Archive for the ‘Supplements’ Category

Hormones & Emotional Health

https://www.womensinternational.com/blog/hormones-and-emotional-health/

Hormones and Emotional Health

Adapted from Moods & Emotions a Connections e-Book
A publication of Women’s International Pharmacy

hormones and emotional healthEmotional health is inseparably linked to our hormones. Hormones are powerful substances, with even small quantities able to produce profound effects on health. Moods may be affected by many factors, including:

  • Social and physical environment
  • Diet
  • Exercise
  • Sleep patterns

These factors are also connected to hormones, which regulate the brain’s response system and thereby determine moods. When hormonal conditions are unbalanced, emotions may become “out of whack.”

Sex Hormones, Mood Fluctuations, and Women’s Mental Health

Sex hormones play an important regulatory role in the sense of well-being. From puberty through menopause, women experience a continuous cycle of hormonal fluctuations that affect brain chemistry and, by extension, their moods. This physiological fact of life may partially explain why “depression and anxiety disorders are 2-3 more times more common in women than men,” according to Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet.

There is a “previously unrecognized connection between declining hormone levels in perimenopausal women and the high incidence of depression and anxiety disorders,” Dr. Vliet states. She reported on research conducted at Rockefeller University, which indicated that sex hormones are the most potent chemical signals affecting the brain. Changes in the levels of these hormones influence neurotransmitters (such as dopamine and serotonin), which in turn affect moods.

Dr. Vliet also reported on a Yale study, which concluded that hormone therapy over a six-month period appeared to result in an improvement in all categories of perimenopausal symptoms, including:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety attacks
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Short-term memory problems

Mood Changes and Estrogen Imbalance

Estrogen levels have a domino effect on brain chemistry and moods. Aside from estrogen’s many roles in sexual and developmental health, it is also known to be a neuro-stimulant with anti-depressive effects. Dr. Phyllis Bronson states that

“high levels of estrogen produce an imbalance in the system that aggravates or causes symptoms of tension and anxiety.”

Most women tend toward either estrogen dominance or estrogen deficiency, yet a woman will often experience both high and low levels due to hormonal fluctuations relative to her “normal” estrogen level. For instance, normal fluctuations occur during premenstrual syndrome (PMS), while perimenopause causes irregular fluctuations. During these fluctuations, women may experience mixed symptoms as their hormonal balance shifts.

Some women with high estrogen levels may be predisposed to anxiety and panic attacks. On the other hand, low levels of estrogen can lead to episodes of depression. Mood changes associated with a woman’s declining estrogen levels tend to respond well to estrogen therapy; upon receiving treatment, women often report feeling more alert and energetic.

Anxiety and Progesterone Deficiency

The estrogen-progesterone ratio may be the key to properly treating mood disorders. A study by Dr. Bronson found that “a deficiency of progesterone is clearly implicated as a primary factor in mid-life anxiety patterns.” She observed that when estrogen levels were high and progesterone levels low, patients “would exhibit extreme rage, followed by [a] conciliatory, self-defeating demeanor.”

The largest concentration of progesterone receptors is in the limbic area of the brain. This is the center of emotion and is also called the “area of rage and violence” by animal physiologists. Progesterone has a calming effect on the brain, suggesting that its deficiency may lead to anxiety.

Progesterone for PMS, Postnatal Depression, and Menopausal Mood Swings

Premenstrual syndrome and postnatal depression both may occur with a sudden drop in progesterone and may include considerable anxiety. Dr. Katharina Dalton found that these conditions may be effectively treated with progesterone, especially if administered before symptoms develop. For PMS, she suggested supplementing with progesterone from ovulation until menstruation; for preventing postnatal depression, she recommended beginning progesterone therapy immediately after delivery, tapering off until menstruation returns.

Dr. Bronson agrees that progesterone may be an effective treatment for anxiety in perimenopausal women. However, she found higher doses (specifically, 400-600mg daily administered on the skin) to be more effective, with most of her patients reporting significant improvements in emotional health. To achieve the best results in progesterone therapy, both Dr. Bronson and Dr. Dalton’s findings emphasize the importance of using bioidentical progesterone instead of synthetic progestins.

Stress and Thyroid Hormones

The thyroid gland produces several different hormones that have powerful and far-reaching consequences to health. The primary thyroid hormones are thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). These respond to pituitary thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) as part of the body’s complex system that regulates endocrine gland secretions.

Thyroid hormones affect every cell in the body in one way or another, including the parts of the body that regulate emotions. Thyroid deficiency inhibits the brain’s neurotransmitters, potentially leading to depression. Thyroid hormones also influence blood glucose levels and the release of stress hormones, two contributors to mood fluctuation.

Insulin, Glucose, and Dietary Factors in Mood Fluctuations

Dr. Dalton noticed a correlation between aggressive, emotional outbursts and blood sugar levels while treating women suffering from PMS. When asked about the time of day or circumstances immediately preceding such outbursts, her patients frequently reported that they occurred later in the morning after missing breakfast, or the evening while preparing a meal (especially if that was occurring later than usual). Many women also reported confusion or forgetfulness during the time surrounding these outbursts.

Paying careful attention to what and when you eat is important to emotional health. In Depression-Free for Life, Dr. Gabriel Cousens identifies foods according to a glycemic index, comparing their impact on blood sugar and mood. For example, eating foods that are high on the glycemic index (such as white flour products, refined and sweetened cereals, and candy bars) should be avoided, as they tend to cause “wild swings in blood sugar, a high followed by a low.”

