins and minerals. We can’t stress enough how important a pharmaceutical-grade multivitamin is as a first step – but it’s not the only step to good nutrition. What you eat and when you eat it is just as important to restoring your body’s balance. The suggestions we offer in our article on eating to support your adrenal glands are just as effective in helping you to heal the hormonal imbalances uncovered by PPD.

Include movement into your routine.

Most people need some sense of routine in their life to feel “normal.” If you’ve just given birth and are feeling blue, it’s not a bad idea to adopt a new regimen for yourself. Just remember that it needs to be flexible enough to work with baby’s ever-shifting schedule. Just getting up in the morning, bathing and getting dressed each day will help you feel better, but the more you can do to move your body, the better you’ll feel. You can start with gentle exercise that can build and tone muscle slowly, like yoga, t’ai chi, or walking – these are relatively easy to include even with a new baby. And do what you can to get sunshine and fresh air every day!

Even if PPD is far in your past, you may find it helpful to make alterations to your existing routine geared toward improving your hormonal balance. For example: If you’re not already into an exercise routine, make an effort to move your body daily. It doesn’t have to be an ambitious hour-long high-impact aerobics class! Just going for a walk, gardening, or some other activity will give your health a boost. Exercise promotes mood-stabilizing hormones and relieves stress – both important components to regaining hormonal balance.

Prioritize your health.

Busy moms often forget to take time for themselves, not realizing that when they neglect their health, the whole family suffers. So make sure you prioritize yourself, as much for their sakes as for your own. If you’ve been feeling physically out of sorts since childbirth – even if years have passed – talk to your healthcare practitioner about what’s been going on. Look at our articles on adrenal health and fatigue to see if you recognize a pattern in your life, and take steps to correct these problems. Above all, don’t feel guilty about taking care of yourself!

Explore your emotional story.

We have previously discussed the link between stress and health in our articles on emotions, health and stress. Where PPD is concerned, some of your experiences as a child might be fueling some of your emotions about being a parent. Were your own parents loving and present in your life, or were they detached and absent, or even abusive? Do you feel confident about your capabilities as a mother, or are you scared, confused, and unsure whether you’ll be able to care for your child? These factors can affect your physical well-being more than you might imagine, and if they’re part of your circumstances, consider talking with a therapist or using emotional healing techniques to address them. Even if your child is no longer a baby, it’s worthwhile looking at your feelings about being a parent if this is a source of stress.
Consider bioidentical progesterone therapy.

When we see women at our clinic with depression after childbirth, we sometimes check their progesterone levels; if unusually low, we prescribe a regimen of bioidentical progesterone therapy. Though there are no controlled studies to date of progesterone in the prevention or treatment of postpartum depression, at Women to Women we have used prescription-strength bioidentical progesterone replacement to help women whose levels remain very low postpartum, to good effect. We will also sometimes use this protocol in women whose depression shows up in restlessness, sleeplessness, or agitation, even if their progesterone levels are normal, as these women seem to be unusually sensitive to hormonal fluctuations. Natural progesterone has a known effect on the GABA receptors in the brain – the same receptors that opiate drugs (narcotics) bind to. I will say that this protocol is controversial, so many conventional practitioners may be unwilling to try it. We and others, however, regularly observe improvement in these women’s depression and anxiety, and although there have been no large trials to date that prove its efficacy, we have used this protocol to good effect many times for many years.

Progesterone protocol for PPD

400 mg bioidentical progesterone in divided doses: 100 mg in the a.m., 100 mg at noon; and 200 mg in the p.m.

We have a reliable compounding pharmacy such as New England Compounding Pharmacy or Women’s International Pharmacy make this up for our patients as sublingual troches (tro’-keez) or capsules. The reason we do not use creams is because we need to use higher levels of progesterone than a cream base can accommodate. We divide the dose to prevent associated fatigue or “spacey” feelings sometimes associated with a rapid increase in progesterone levels.
Reduce inflammation.

Inflammation is a key factor in depression, and studies show that mothers with PPD have higher levels of inflammation. Other physical and psychosocial stressors – risk factors for depression – also increase inflammation. Anxiety in first-time mothers, for example, is also strongly linked with activation of the inflammatory response. So anything you can do to reduce anxiety and inflammation in your body is a good first step towards treating or avoiding PPD naturally – and it’s generally good for health even if you’re long past PPD. One good strategy is to eliminate foods that cause inflammation, like refined sugar or flour, caffeine, and alcohol. At the same time, you can increase your intake of nature’s best anxiety-dissolvers and anti-inflammatories, such as omega-3 fatty acids and safe, gentle herbs (good even for moms and babes) like chamomile and motherwort. Exercise, cognitive therapy, and the herbal antidepressant St. John’s wort have also been shown to help down-regulate inflammation. You have many choices, but for best results, consult with a professional, particularly if you’re breastfeeding – there are some herbs that are not necessarily good for your baby and should be avoided until you wean him or her. (See also our article on natural anti-inflammatories.)

