A look at the many complicated factors contributing to ‘wellness’ in today’s complex world.
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that anti-depressants are now the most commonly prescribed drugs in the US, totalling 118 million prescriptions in 2005. Others, like Dr Ronald Dworkin, say, “Doctors are now medicating unhappiness. Too many people take drugs when they really need to be making changes in their lives.”
Critics argue the real driving force behind the alarming prescription statistics is heavy marketing to doctors and consumers by pharmaceutical companies.
When the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion compiled its Healthy Eating Index for 1999-2000, it found small reason to smile. Ten percent of the population had a ‘good’ diet (based on 10 aspects including how many servings of fruits, vegetables and meat were being consumed, along with how much sodium and cholesterol, and the variety in a person’s diet).
The rest of their findings left something to be desired:
• 16% of the population had a ‘poor’ diet
• The rest of the population (74%) had a diet that ‘needed improvement’.
So what’s this got to do with depression?
As the USDA pointed out, poor or inadequate diets are linked to four of the top 10 causes of death – heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes. As it turns out, most Americans have less-than-ideal diets that essentially leave their bodies starving for more nutrients.
Along with poor diets, studies have found that key nutrients in foods declined between 1909 and 1994 because soils are no longer as nutrient-dense as they once were and food processing degrades the nutrients that do exist. Not only are we eating fewer healthy foods but those we do eat now contain fewer nutrients.
Many people, even those who think they are eating relatively healthy diets, may be suffering from nutritional deficiencies, which, because they are sub-clinical, are not yet recognised.
Some of the more common occurrences include deficiencies in the following nutrients: zinc, iron, vitamin B, magnesium, calcium, vitamins E and C, phosphorus, vitamin D, dietary fibre, folic acid, essential fatty acids and chromium.
It’s important to recognise two critical facts here. The first, that nutrient deficiencies take a long time to manifest in the body before symptoms become apparent. The second, that in many cases the answer to restored wellness is not a chemical answer.
Obesity is a known risk factor for chronic diseases including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, some forms of cancer and clinical depression. Many people increase their risks of long-term ill health because they are obese but don’t recognise it. The US Surgeon General, in a 1988 report on nutrition and health, estimated that 25 per cent of adult Americans were overweight. That figure has since exploded to just over 61 per cent in America and 62 per cent in Australia.
Cause and effect
Chemical solutions are about addressing ‘effects’ while diet and lifestyle solutions are about addressing ‘causes’. Dr Joe Kosterich MD, an expert in the field of nutritional and anti-ageing medicine, believes there are eight key elements involved in optimum wellness that are not only associated with increasing life expectancy but also assist in maintaining mental health.
1. Nutrition
It’s important to restrict the total calorie intake such that you only take in as many calories as the body requires. Most of us tend to eat too much. Just by restricting calories alone and doing nothing else, it is likely you will live longer. It’s important to take in an adequate amount of protein so as to maintain lean body mass and also ensure adequate intake of good fats such as avocado and olive oil. Substantially reduce the intake of carbohydrates and particularly refined carbohydrates. Focus on wholegrain cereals and whole foods. Aim for a body mass index of less than 25 and a percentage body fat of less than 25 per cent for men and less than 30 per cent for women.
2. Activity
It’s important to be active on a daily basis and to exercise on at least four and preferably six days a week. You need to do aerobic exercise for cardiovascular fitness, resistance exercise using weights to strengthen the muscles and bones, and also stretching exercises for flexibility.
3. Supplements
A large number of people may require vitamin and/or mineral supplements depending on their circumstances. The recommended daily allowances of most vitamins and minerals are based solely on the amounts needed to stop a deficiency state. Some of the research behind these figures is highly questionable, unfortunately, and certainly the recommended official figures may not reflect the optimum amount the body needs.
4. Stress levels
It’s important to deal with and manage stresses in your life. Practices such as yoga, tai chi, meditation or power energetics can assist with calming the mind and soothing the body.
5. Sleep
It’s important to get adequate restful sleep for the body to recuperate and recharge itself. Most adults need eight hours rest per night. Creating a harmonious sleep environment is important, as is reducing stimulation prior to going to bed. Use of herbs such as chamomile tea can be soothing, as can the use of lavender oil in a candle burner. The natural hormone melatonin may also play a role for some people.
6. Toxins
Reduce your exposure to and intake of toxins wherever possible. This includes stopping tobacco, looking at your use of chemicals in the household and taking a closer look at food additives and preservatives. It’s also important to maintain an adequate intake of antioxidants both from foods and supplements. A small amount of alcohol is acceptable, particularly red wine (which has antioxidants).
7. Pamper yourself
It’s important to laugh, to have fun and to treat yourself. Listening to music, playing with your children or grandchildren or walking in the park on a sunny day can be uplifting and stimulate the body’s own endorphins.
Vitamins = health
Naturopath Gary Jackson explains the role of vitamins and minerals in preventing and treating depression
B-complex vitamins
A simple lack of nutrients is one of the most frequent – but least recognised – causes of depression. The most common deficiency in people with depression is a lack of one of the B vitamins, which are powerful regulators of mood. Of all vitamin deficiencies, insufficient folic acid (vitamin B9) tends to be the most frequently seen. Folic-acid deficiency lowers brain 5-HT (5-hydroxytryptamine, the brain hormone serotonin), and low levels of serotonin are associated with depression.
Another common deficiency seen in depression is vitamin B6 (pyridoxine). As this nutrient is essential for converting tryptophan to serotonin, it’s no surprise there’s a strong correlation between a lack of B6 and depression.
Other B-vitamin deficiencies linked to depression include riboflavin (vitamin B2) and thiamine (vitamin B1). In the early stages of thiamine deficiency, normally healthy people become depressed, irritable and fearful. It’s also commonly seen in hospitalised mental patients.
Vitamin B12 is yet another B-vitamin deficiency often linked to psychiatric problems. Important for the formation of red blood cells, an inadequate supply can lead to pernicious anemia, characterised by mood swings, paranoia, irritability, confusion, dementia, hallucinations or mania – symptoms that can easily be mistaken for mental illness.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C also appears to have a role in maintaining mood. One of the first symptoms of mild scurvy, the vitamin C-deficiency disease, is depression, along with tiredness and irritability.
Professor Ian Brighthope, a former medical researcher and practitioner, is one of Australia’s leading experts in nutritional medicine. Among other things, he used high doses of vitamin C in the treatment and management of patients with schizophrenia.
Calcium
Besides vitamins, a number of mineral deficiencies may also bring on depression. Both too much and too little calcium in the blood may be associated with depression.
Iron
People with iron-deficiency anaemia often feel tired and depressed even after supplementing with iron has cured the anaemia. Furthermore, the depression may not be resolved for months. The exact nature of the relationship is yet to be understood, although what we do know is that some areas of the brain have high iron concentrations. This leads some experts to speculate that a reduced level of iron in the brain may bring on depression.
Magnesium
Magnesium deficiency often goes hand-in-hand with calcium deficiency and is frequently seen in depressed patients. Interestingly, the levels of magnesium in cerebrospinal fluid are especially low in patients who are suicidal. Potassium
Another potential culprit in depression is low levels of potassium, a particularly common side-effect of diuretics.
In addition to the preceding, some of the other primary causes of depression include:
• Toxic intestinal tract caused by a high-fat, low-fibre diet
• An imbalance of hormones
• A low-grade bacterial infection
• A retrovirus
• Heavy metal toxicity.
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