Other Substances Affecting Mood

Many other hormones, amino acids, and nutrients also affect moods, making difficult to diagnose mood disorders because each individual’s biochemistry has unique needs. We are still learning about how these substances work together to influence emotions. For example:

  • Either too little or too much of the hormone melatonin can lead to depression,
  • People with depression also often have elevated cortisol levels
  • Amino acids (such as glutamine) can affect the neurotransmitters
  • Nutrients such as vitamin B6 and other trace minerals also play an important role in regulating our moods

Conclusion

Because moods are complex, with a wide variety of possible causes or combinations of factors, symptoms of mood disorders may vary significantly from one person to the next and from one day to the next. The common approach of prescribing mind-altering medications may not be the best answer for everyone, particularly if any possible underlying hormonal imbalances are not addressed. However, emotional as well as physical health is a vital contributor to our quality of life, so it’s important to continue exploring how hormones affect mental and emotional well-being to help develop effective treatments for each patient’s needs.

For more information, read our Connections e-Book:  Moods and Hormones: Emotional Health and Well-Being Throughout the Life-cycle

________________

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/10/26/5-thyroid-lies-your-endocrinologist-may-try-to-tell-you/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/11/12/is-it-mental-illness-or-hashimotos-thyroiditis/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/12/02/why-test-neurotransmitters-hormones/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2015/06/10/audio-on-hormones-and-adrenal-support/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/03/21/how-do-hormones-affect-the-heart/

Category:

Psychological Aspects, Supplements, Treatment

How to Prevent & Treat Seasonal Affective Disorder

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/12/05/how-to-prevent-treat-seasonal-affective-disorder.aspx

How to Prevent and Treat Seasonal Affective Disorder

Analysis by Dr. Joseph MercolaFact Checked

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

  • Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that occurs seasonally, typically ramping up in the fall and winter months and disappearing come spring
  • Helpful treatments include optimizing your vitamin D and omega-3 levels, light therapy (including blue light exposure in the morning, but not later in the day), optimizing your sleep, the Emotional Freedom Techniques and exercise
  • Your health and mood are intricately tied to exposure to sunlight. For example, your serotonin levels (the hormone typically associated with elevating your mood) rise when you’re exposed to bright light. Your melatonin level also rises and falls (inversely) with light and darkness
  • Vitamin D deficiency is very common, and should be a top consideration when you’re looking for a solution to flagging mood and energy — especially if it occurs during fall and winter months
  • While light therapy can take up to four weeks before you notice improvement, it was shown to be more effective than antidepressants for moderate to severe depression in a 2015 study

The loss of daylight hours during winter is a common cause of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that hits seasonally and lifts as spring and summer rolls back around.

The fact that SAD occurs when the days begin to darken and sunlight is at a minimum is not a coincidence. Your health and mood are intricately tied to exposure to sunlight. For example, your serotonin levels (the hormone typically associated with elevating your mood) rise when you’re exposed to bright light.

Your melatonin level also rises and falls — inversely — with light and darkness. When it’s dark, your melatonin levels increase, which is why you may feel tired when the sun starts to set, and in the heart of winter, this may be at as early as 3 p.m. if you live far from the equator. Light and darkness also control your biological clock, or circadian rhythm, which impacts hormones that regulate your appetite and metabolism.

As explained in the paper, “Seasonal Affective Disorder: An Overview of Assessment and Treatment Approaches,” published in the journal Depression Research and Treatment in 2015:1

“… SAD is a recurrent major depressive disorder with a seasonal pattern usually beginning in fall and continuing into winter months. A subsyndromal type of SAD, or S-SAD, is commonly known as ‘winter blues.’ Less often, SAD causes depression in the spring or early summer.

Symptoms center on sad mood and low energy. Those most at risk are female, are younger, live far from the equator, and have family histories of depression, bipolar disorder, or SAD … Typical treatment includes antidepressant medications, light therapy, vitamin D, and counselling.”

Considering the many health risks associated with antidepressants, and the fact that their efficacy is right on par with placebos, my recommendation is to avoid them if at all possible.

Aside from light therapy and vitamin D, other drug-free treatment options include optimizing your omega-3 level, exercise, the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) and normalizing your circadian rhythm, all of which will be reviewed here.

The Role of Vitamin D

As explained in the featured paper,2 vitamin D appears to play a role in the activity of serotonin, a mood-balancing hormone, and melatonin, a hormone that responds to light and dark.

People with SAD tend to have lower serotonin and higher melatonin levels, which can account for the fatigue, tiredness and depressed mood typically associated with this condition. According to the Depression Research and Treatment paper:3

“A systematic review and meta-analysis concluded that low levels of vitamin D are associated with depression … During the winter months of November through February, those living about 33 degrees north or 30 degrees south of the equator are not able to synthesize vitamin D.

Many people with SAD and S-SAD have insufficient or deficient levels of vitamin D, and although no further studies have confirmed the findings, research investigating this association suggests that taking 100,000 IU daily may improve their symptoms.

Taking vitamin D before winter darkness sets in may help prevent symptoms of depression. Adverse reactions or intoxication is rare but could occur from doses of more than 50,000 IU per day.”

Vitamin D deficiency is very common, and should be a top consideration when you’re looking for a solution to flagging mood and energy — especially if it occurs during fall and winter months.

Ideally, you’ll want to get your vitamin D level tested twice a year, in summer and winter, when your levels are highest and lowest. This will help you fine-tune your dosage over time. While regular sun exposure is the best way to optimize your vitamin D level, this isn’t possible in many areas during the winter, thus necessitating the use of oral supplements instead.

GrassrootsHealth has a helpful calculator that can help estimate the dose required to reach healthy vitamin D levels based upon your measured starting point. The optimal level you’re looking for is between 60 and 80 ng/ml, and for all-around health, you’ll want to maintain this level year-round.

Omega-3 Fats Are Important Too

Another nutrient that can be helpful is marine-based omega-3. As noted in a 2009 review4 of three studies looking at the impact of omega-3 supplementation on patients with unipolar depression, childhood major depression and bipolar depression:

“Twelve bipolar outpatients with depressive symptoms were treated with 1.5-2.0 g/day of EPA for up to 6 months. In the adult unipolar depression study, highly significant benefits were found by week 3 of EPA treatment compared with placebo.