If you’re a new mom, these additional points apply to you:

Seek help if you’re currently in PPD or baby blues. The earlier advice to prioritize your health goes double if you’re actually suffering from baby blues or PPD right now. This is the hard part about PPD – understanding that it’s a physical problem that may need medical intervention. There’s such a stigma associated with any sort of mental illness that many new moms – even those of us in the healthcare profession who ought to know better! – hide their symptoms and pretend everything’s okay when it’s really not. Whether your blues are mild and pass in the first few weeks or it becomes clear you have something more than the baby blues, don’t think that taking care of yourself comes second to baby. It is equally important for you to be whole and healthy to continue being a good mother. If you’re feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and teary, don’t wait to seek help. Talk to your healthcare practitioner about ways to reduce your burden, and heal. And if you have repeated thoughts about harming yourself or your baby, get help immediately! Your practitioner will understand that these thoughts are a sign of postpartum depression and can offer you treatment. Most important, you should not feel embarrassed or ashamed about it – an imbalance in your hormones doesn’t make you a bad mother!

Breastfeed to reduce maternal stress.

We recommend breastfeeding for two reasons: it’s been shown to be better for the baby than most formulas except in unusual situations, but just as important, it’s good for the mother as well. Breastfeeding can protect Mom’s mental and emotional health because it lowers stress hormones like cortisol, ACTH, epinephrine and norepinephrine. Women who nurse also have higher levels of oxytocin, the wonderful “cuddle” hormone. It often promotes faster weight loss, which can improve a new mother’s mood as she adjusts to her body’s changed appearance postpartum. And it encourages Mom to stay well rested and hydrated – you can’t nurse a baby effectively if you’re always on the go, nor will your milk supply hold up if you don’t drink enough water.

The flip side is that if you’re having difficulty breastfeeding your baby, it’s easy to become frustrated and stressed about it, but you don’t have to try to figure out the problem alone. Most hospitals have lactation consultants to assist you in learning how to breastfeed effectively (contrary to popular imagination, it’s not something that every mother knows how to do naturally!), or you can contact La Leche League for support. And understand that if breastfeeding becomes a source of stress or if you’re too deeply depressed to make that effort, it’s okay to formula feed your baby. Don’t feel you need to always put what’s best for baby ahead of your own needs, because sometimes doing what you need to do to improve your health and emotional welfare is more important to the baby’s well-being than any benefit that might come from breastfeeding.

Don’t be alone any longer.

The simple act of reaching out to your family, friends and healthcare practitioner for additional support does wonders. What distinguishes women with the baby blues and postpartum depression from other forms of depression is that they feel so guilty. The first thing I tell new mothers concerned about postpartum depression is that an “amplification” of all our feelings – joy or sadness, sheer bliss or emotional upheaval – is very common after giving birth, and perfectly natural. And so is needing a tremendous amount of support – it is never your “fault” for needing more support through this transition. This is the time when a baby support group – though it may have seemed a little silly before baby arrived – can really save your day.

Putting the pieces together

When a woman comes to me with signs of hormonal imbalance, there’s an “Aha!” moment that comes when she tells me she experienced PPD. Those dark days after childbirth, whether recent or long past, can become a beacon showing the way to changes that can transform your health. Even if you’ve come across this information long after the fact, that’s okay. At Women to Women, we know first-hand that it’s never “too late” to restore your body’s balance and make a change.

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New Findings About Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Depression

December 9, 2008 at 10:00 pm · Filed under Omega-3 Fatty Acids


By Alan C. Logan, ND, FRSH

 

By Alan C. Logan, ND, FRSH

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids that are considered essential because they cannot be synthesized by the human body. Dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids include plants (particularly flax, canola, walnuts and hemp) and fish (particularly ocean fish such as sardines, anchovies, salmon and mackerel). Plants contain the parent omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which can be converted into eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA).1

Dietary fish and fish oil supplements are a direct source of EPA and DHA. The influence of ALA, EPA and DHA in human health has been the subject of intense research over the last three decades. Although best known for cardiovascular benefits, new findings indicate that the influence of omega-3 fatty acids in mental health, particularly EPA, may currently be underestimated. Epidemiological, experimental and new clinical studies have all shown a strong connection between omega-3 fatty acids, or a lack thereof, and major depression.

