Can Your Diet Prevent Depression?

re: Can Your Diet Prevent Depression?

whimsley — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:50:55 GMT

I am a 56 year old woman. I have suffered with severe depression and anxiety since I was nine years old. I just lived and dealt with it until I was in my 40's and a doctor prescribed an antidepressant. That only enabled me to deal with the depression a little better. The anxiety gradually became worse. It got to the point that it took me three or four days to work myself up into going to the grocery store for necessities. In October 2008, I started supplementing with 2000 mg. of fish oil. Within two weeks, my anxieties had vanished. I doubled my dose, and, In November, stopped taking the prescription antidepressant. The depression has improved to the point that I consider it mild. I see hope for tomorrow most of the time. I am still a work in progress, and I am still having to deal with the damage the depression caused in my relationships. But, I CAN do it. Now, I need to get myself to exercise. I think that will be the finishing touch! Please, please, If you have any anxiety or depression, optimize your omega 3 levels. You will be amazed!

re: Can Your Diet Prevent Depression?

curious7 — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:51:34 GMT

Of late there have been mass shooting in our society, and not just mass mass shootings, but fathers elimenating his entire family, or mothers destroying their children. In every case the Prosac made them do it. I am a full believer in the richness of a proper diet, in so that our diet can take care of many of our ills, both physical, and emotional. There is absolutely nothing a vaccine, or a pill can really do to heal the body. Even dietary supplements have to be backed by a proper diet.

re: Can Your Diet Prevent Depression?

summento — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:15:50 GMT

I was just wondering if anyone else has problems with their blood thinning out and bruising really bad when taking fish oils? I have found that organic butter seems to satisfy my fat needs without thinning my blood. I was also wondering if butter will give the same benefits as fish oils?

re: Can Your Diet Prevent Depression?

nowuccas — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:02:26 GMT

Those of you who have problems as a result of consuming fish oil have a number of options available. The first would be to try krill oil, in case it was an impurity in the fish oil. An extract of the New Zealand green lipped mussel, such as Moxxor is another alternative. Females especially may do better with flaxseed oil, or 2 tablespoonful of ground flax seeds, daily. Even though it contains only ALA Omega 3, rather than the DHA, or EPA, our bodies are capable of converting and utilising some of it.

re: Can Your Diet Prevent Depression?

mynahkins — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:30:28 GMT

Last year I cured myself of life-long depression & anxiety by going gluten-free. The only time that I've become depressed since I started the GF diet was after I had a food that contained 'natural flavors' which turned out to be MSG (gluten). I'm interested in trying the Krill oil to supplement my diet and I highly encourage everyone to attempt natural and dietary methods to treat depression. Life CAN be good! :)

re: Can Your Diet Prevent Depression?

golfprojon99 — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:48:43 GMT

Patty D.. thanks for you insight.. i dont really have depression issues but i do have panic attacks from time to time. ive been on xanax on and off the past few years.. i seen what you dont eat but what would you suggest for me to eat and take of overcome these awful attacks.. any help would be greatly appreciated.. thanks

re: Can Your Diet Prevent Depression?

Plaidsheep — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:29:30 GMT

I think everyone is different, and needs to adjust their diet based on nutritional type.

I have found that I feel better, have more energy, when I eliminate most dairy (with the exception of goat cheese and sheep's milk feta), reduce eggs to a couple times per week, and eat a primarly plant-based diet. I also take calcium/magnesium citrate supplements, get a solid 7-8 hours of sleep per night, and exercise!

My depression is kept in check with these changes, as well as using a Vitamin D sunlamp, and taking 5-HTP supplements.

When I remember to take them, I also take fish oil capsules, but no matter what food I take them with or whether I freeze them first - I always have unpleasant fishy burps (so I tend to procrastinate on taking them)

I also practice mindfulness to help train my mind to "sit" and "stay" when it wants to go running off the rails.

Everyone is different, not everyone's brain responds the same to the same supplements or the same diet.

I always feel frustrated and annoyed when I see people who say they "buy their meat from a local farm" and so forth - to buy 1 chicken from a local farm here can cost up to $25. for 1 chicken. Not to mention having to drive 2 hours out of the city to reach the farmers market that has the locally raised meat.

It's not always possible to "meet your meat" when you live in the city, so that tends to be the first thing to go (meat) when you are trying to stay away from the "unknowns" in your food source. Not to mention, it's becoming more and more expensive, and more of a luxury to buy meat that does not come from a factory farm source.

Thankfully I'm a carb type, and do well on a plant based diet as long as I stay balanced and supplement where needed.

re: Can Your Diet Prevent Depression?

Georgeta — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:01:00 GMT

St. John Wort tea is the best for depression. Make sure to buy organic. Omega-3 is also great for depression.