In the child study, an analysis … showed highly significant effects of omega-3 on each of the three rating scales. In the bipolar depression study, 8 of the 10 patients who completed at least one month of follow-up achieved a 50% or greater reduction in Hamilton depression scores within one month.”

In another study5 published that same year, people with lower blood levels of omega-3s were found to be more likely to have symptoms of depression and a more negative outlook while those with higher blood levels demonstrated the opposite emotional states.

A more recent review,6 published in 2015, pointed out that “Cell signaling and structure of the cell membrane are changed by omega-3-fatty acids, which demonstrates that an omega-3-fatty acid can act as an antidepressant.”

Importantly, this paper also points to research showing that the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 is an important factor that can influence your depression risk. People with severe symptoms of depression have been found to have low concentrations of omega-3 in conjunction with considerably higher concentrations of omega-6.

You can learn more about the importance of this ratio in “Getting Your Omega-3 to Omega-6 ratio Right Is Essential For Optimal Health.” The key, really, to normalizing this ratio is to increase your omega-3 intake while simultaneously lowering your omega-6 consumption. This means you’ll need to ditch processed and fried foods, as they’re typically loaded with omega-6-rich vegetable oils.

Get Tested Today

GrassrootsHealth, which is conducting consumer-sponsored research into both vitamin D and omega-3, is one of your most cost-effective alternatives when it comes to testing.

Their vitamin D testing kit enrolls you into the GrassrootsHealth D*Action project, where your anonymized data will help researchers to provide accurate data about the vitamin D status in the population, the level at which disease prevention is obtained, and guidance on dosing to achieve optimal levels.

Their vitamin D, magnesium and omega-3 test kit is another option that will allow you to check the status of several vital nutrients at once. Each kit contains instructions for how to collect your blood sample. You then mail in your sample and fill out a quick online health questionnaire through GrassrootsHealth. A link to your test results will be emailed to you about a week after your blood samples have been received.

Light Therapy Is More Effective Than Antidepressants

Light therapy,7 using full-spectrum nonfluorescent lighting that has blue light to artificially mimic sunlight, is among the most effective treatment options for SAD. You want to avoid fluorescents as they emit large amounts of dirty electricity. Ideally, have the light exposure in the morning, well after sunrise. As noted in the Depression Research and Treatment paper:8

“Knowing the difference decreased daylight can make in triggering SAD and S-SAD, approaches seeking to replace the diminished sunshine using bright artificial light, particularly in the morning, have consistently showed promise …

Light boxes can be purchased that emit full spectrum light similar in composition to sunlight. Symptoms of SAD and S-SAD may be relieved by sitting in front of a light box first thing in the morning, from the early fall until spring …

Typically, light boxes filter out ultraviolet rays and require 20–60 minutes of exposure to 10,000 lux of cool-white… light daily during fall and winter.

This is about 20 times as great as ordinary indoor lighting … Light therapy should not be used in conjunction with photosensitizing medications such as lithium, melatonin, phenothiazine antipsychotics, and certain antibiotics.”

While light therapy can take up to four weeks before you notice an improvement, it was shown to be more effective than antidepressants for moderate to severe depression in a 2015 study.9,10 In it, the researchers evaluated the effectiveness of light therapy, alone and in conjunction with the antidepressant fluoxetine (sold under the brand name Prozac).

The eight-week trial included 122 adults between the ages of 19 and 60, who were diagnosed with moderate to severe depression. The participants were divided into four groups, receiving:

  • 30 minutes of light therapy per day upon waking, using a 10,000 lux Carex brand day-light device, classic model, plus a placebo pill
  • Prozac (20 mg/day) plus a deactivated ion generator serving as a placebo light device
  • Light therapy plus Prozac
  • Placebo light device plus placebo pill (control group)

In conclusion, the study found that the combination of light therapy and Prozac was the most effective — but light therapy-only came in at a close second, followed by placebo. In other words, the drug treatment was the least effective of all, including placebo.

The mean changes in the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale from baseline to the eight-week end point was 16.9 for the combination therapy (active light- and drug therapy), and 13.4 for light therapy alone.

Blue Light During Daytime Hours May Improve Your Mood

In addition to the bright white light used in light therapy, blue light has also been shown to be useful. According to a 2010 study,11 blue light appears to play a key role in your brain’s ability to process emotions, and its results suggest that spending more time in blue-enriched light could help prevent SAD.

Blue light is prevalent in outdoor light, so your body absorbs the most during the summer and much less in the winter. Because of this, the researchers suggested that adding blue light to indoor lighting, as opposed to the standard yellow lights typically used, may help boost mood and productivity year-round, and especially during the winter.

Keep in mind, however, that blue light after sunset or before sunrise should be avoided, as it can disrupt your circadian rhythm. In fact, one of the reasons for insomnia and poor sleep is related to excessive exposure to blue light-emitting technologies such as TV and computer screens, especially in the evening.

The blue light depresses melatonin production, thereby preventing you from feeling sleepy. So, to be clear, you only want to expose yourself to blue light in the morning, and possibly afternoon, but not in the evening.

In “How the Cycles of Light and Darkness Affect Your Health and Well-Being,” researcher Dan Pardi explains the peculiar effect blue light has on your brain, which sheds further light on why it’s so important to expose yourself to blue light during daytime hours only, and why you need to avoid it at night:

“[R]ods and cones in the eye… are specialized cells that can transduce a photo signal into a nerve signal… In the mid-90s, a different type of cell was discovered… [called] intrinsically photosensitive Retinal Ganglion Cells (ipRGC).

It does the same thing as rods and cones: it transduced light to a nerve signal. But instead of the signal going to your visual cortex, it goes to your master clock. Those cells are most responsive to blue light. If you can block blue light, you can actually create something called circadian darkness or virtual darkness.