These exciting new findings are not entirely surprising when one considers that the brain itself is 60 percent fat and that one-third of all fatty acids are of the polyunsaturated variety.2,3 As discussed below, the current research highlights the critical role of these fatty acids in the central nervous system (CNS).

Omega-3 Intake Declines, Depression Rates Climb

There has been a significant drop-off in omega-3 fatty acid intake within Western countries over the last century. The opposite can be said of omega-6 intake. Although essential, omega-6-rich oils are found in abundance in the North American food supply. Currently these omega-6 oils (corn, safflower, sunflower, cottonseed, sesame) are outnumbering omega-3 fatty acids by a ratio of up to 20:1.4,5

This ratio is a long way off the close to 1:1 omega-6 to omega-3 ratio as recommended by the international panel of essential fatty acid experts in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.6 The average daily intake of EPA/DHA combined is 130mg in North America, 520mg short of published recommendations and 870mg short of the 1000mg recommended by the American Heart Association in cases of heart disease.1

In direct contrast to the depletion of omega-3 fatty acids from the Western food supply, the rates of depression have dramatically increased in Western countries. In addition, depression is now occurring more commonly in younger persons. The average age of onset of depression has continued to dip over the last 100 years. Scientists investigating the change in rates of depression have made it clear that these findings cannot be explained away by changes in attitudes of health professionals or society, diagnostic criteria, reporting bias, institutional or other artifacts.7,8 Perhaps the inadequate omega-3 intake, the major deviations in fatty acids ratios and the quarter-century-old message that all fat is unhealthy has had an untold influence on rates of depression.

Fish Consumption and Depression

There have been a number of studies that have examined national and international fish consumption data and compared them to rates of depression. Dr. Joseph Hibbeln of the National Institutes of Health is a pioneer in this area. He, and his group, have shown that higher national consumption of fish for a nation equals lower rates of depression versus countries consuming the least amount of fish.9 He has also shown that higher fish consumption is correlated with lower risk of postpartum depression10 and seasonal affective disorder.11

Other researchers have shown that even within a nation, fish consumption is associated with lower risk of depression and higher mental health status.12,13 Finally, researches are now observing increasing rates of depression in regions of the world that are moving away from traditional omega-3-rich diets to typical Western foods.14

Laboratory Tests in Depression

The epidemiological studies clearly suggest that adequate omega-3 fatty acids may be an important protective factor in depression. Correlation, however, does not prove causation. To add to the strength of the epidemiological studies, scientists have examined the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood cells and fat storage cells of those with major depression.

Four studies have shown that those with depression do indeed have lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the blood.15-18 One of the studies showed that the lower the level of EPA, the more severe the clinical depression.15 In addition, a recent study showed that the patients with depression have 35 percent less DHA in fat storage cells versus healthy controls.19

Experimental Studies

Over the last decade, neuroscientists have been examining the consequences of omega-3 deficiencies in the central nervous system. Alterations in serotonin and dopamine levels, as well as the functioning of these two important neurotransmitters is evident in an omega-3 deficiency. The changes observed in omega-3 deficiency in animals is strikingly similar to that found in autopsy studies of human depression.20

In addition to changing serotonin and dopamine levels and functioning, omega-3 deficiencies are known to compromise the blood-brain barrier, which normally protects the brain from unwanted matter gaining access.21 Omega-3 deficiency can also decrease normal blood flow to the brain,22,23 an interesting finding given the studies which show that patients with depression have compromised blood flow to a number of brain regions.24,25 Finally, omega-3 deficiency also causes a 35 percent reduction in brain phosphatidylserine (PS) levels.26 This is also of relevance when considering that PS has documented antidepressant activity in humans.27,28

Mechanisms of EPA/DHA Regulation of Mood

DHA is found in high levels in the cells of the central nervous system (neurons); here it acts as a form of scaffolding for structural support.29 When omega-3 intake is inadequate, the nerve cell becomes stiff as cholesterol and omega-6 fatty acids are substituted for omega-3.30 When a nerve cell becomes rigid, proper neurotransmission from cell to cell and within cells will be compromised.31

While DHA provides structure and helps to ensure normal neurotransmission, EPA may be more important in the signaling within nerve cells.32 Normalizing communications within nerve cells has been suggested to be an important factor in alleviating depressive symptoms.33 In addition, EPA can lower the levels of two important immune chemicals, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFa) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1ß), as well as prostaglandin E2.34

All three of these chemicals are elevated in depression.35-38 In fact, higher levels of TNFa and IL-1ß are associated with severity of depression.39 Finally, EPA has been hypothesized to increase brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), which is known to be lower in depressed patients.20 BDNF is neuroprotective, enhances neurotransmission, has antidepressant activity and supports normal brain structure. BDNF may prevent the death of nerve cells in depression.

