If you're suffering from depression, the remedy may lie in
something you can change immediately: your diet.
In Food & Mood (Henry Holt, 1999), I sought out the latest
science to pinpoint hidden ways that your diet, medications, and
even your age can make you vulnerable to the blues. In all these
cases, you can help shed your depression by eating the right foods
to put your brain chemicals back on an even keel.
Depression has many causes, and you should see your doctor if
your symptoms are severe, or if even mild symptoms persist for
several weeks.
But in addition, you can determine whether you fall into any of
the following ``depression danger zones.'' If you do, the remedies
that I suggest could help restore your enjoyment of life.
Depression Danger Zone: You Never Eat Fish
By avoiding fish, you're missing out on the top source of a
group of fats called omega-3s, and new research suggests that you
may be leaving yourself vulnerable to depression. Omega-3s are
highly concentrated in the brain, where they comprise up to 50
percent of the total fats in nerve tissue. Experts note that
depression rates have increased a hundredfold in the last century,
just as human consumption of omega-3s has declined.
What you can do: If you don't eat fish simply because you forget
to, make it a point to start. Aim for three servings a week --
especially salmon, mackerel, herring and canned white tuna. If you
just don't like fish, other good sources of omega-3s include
walnuts, walnut oil, canola oil, ground flaxseed, and flaxseed oil.
Fish oil capsules are another option.
It may help to cut back on saturated fats (whole milk products
and meat) and omega-6 fats (corn, sunflower and safflower oils). An
excess of these fats in your diet lowers the effectiveness of
omega-3s. Smoking and alcohol depress omega-3 levels too.
Depression Danger Zone: You Can't Get Enough Sweets
Yes, there may be such a thing as ``sugar blues'' for some
people, says psychologist Larry Christensen, PhD, of the University
of Southern Alabama in Mobile.
``The person suffering from depression who turns to sugary foods
may feel better for a while, but the depression soon returns,``
Christensen says. Fortunately, the depression often vanishes when
sugar is removed from the diet.
What you can do: If even one cookie sends you on a mood-swing
roller-coaster, you should eliminate all refined or added sugars
from your diet. Read labels, since many unsuspecting foods, such as
ketchup, contain sugar. It takes at least 3 weeks after completely
removing sugar from your diet to notice an improvement in mood.
Depression Danger Zone: You Take Birth Control Pills or Hormone
Replacement Therapy
Depression can be a side effect of these medications, possibly
because they may suppress the action of vitamin B6, a nutrient that
is critical to brain function. Depression is a well-documented and
common symptom of vitamin B6 deficiency. In fact, B6 deficiency is
reported in as many as 79 percent of patients with depression. If
your B6 intake is marginal, and you take medications that interfere
with B6 action, the result might be underproduction of the
mood-elevating brain chemical serotonin.
What you can do: Increase your intake of vitamin B6 by eating
several servings daily of protein-rich foods such as chicken, nuts,
legumes, and fish, as well as bananas, avocados, and dark green,
leafy vegetables. Eat whole wheat bread, whole grain cereal, and
brown rice instead of refined grain products, since more than 70
percent of vitamin B6 is lost in grain refining.
Caution: Taking large doses of B6 as a supplement can cause
nerve damage, including numbness and tingling in the hands and
feet. Look for a multi supplement containing 2 milligrams (mg) of
B6. The safe upper limit is 100 mg, unless your physician advises
you to take more.
Depression Danger Zone: You're Age 50 or Older
You may not realize that past the age of 50, your digestive
system may become less able to absorb another nutrient that is
critical to maintaining a healthy nervous system: vitamin B12. A
deficiency of B12 can make you more likely to suffer from
depression, memory problems, and even paranoia.
What you can do: Fortunately, most people 50-plus don't have
trouble absorbing the synthetic form of vitamin B12 found in
supplements and fortified foods; it's only the B12 found naturally
in food that they cant absorb. To remedy this, the National Academy
of Sciences now advises all people 50-plus to meet most of their
B12 needs through vitamin supplements and fortified foods such as
breakfast cereals (check the label to see if B12 has been added).
Look for a multi supplement with extra vitamin B12 up to about
25 micrograms (mcg).
Depression Danger Zone: You're on a High-Protein Kick
If you're following a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, and
you find yourself depressed, the problem could lie in what you're
eating. Ironically, all that protein has the effect of lowering the
level of the amino acid tryptophan in your brain, which is the
building block for the mood-lifting brain chemical serotonin. High
levels of serotonin boost your mood, but low levels can often
result in depression. No other nerve chemical is as strongly linked
to your diet as is serotonin.
What you can do: Make sure that every meal contains some
carbohydrate-rich foods, especially whole grain foods such as whole
wheat bread, oatmeal, or brown rice. Carbohydrates trigger the
release of insulin, which allows tryptophan to freely enter your
brain, causing serotonin levels to rise. In addition, plan an
all-carbohydrate snack for the time of day when your mood is
lowest.
OPTIONAL SIDEBAR
SUGAR BY ANY OTHER NAME
If you're closely checking ingredients lists to see whether
processed foods contain added sugar, here are some of the names to
look for: Sucrose, fructose, glucose, invert sugar, corn syrup,
high-fructose corn syrup, honey, barley malt, dextrose and maltose.
OPTIONAL SIDEBAR
A LITTLE MOOD INSURANCE
Taking a balanced multiple-vitamin supplement, combined with
good eating habits, could stack the deck in favor of a better mood
and a clearer mind. Researchers at the University College of
Swansea in England measured mood in 129 healthy adults, then asked
them to take daily multi supplements. As a result, blood levels of
vitamins increased within 3 months and mood improved within 1 year
of supplementation.
OPTIONAL SIDEBAR
TRY A SUPPLEMENT THAT FIGHT THE BLUES
St. Johns Wort. This herb curbs the symptoms of depression in
about half of all people who use it. Discuss taking this herb with
your physician, especially if you are taking antidepressant
prescription medication.
SAM-e. This compound occurs naturally in the body. At
supplemental levels, it helps the body make more of the
mood-lifting brain chemical serotonin. Clinical studies in Europe
have found SAM-e to be as effective against depression as some
prescription antidepressants, yet it appears to be remarkably free
of side effects. Caution: If you're taking a prescription
antidepressant, don't take SAM-e. And don't switch medications
without consulting your doctor.
Fish oil. If you don't like fish, taking fish oil capsules that
provide up to 1 gram (g) of the omega-3 fats DHA and EPA on a daily
basis is safe. If you take blood-thinning medication, discuss fish
oil supplements with your doctor.
BEST TO AVOID
DHEA. This steroid hormone is a naturally produced building
block for the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone, but levels
drop at a rate of about 3 percent a year. DHEA supplements are
supposed to improve mood, mental function, energy, and libido, but
risks include prostate cancer and liver damage.
5-HPT. A newly available cousin of the amino acid tryptophan,
5-HPT is short for 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan. Research shows that
tryptophan supplements elevate levels of the brain chemical
serotonin. But sales of plain tryptophan have been banned since
1989 because of dangerous illness linked to some contaminated
tryptophan supplements. The safety of 5-HPT is unknown at this
point.