What that means is that you can see, but your brain doesn’t think that it’s daytime; your brain thinks that it’s in darkness. That is actually a practical solution for living with artificial light in our modern world…

With more awareness, future digital devices will adjust lighting in the evening to automatically dim and emit amber/red light [instead of blue]. This is much better for healthy circadian rhythms and sleep quality.”

Address Insomnia

As you can tell by Pardi’s explanation above, the blue light issue is closely related to your sleep quality and circadian rhythm maintenance, and this too is an important component of mental health.

Historically, humans went to sleep shortly after sunset and woke up when the sun rose. Straying too far from this biological pattern will disrupt delicate hormonal cycles in your body, which can affect both your mood and your health. Indeed, the link between depression and lack of sleep is well established, and sleep disturbance is one of the telltale signs of depression.12

Sleep therapy has also been shown to significantly improve depression. While there are individual differences, as a general rule, you’ll want to aim for about eight hours of sleep per night.

For many, this will require going to bed earlier, which can be difficult if you’ve been watching TV or using electronics beforehand, as the blue light from the screen suppresses your melatonin production.

So, an important part of the solution is to avoid screen-time for a couple of hours before bed. Alternatives to not watching TV or using electronics is to install a blue light modulating software such as Iris,13 or using blue-blocking glasses.

Just make sure you don’t wear blue blocking glasses during the daytime, which is when you need the blue light exposure. Also, make sure the glasses filter out light between 460 to 490 nanometers (nm), which is the range of blue light that most effectively reduces melatonin. You can easily tell this by looking at a blue light and if it doesn’t disappear with the glasses, it is not blocking that frequency.

Exercise Helps Prevent Depression

Like sleep, exercise can impact your risk of depression. Even a minimal amount of exercise may be enough to combat depression in some people — as little as one hour a week could prevent 12% of future cases of depression, according to one study.14

Participants were followed for 11 years in this study, during which time it was revealed that people who engaged in regular leisure-time exercise for one hour a week, regardless of intensity, were less likely to become depressed. On the flipside, those who didn’t exercise were 44% more likely to become depressed compared to those who did so for at least one to two hours a week.

Exercise benefits your brain and mood via multiple mechanisms, including creating new, excitable neurons along with new neurons designed to release the GABA neurotransmitter, which inhibits excessive neuronal firing, helping to induce a natural state of calm15 — similar to the way anti-anxiety drugs work, except that the mood-boosting benefits of exercise occur both immediately after a workout and on in the long term.

Exercise also boosts levels of potent brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, which may help buffer some of the effects of stress. What’s more, anandamide levels are known to increase during and following exercise.16 Anandamide is a neurotransmitter and endocannabinoid produced in your brain that temporarily blocks feelings of pain and depression. It can also be activated with CBD products.

Tap for Symptoms of Depression

Last but not least, EFT, a form of psychological acupressure, is a noninvasive way that can help treat symptoms of depression, whether related to seasonal light differences or not.

Some people avoid energy psychology, believing it’s an alternative form of New Age spirituality. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is merely an advanced tool that can effectively address some of the psychological short circuiting that occurs in emotional illnesses.

It is not associated with any religion or spiritual outlook at all, but merely an effective resource you can use with whatever spiritual belief you have. In the video above, EFT practitioner Julie Schiffman demonstrates how you can use EFT to relieve your symptoms.

It’s the Season To Be Glad, Not SAD

Since SAD is triggered by the loss of light, it makes sense that light therapy is among the most effective treatments. Vitamin D and/or omega-3 deficiency, as well as lack of sleep and exercise, can also play a significant role, so addressing these basic lifestyle factors could also be what you need to avoid the winter blues.

In closing, it may be worth noting that it’s natural for your body to want to slow down somewhat in the wintertime. While this can be difficult when your work and personal life dictate otherwise, allowing yourself to slow down a bit and surrender to the overwinter process may ultimately help you to respect your body’s circadian rhythm, and recharge.

That said, this doesn’t mean you should plant yourself on the couch for the winter and not venture outdoors. On the contrary, staying active and spending time outdoors during the day are among the best “cures” for SAD.

– Sources and References

Category:

Sleep, Supplements

Latest Research on Vitamin C

https://www.deannaminich.com/latest-research-on-vitamin-c/

by | Sep 17, 2018

Vitamin C is no stranger to the spotlight when it comes to powerful nutrients. When you get a cold, you might turn to vitamin C to give your immune system a boost, or you might supplement with it to help combat oxidative stress.

Many of vitamin C’s functions are well studied and can be found in any nutritional textbook and articles out in the blogosphere. As a quick recap, here are some of vitamin C‘s most recognized roles in the body:

– Immune system support
– Collagen synthesis
– L-carnitine synthesis
– Neurotransmitter synthesis
– Antioxidant that also regenerates other antioxidants, specifically vitamin E
– Increases non-heme (plant based) iron absorption

Scurvy, common among sailors in the 15th and 16th centuries, is a disease that arises when there is a deficiency of vitamin C. The early symptoms include fatigue, lethargy, and malaise. As it progresses, it causes anemia, bone pain, easy bruising, swelling, poor wound healing, mood changes, depression, and other symptoms. It can become very serious and even lead to death if not treated.

Although a true deficiency might be rare today, having insufficient levels also leads to poor health. Our knowledge regarding the important actions and roles that vitamin C has in the body—and why it is important to have sufficient quantities—continually expands. So, let’s take a look at what’s new with vitamin C with a quick research roundup of some of the more recent studies in the literature.

Neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s Disease

Recent studies on vitamin C’s potential to help prevent and perhaps even alleviate Alzheimer’s Disease and other disorders caused by neurodegeneration found:

  • A reduced risk of developing cognitive decline. Using data from a cohort study, researchers reviewed the impact of taking vitamin E and C supplements on cognitive decline. Supplementing with vitamin C and E resulted in roughly three-quarters the risk of developing cognitive impairment, not dementia, and there was just under two-thirds the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and all-cause dementia. For those who appreciate the science, the adjusted hazard ratio was 0.77 for cognitive impairment, not dementia; 0.60 for Alzheimer’s disease; and 0.62 for all-cause dementia, all of which were significant and remained so in fully adjusted models other than cognitive impairment, not dementia.
  • In another study, lower plasma levels of vitamin C correlated with a higher risk of increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT). Increased IMT has been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and cognitive impairment. This points to a potentially protective effect of vitamin C against Alzheimer’s disease and similar vascular and cognitive aging.