Clinical Studies

There have been some published case reports indicating that flaxseed oil may be helpful in cases of bipolar depression and the anxiety disorder agoraphobia.40 The first controlled clinical trial indicating that omega-3 fatty acids may be of benefit in depression was published in 1999. In this case, 9:6 g of EPA/DHA versus placebo led to longer periods of remission and improvement in depressive symptoms in those with bipolar depression.41

Some researchers theorize that such high doses of EPA/DHA may not be necessary and that low levels of pure EPA may be of benefit.32 In a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, researchers showed that just 2g of pure EPA could improve the symptoms of treatment-resistant depression. The researchers found that the EPA (versus placebo), when added to an ineffective antidepressant for one month, significantly improved depressive symptoms.42

A larger study published in Archives of General Psychiatry replicated these findings, however, this time various doses of EPA were examined. Those on ineffective antidepressants were given 1g, 2g or 4g of pure EPA or a placebo in addition to the medication. Interestingly, the 1g daily dose of EPA led to the most significant improvements over the three-month study; it appeared that less was more. There were significant improvements in depressive symptoms, sleep, anxiety, lassitude, libido and thoughts of suicide.43

Researchers from Taiwan Medical University published a recent study in which they found that a 4.4g EPA and 2.2g DHA mix could alleviate depression versus placebo in those with treatment-resistant depression. This was a two-month study involving patients who were on antidepressants that were not working. As with the other omega-3 studies discussed, the fish oil was well tolerated and no adverse events were reported.44

There is also evidence that omega-3 oils may be of benefit in treating depressive symptoms outside of major depressive disorder. Canadian researchers showed that Antarctic krill oil (400mg EPA, 240mg DHA) could improve depressive symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome.45 Harvard researchers have also shown that just 1g of pure EPA is beneficial in the treatment of borderline personality disorder. This personality disorder, which is particularly difficult to treat, is characterized by both depressive and aggressive symptoms. This was a two-month placebo-controlled study and the results showed that EPA has a mood-regulating effect, improving both depression and aggression versus placebo.46

To date, with one exception, all studies conducted on omega-3 fatty acids and mood have had a positive outcome. The singular negative study examined pure DHA in patients with depression. The results in the case showed that DHA alone was no better than placebo in alleviating depressive symptoms.47

Conclusion

Although an influence of EPA and DHA on brain physiology and structure is apparent, the precise mechanisms whereby omega-3 fatty acids may alleviate depression remain unknown. The results of the clinical trials reinforce the epidemiological and experimental studies, underscoring the importance of adequate omega-3 intake in those with depression.

The long-term studies of fish oil supplements in the area of cardiovascular health, some spanning three-plus years, have shown that they are safe and well tolerated.48,49 Patients with depression or depressive symptoms should discuss omega-3 fatty acids with their health care providers. While scientists continue to unravel the neuropsychological influences of omega-3 fatty acids, it should be recognized that they are not a substitute for appropriate mental health evaluation and care.

Alan C. Logan is a naturopathic physician licensed in Connecticut. Valedictorian of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, class of 2001, his recent medline-indexed article “Neurobehavioral Aspects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Possible Mechanisms and Therapeutic Value in Major Depression” is available to medical professionals by writing to Dr. Logan at aclnd@cfs-fm.org.

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Mood Disorders and Metabolism: Amazing Research by Kaplan, et al

December 7, 2008 at 10:00 pm · Filed under Clinical Nutrition, Conditions Interfering with Wellness

Dear Readers,

Have you found yourself wondering how and/or why nutrition can impact mood so severely?  Here are four theories by Canadian researcher Dr. Bonnie Kaplan, posted on the blog Discover and Recover: Resources for Mental Wellness. 

 

Mood Disorders and Metabolism: Amazing Research by Kaplan, et al.

Research by Dr. Bonnie Kaplan and others points toward new hope for millions – micronutrient supplementation as key to brain health – including recovery from mood disorders.
….it is now well-established that nutrients can alter gene expression; in fact, some nutritional journals now routinely provide entire issues of sections devoted to nutrient-gene interactions.”

Bonnie Kaplan, PhD      

Click here to read an excerpt from the APA’s Psychological Bulletin:
Unstable Mood May Be the Manifestation of Inborn Errors of Metabolism

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