Best omega-3 source is Flax seed oil in combination with cottage cheese. Here is a video ( www.youtube.com/watch ) on how to prepare this combination. My dear friend Sandra, who made this video, is the moderator of the FlaxSeedOil2 group on Yahoo, group concerned with Dr. Johanna Budwig's protocol for cancer and other degenerative diseases, and also owner of http://www.budwigvideos.com/

About Dr. Budwig, just search the internet and you will be amazed of what you find.

Here are Dr. Budwig's books available in the USA, translated in English language:

www.amazon.com/.../104-6595753-8888764

www.nexus-book.com/.../the_book1.html

I do much respect Dr. Mercola and appreciate all his hard work in informing people on taking control of their health and showing the natural way of getting healthy.

However, I won't take any oil in capsules / tablets forms as he recommends. Dr. J. Budwig, contraindicated all the capsules.

I have lots of information about her work and her protocol on my site ( www.muchhealthier.com/blog) if you care to learn more about her work and discoveries.

Best to all,

Georgeta - Family Herbalist - Holistic Nutrition Consultant ( in school at ACHS.edu)

www.MuchHealthier.com

re: Can Your Diet Prevent Depression?

Dr Rik — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:15:45 GMT

Reverse the question, can living on complete garbage rob you of the God given JOY of a healthy, well functioning body and mind?

re: Can Your Diet Prevent Depression?

chandrika — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:36:23 GMT

I would consider protein intake to be the major factor in diet that can alleviate depression and Isay this from personal experience of going from a low protein diet and feeling depressed, to a high protein diet and feeling much better, along with scientific evidence as supplied by Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. www.radiantrecovery.com

The feel good brain chemicals rely so much on tryptophan, the amino acid found in some protein foods and also the trytophan has to be able to cross the blood brain barrier, so some healthy carbs can assist with that.

So I do believe diet can help with depression, omega 3s I agree and also though and maybe even more important, is a good intake of protein so that your body has the basic building blocks it needs to create the feel good chemicals.

re: Can Your Diet Prevent Depression?

nursekindheart — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:30:14 GMT

As a nurse and after a breast cancer diagnosis in 1999 I went on a raw food diet and still eat that way today. My depression magically lifted. I was so full of energy and my mood was constantly up from the nutritious food I was giving my body as noted at http://www.RawFoodDietCure.com . Eating 2 bananas in a row can often lift a depression, low mood or low energy levels through its effect on serotonin and dopamine.

re: Can Your Diet Prevent Depression?

ASD quotexpert momquot — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:50:32 GMT

I've found that the Zone Diet is an excellent anti-depression diet for me. Not only does it get me out of the dumps, it gives me an optimistic, cheery "can do!" attitude and the energy to do, as well. I highly recommend reading "The Zone" and "Mastering the Zone" for anyone with depression. A higher level of saturated fat intake than Barry Sears recommends is ok if you are getting your saturated fat from animals that are eating a genuinely healthy diet -- for beef this would mean grass-fed (which all beef is) AND GRASS-FINISHED (not grain-finished like agribusiness beef); dairy products should come from pastured animals also. The Zone Diet doesn't specify organic food but Barry Sears does quietly advocate for organic foods. Much of Dr. Mercola's advice on diet can be integrated with the Zone Diet with just a little thinking...

re: Can Your Diet Prevent Depression?

Paul Jaep — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:32:50 GMT

As has been pointed out in previous articles by Dr Mercola Omega 3 is only one of many mineral/vitamins the average westerner is short of …But is it just a nutritional problem or is it that we are now failing to metabolise food properly because of antibiotic damaged gut flora?....from my site…. “When a pathological state exists, this finely balanced symbiosis may be damaged and cease to function normally. Several different states in the gut may exist. Symbiotic bacteria may be damaged, causing the malabsorbtion of critical vitamins and minerals. If the damage is extensive and/or long lasting, pathogenic yeast and gram-negative bacilli will begin to fill the vacuum left by the healthy bacteria.”

Parents of children with autism were roughly twice as likely to have been hospitalized for a mental disorder, such as schizophrenia, than parents of other children,

Read in my site how the appendix is associated with schizophrenia. And the “chemistry of mental illness”

When we have a gut dysbiosis , Pandora’s box has been well and truly opened , restoring normal is not just a case of taking friendly probiotic bacteria ,probiotic bacteria are transient they neither stay or multiply in the gut …. Read my site for more ..

www.yeast-candida-infections-uk.co.uk/.../58

re: Can Your Diet Prevent Depression?

Nikovdh — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:29:09 GMT

Whenever I try to take a fish oil capsule my anxiety goes through the roof, although my sex drive increases too. I do suffer from depression, but feel more calm without fish oil. Anyone else get this way with fish oil?

re: Can Your Diet Prevent Depression?

Running_Stick — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:27:16 GMT

Dr. Mercola, can you comment on cancer and depression. It appears that spontaneously cured cancer brings with it signs of depression. Do you or anyone else have any information on this subject?