Based on these two studies, it appears as though having sufficient vitamin C plays a key role in protecting the brain. This makes it especially important for you to consume plenty of vitamin-C rich foods as you age.

Cardiovascular Disease 

Several studies have come out in the past decade or so looking at the association between vitamin C and heart health. Below are highlights of a couple recent studies:

  • A meta-analysis found vitamin C treatment after cardiac surgery was safe and potentially effective in reducing the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation. This is the most common surgical complication, and it can lead to twice the incidence of heart failure and stroke. Finding ways to prevent postoperative atrial fibrillation could contribute to better surgical outcomes and reduced mortality.
  • Patients with metabolic syndrome have lower plasma levels of vitamin C, as well as the other key antioxidant vitamins (vitamins A and E). Low levels were not associated with their dietary intake, but weight did play a role. Those who had a higher BMI also had a lower level of vitamin C, pointing to antioxidant deficiency or impairment. Therefore, regardless of the diet, those who were overweight or obese still had lower levels of vitamin C in their blood, most likely due to increased antioxidant needs. Therefore, it is even more important for those with a higher BMI to focus on consuming sufficient antioxidants, especially vitamin C, through their diet and possibly supplementation.

A healthy diet, especially one rich in vegetables and fruit, is an important component of heart health. One reason might be that the vitamin C in plant foods helps ensure you have a large enough antioxidant capacity when you are stressed, whether from a surgery or excess body fat.

Fighting Infections 

We already know that supporting the immune system is an important task of vitamin C. New research provides even more evidence, as shown below:

  • One randomized, controlled pilot study found that taking probiotics with 50 mg of vitamin C reduced the incidence rate of upper respiratory tract infections in preschool children compared to the placebo group. There was also a reduction in the days absent from school and the number of days for which medication was needed compared to the placebo group.
  • In a randomized control trial, vitamin C supplementation (500 mg) was found to help men with below adequate or deficient vitamin C status at the beginning of the study overcome a cold faster. After taking vitamin C, the duration of infection with the common cold was reduced 59 percent compared to the control group. The vitamin C group also experienced a modest increase in the physical activity score and increased fasting serum vitamin C levels.

Other Promising Findings

There are many other studies pointing to possible benefits from this antioxidant vitamin. Some interesting and promising findings include:

  •  A recent study analyzed data from 3,283 adults in the Korea 2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Low intakes of vitamin C, as well as other nutrients, had a significant association with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Low vitamin C intake was one of four elements that had a significant independent risk factor; the other four were being male, older, and a smoker. The study found that higher vitamin C intake is protective, independent of smoking.
  • In patients with hypothyroidism and gastritis (which contributes to malabsorption of thyroid medication), taking vitamin C helped improve absorption of levothyroxine, which in turn improved their serum TSH, free T4, and T3 levels. These are the thyroid hormones that play an important role in regulating metabolism, growth and development, and neural differentiation.
  • A cohort study found that high levels (over 30 grams) of intravenous vitamin C over a treatment period that lasted 90 minutes reduced blood pressure 6 to 7 mmHg and 8 to 9 mmHg in prehypertensive patients.
  • A cross-sectional study looking at middle-aged and older adults found an inverse association between vitamin C intake (adjusted for energy intake) and risk for developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

These studies point to the importance of ensuring you have an adequate supply at all times for your general health and well being. As an added bonus, you protect yourself from an early death. A report reviewing two cohort studies found an inverse association between vitamin C intake and all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in adults in China.

How to Get Sufficient Vitamin C 

It is easy to boost your vitamin C intake: just add some fruits and vegetables to your diet, especially if you fall short of the recommended 9 to 14 servings. In a study combining four randomized-controlled trials conducted under similar guidelines by the same research team, there was a 24 percent increase in vitamin C intake per one additional portion of fruit and vegetable added to the diet, which was statistically significant. For a targeted increase, try some of the following foods, which are rich in vitamin C and listed in descending order:

– Acerola cherries
– Orange juice
– Guavas
– Red, green, and yellow peppers
– Peaches
– Mustard spinach
– Tomato juice
– Lychees
– Kiwis
– Oranges
– Sun-dried tomatoes
– Broccoli
– Strawberries

One thing this list has in common is that they are colorful foods! Make a point to eat a colorful diet made up of every color of the rainbow. This ensures you provide your body with a wide variety of nutrients, including vitamin C.

If you struggle to consume enough vitamin-C rich foods, you might wish to turn to supplements. There are a few things you need to know¹:

  • Most supplements use ascorbic acid, which has a similar bioavailability to what you find in food.
  • The body starts to absorb less vitamin C once you go above doses of 1,250 mg. That is why for maximum absorption, it is generally recommended to split high doses to two or three throughout the day.
  • The most common side effect is diarrhea, and you might also experience abdominal pain. Typically, these symptoms are dose related. This means they are more likely to occur the higher the dose. This is another reason to split high doses.
  • Vitamin C increases the absorption of non-heme iron, which is the iron found in plants such as lentils, soy, quinoa, and leafy greens. Therefore, if you are at risk of an iron overload, do not take vitamin C when you consume these foods. Conversely, if you are iron deficient, increase your non-heme iron absorption through consuming vitamin C rich foods and/or supplements.
  • As with any supplement, discuss potential medication interactions and other risk factors with your doctor or pharmacist before taking the supplement.
  • Make sure to have bioflavonoids included in your vitamin C supplement for a complete complement of vitamin C activity.

When you choose a supplement, you want to make sure that it is high quality. One of the best ways to do that is to look for those certified by a third-party, such as Consumer Labs, the Natural Products Association, NSF International, and US Pharmacopeia. Always review the active and inactive ingredients so that you know what is in the supplement. Be wary of “proprietary” blends that do not detail the ingredients. Other ingredients to avoid include wheat, gluten, lactose, hydrogenated oils, sweeteners, artificial colors, and anything else you generally would not wish to ingest.

There will always be more research looking into additional benefits of consuming vitamin C, and there’s no time like the present to focus on your intake so that you benefit from all that vitamin C does to the body, both the actions currently known and those that will only be revealed in the future.  Always check with your healthcare practitioner on whether you need more vitamin C from your diet or from a supplement.

Additional Sources: 

  1. Gaby, A.R. (2011). Chapter 22:Vitamin C.In Nutritional Medicine (1st ed.) [eBook version]. Concord, NH: Fritz Perlberg Publishing. Available from https://doctorgaby.com/the-book/.

Category:

research, Supplements

Omega-3s Recommended as Adjunctive Therapy for Major Depression

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/918963?

Omega-3s Recommended as Adjunctive Therapy for Major Depression

Megan Brooks

September 25, 2019

A clinical practice guideline from the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research (ISNPR) recommends omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) as adjunctive therapy for major depressive disorder (MDD).

The value of omega-3 PUFAs in depression is “overlooked,” even though accumulating evidence supports it. This therapy “needs to be on the radar” of physicians, Kuan-Pin Su, MD, PhD, chief of the Department of General Psychiatry, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, told Medscape Medical News.

Su, a founding member of the ISNPR and a strong proponent of “nutritional psychiatry,” organized a subcommittee of the ISNPR and invited the top 10 most-cited authors in the use of omega-3 PUFAs for depression to review the literature and develop the practice guideline on appropriate prescribing of omega-3 fatty acids for MDD.

The consensus guideline was published online September 3 in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.

Prophylaxis, Maintenance

The guideline emphasizes the importance of accurate clinical diagnosis and measurement-based psychopathologic assessments in the therapeutic setting when recommending omega-3 PUFAs for depression.

The guideline notes that there is a growing body of evidence demonstrating the efficacy of n-3 PUFAs as an adjunctive treatment for MDD. The guideline authors also note that omega-3s are safe and effective for accelerating the effect of antidepressants at treatment initiation and for augmenting existing antidepressant therapy when efficacy is inadequate.

With respect to formulation and dosage, the guideline recommends pure eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or a combination of EPA and docosahexaenoic acid, with net EPA starting from at least 1 g/day up to 2 g/day for at least 8 weeks as adjunctive treatment. Importantly, the authors note that the quality of n-3 PUFAs may affect therapeutic activity.

The guideline also endorses n-3 PUFAs as a potential prophylactic treatment for high-risk populations, in addition to standard medical care. The duration of acute n-3 PUFA treatment may be extended to include maintenance treatment to prevent recurrence.

Potential side effects, such as gastrointestinal and dermatologic conditions, should be monitored, and comprehensive metabolic panels should be obtained during treatment, the guideline authors note.

They call for further research into personalizing the clinical application of n-3 PUFAs in subgroups of patients with MDD whose omega-3 index is low or who have high levels of inflammatory markers.

The panel acknowledges in the guideline that there is ongoing debate on the benefits of omega-3 PUFAs for MDD. Meta-analyses have shown “only small but statistically significant effects,” the authors write.

They note that in three meta-analyses, the estimated effect sizes (standardized mean differences between n-3 PUFAs and placebo) ranged from 0.23 to 0.56, with wide confidence intervals (CIs).

However, small effect sizes have also been reported regarding antidepressant drugs compared to placebo (standardized mean differences, 0.30 – 0.47, with narrower CIs).

Given that currently recommended therapies for MDD have only small effects, the panel notes three “practical” strategies that should be employed to address the “unmet” need in depression treatment.

These include an open-minded attitude to integrative intervention; the application of personalized medicine; and a shared decision-making process based on balanced information to enhance treatment adherence.

Reasonable Approach

Commenting for Medscape Medical News, Timothy Sullivan, MD, chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwell Health’s Staten Island University Hospital in New York City, said the recommendation constitutes a “perfectly reasonable practice guideline.

“The big picture, however, is that while there is a literature on the usefulness of omega-3s, average clinical experience hasn’t been as impressive. Clinicians generally haven’t been overwhelmed by the results. There are practitioners that favor them more than others,” said Sullivan.

“Conceptually,” he added, “what’s appealing about omega-3s is we know that depressive states are associated with dysregulation of the immune system, and agents like the omega-3s appear to have a role in helping to re-regulate or positively regulate the immune system and combat some of the metabolic effects of stress. But it’s still an area that we need to understand more about.”

The guideline authors were supported by research grants from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan; the National Health Research Institutes, Taiwan; and the Chinese Medicine Research Center from the China Medical University. Su is a founding committee member of the ISNPR, the board director of the International Society for the Study of Fatty Acids, and an associate editor of Brain, Behavior and Immunity. The original article contains a complete list of authors’ relevant financial relationships. Sullivan has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Psychother Psychosom. Published online September 3, 2019. Full text

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For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/06/05/can-lyme-disease-cause-depression/

Excerpt:

Many people are surprised to learn that infectious diseases, including Lyme disease, are a major contributor to mental illnesses and cognitive issues.Research shows that children who have had an infectious disease are significantly more likely to have mental health problems as they grow up. In a study that followed over 3.5 million people, scientists found a 62% increase in the risk for mood disorders if a person had been hospitalized for any type of infection.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/03/lyme-patient-misdiagnosed-with-anxiety-depression/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/08/11/the-unfortunate-connections-between-lyme-disease-mental-illness/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/18/ketamine-reduces-depression-related-behaviors-in-mice-limits-bb-in-vivo-relieves-chronic-pain/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/11/22/side-effects-mild-brief-with-single-antidepressant-dose-of-intravenous-ketamine/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/05/11/irish-student-admitted-to-hospital-for-depression-actually-had-a-deadly-brain-infection/

This is happening more and more, yet is considered to be rare:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/10/01/panspandas-steroids-autoimmune-disease-lymemsids-the-need-for-medical-collaboration/  Two stories are presented in this link – Susannah Cahalan’s story from the book, “Brain on Fire,” who had a similar auto-immune brain issue, and then the story of Patrik who had Lyme disease which morphed into Autoimmune encephalopathy.

Lyme/MSIDS, PANS, PANDAS, & autoimmune encephalopathy can all be interconnected and we need knowledgable practitioners who can recognize this as it’s not going away anytime soon.

 

 

 

Category:

Inflammation, research, Supplements, Treatment

Link Between Inflammation & Mental Sluggishness Shown & How MSM, Systemic Enzymes, and Melatonin Can Help

https://neurosciencenews.com/inflammation-mental-sluggishness

Link between inflammation and mental sluggishness shown

Neuroscience NewsNEUROSCIENCE NEWS

Summary: Inflammation appears to have a negative impact on attention and cognition.

Source: University of Birmingham

Scientists at the University of Birmingham in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam have uncovered a possible explanation for the mental sluggishness that often accompanies illness.

An estimated 12M UK citizens have a chronic medical condition, and many of them report severe mental fatigue that they characterize as ‘sluggishness’ or ‘brain fog’. This condition is often as debilitating as the disease itself.

A team in the University’s Centre for Human Brain Health investigated the link between this mental fog and inflammation – the body’s response to illness. In a study published in Neuroimage, they show that inflammation appears to have a particular negative impact on the brain’s readiness to reach and maintain an alert state.

Dr Ali Mazaheri and Professor Jane Raymond of the University’s Centre for Human Brain Health, are the senior authors of the study. Dr Mazaheri says:

“Scientists have long suspected a link between inflammation and cognition, but it is very difficult to be clear about the cause and effect. For example, people living with a medical condition or being very overweight might complain of cognitive impairment, but it’s hard to tell if that’s due to the inflammation associated with these conditions or if there are other reasons.”

“Our research has identified a specific critical process within the brain that is clearly affected when inflammation is present.”

The study focussed specifically on an area of the brain which is responsible for visual attention. A group of 20 young male volunteers took part and received a salmonella typhoid vaccine that causes temporary inflammation but has few other side effects. They were tested for cognitive responses to simple images on a computer screen a few hours after the injection so that their ability to control attention could be measured. Brain activity was measured while they performed the attention tests.

On a different day, either before or after, they received an injection with water (a placebo) and did the same attention tests. On each test day, they were unaware of which injection they had received. Their inflammation state was measured by analyzing blood taken on each day.

The tests used in the study assessed three separate attention processes, each involving distinct parts of the brain. These processes are: “alerting” which involves reaching and maintaining an alert state; “orienting” which involves selecting and prioritizing useful sensory information; and “executive control” used to resolving what to pay attention to when available information is conflicting.

The results showed that inflammation specifically affected brain activity related to staying alert, while the other attention processes appeared unaffected by inflammation.

This shows a red brain

“These results show quite clearly that there’s a very specific part of the brain network that’s affected by inflammation,” says Dr Mazaheri. “This could explain ‘brain fog’.”

Professor Raymond says,

“This research finding is a major step forward in understanding the links between physical, cognitive, and mental health and tells us that even the mildest of illnesses may reduce alertness.”

Dr Leonie Balter the first author of the study which was completed as part of her PhD, concluded:

“Getting a better understanding of the relationships between inflammation and brain function will help us investigate other ways to treat some of these conditions. For example, further research might show that patients with conditions associated with chronic inflammation, such as obesity, kidney disease or Alzheimer’s, could benefit from taking anti-inflammatory drugs to help preserve or improve cognitive function.”

“Furthermore, subtle changes in brain function may be used as an early marker cognitive deterioration in patients with inflammatory diseases.”

The next step for the team will be to test the effects of inflammation on other areas of brain function such as memory.

ABOUT THIS NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH ARTICLE

Source:
University of Birmingham
Media Contacts:
Beck Lockwood – University of Birmingham
Image Source:
The image is in the public domain.

Original Research: Open access
“Selective effects of acute low-grade inflammation on human visual attention”. Ali Mazaheri et al.
NeuroImage doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116098.

Abstract

Selective effects of acute low-grade inflammation on human visual attention

Illness is often accompanied by perceived cognitive sluggishness, a symptom that may stem from immune system activation. The current study used electroencephalography (EEG) to assess how inflammation affected three different distinct attentional processes: alerting, orienting and executive control. In a double-blinded placebo-controlled within-subjects design (20 healthy males, mean age = 24.5, SD = 3.4), Salmonella typhoid vaccination (0.025 mg; Typhim Vi, Sanofi Pasteur) was used to induce transient mild inflammation, while a saline injection served as a placebo-control. Participants completed the Attention Network Test with concurrent EEG recorded 6 h post-injection. Analyses focused on behavioral task performance and on modulation of oscillatory EEG activity in the alpha band (9–12 Hz) for alerting as well as orienting attention and frontal theta band (4–8 Hz) for executive control. Vaccination induced mild systemic inflammation, as assessed by interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. While no behavioral task performance differences between the inflammation and placebo condition were evident, inflammation caused significant alterations to task-related brain activity. Specifically, inflammation produced greater cue-induced suppression of alpha power in the alerting aspect of attention and individual variation in the inflammatory response was significantly correlated with the degree of alpha power suppression. Notably, inflammation did not affect orienting (i.e., alpha lateralization) or executive control (i.e., frontal theta activity). These results reveal a unique neurophysiological sensitivity to acute mild inflammation of the neural network that underpins attentional alerting functions. Observed in the absence of performance decrements, these novel findings suggest that acute inflammation requires individuals to exert greater cognitive effort when preparing for a task in order to maintain adequate behavioral performance.

___________________

**Comment**

As most of you are aware, Lyme/MSIDS patients suffer with infection, inflammation, insomnia, and quite often – brain fog. Finding successful ways of treating each of these issues is part of treatment success.  Personally, I’ve found a number of things to help with these issues.  One is an inexpensive supplement called MSM:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/03/02/dmso-msm-for-lyme-msids/  Another is called systemic or proteolytic enzymes:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/04/22/systemic-enzymes/ and https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/03/05/how-proteolytic-enzymes-may-help-lyme-msids/.  Even though I am done with Lyme/MSIDS treatment, I still take both substances as they do so many good things for the body including:

  • Control inflammation throughout the body, not just in your joints.
  • Repair and rebuild the cardiovascular system.
  • Optimize blood flow & cleanses blood of debris
  • Prevent and dissolve blood clots by dissolving fibrin
  • Dissolve plaque in your arteries and dental plaque in your mouth.
  • Clean up your immune system.
  • Minimize the impact of allergies but breaking down and removing circulating immune complexes.
  • Improve the ability to exercise and speed up recovery times.
  • Kill bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens.
  • Accelerate recovery from sprains, strains, fractures, bruises & surgery
  • Help with arthritis
  • Help with detoxification
  • Improve body alkalinity
  • Help with sinusitis and asthma
  • Help reduce MS symptoms

Another supplement I’ve taken for years is melatonin, which according to Dr. Mercola, also reduces inflammation and is neuroprotective by strengthening the blood-brain barrier.

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/11/18/melatonin-reduces-inflammation

Melatonin Has Anti-Inflammatory and Metabolic Effects

Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola

November 18, 2019

melatonin benefits

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

  • Melatonin is responsible for your sleep/wake cycle and it plays an important role in fighting inflammation and weight gain
  • It affects your immune system, gut health, pain level, blood pressure and recovery from stroke and traumatic brain injury
  • You can naturally boost your melatonin levels by getting at least 15 minutes of sun exposure in the morning, among other ways
  • Melatonin has a safe track record with few adverse reactions, but its long-term effects are unknown; supplementation may not be safe for those taking certain medications or dealing with specific health conditions

Your body is a complex organism requiring quality sleep to function optimally. Your body’s circadian rhythms are a combination of biological clocks regulating everything from your metabolism to psychological functioning. One sure way to cause dysregulation of your biological clock is to skimp on sleep.

Although you have a master clock in your brain to synchronize bodily functions, every organ and cell has its own biological clock as well. In a stunning discovery published in 2017, researchers found half your genes are controlled by circadian rhythms that turn them on and off in a cyclical wave.

The whole-body circadian rhythm is largely dictated by your pineal gland, which is responsible for secreting melatonin or N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine. This hormone normalizes your circadian rhythm as it signals your body it’s time for sleep. The production of melatonin will depend on how much and when your body absorbs light.

The gland is located near the center of your brain and usually starts secreting melatonin near 9 p.m. Without an adequate amount of sleep and exposure to sunlight, your levels will naturally drop. Researchers have found an association between melatonin and rising levels of inflammation.

Melatonin Reduced Inflammation and Obesity Markers in Mice

In a combined effort, scientists from universities in Brazil and Italy1 sought to identify the role melatonin may have in improving disorders commonly found in those who are obese. The researchers used mice who were induced to become obese and treated them for 10 weeks with melatonin.

The objective was to determine if the hormone could effectively delay or block the damage from eating too much. The researchers found multiple results supporting their theory that melatonin supplementation could have a significant effect on the animals, including reducing triglyceride levels and total and LDL cholesterol levels.

They also found that supplementation prevented larger weight gain by reducing the formation of fat tissue and increasing the capacity to break down white fat. This combination of effects helped to prevent the hypertrophy of fat cells caused by excessive eating.

Additionally, the researchers noted the supplementation reduced a characteristic inflammatory process found in obese subjects where macrophages infiltrate adipose tissue. The mice also experienced a reduction in inflammatory related factors through a decrease in gene expression.

Overall, at the end of the 10-week trial, the group of mice eating an excessive amount without melatonin gained 49% body mass over the control group that ate a normal diet. The group of mice supplemented with melatonin increased their body mass 28% over the control group, but 13% lower than the group eating excess food without melatonin.

The researchers believe the data suggest that melatonin could be considered as a therapeutic agent to help mitigate the metabolic and inflammatory conditions triggered in those who are obese.

The Importance of Melatonin to Sleep/Wake Cycles

As with many hormones and chemicals in the body, melatonin has more than one function. The best known role it plays is in controlling your sleep/wake cycle. This well-publicized function may be due to the fact that sleep plays a significant role in your overall physical and mental health.

An estimated 40% of Americans are sleep deprived every day, with many people getting less than 5 hours of sleep per night. Millions struggle to fall asleep and others find it challenging to stay asleep. Some wake up too early in the morning.

There are a number of hazards associated with sleep deprivation; you can read about these in my past article, “Nobel Prize-Winning Science Highlights Importance of Good Sleep for Health.”

Melatonin is a marker your body uses to influence what time of day or night it thinks it is. This happens regardless of the actual time. During a normal night of sleep, levels stay elevated for about 12 hours. As the sun rises, the pineal gland reduces production until the level in your blood is hardly measurable.

If you experience disruption to your circadian rhythms, your body will produce less melatonin and you will experience poor quality sleep. This can happen to those who work the night shift, have jet lag or are exposed to light during the night.

Melatonin Benefits More Than Sleep

A deficiency in this hormone may come with profound biological risks, such as potentially having higher levels of inflammation, a weaker immune system and an increased chance of developing cancer. The hormone interacts with receptor proteins that help control the different stages of sleep and are present in other organs and immune cells.2,3

Additionally, melatonin is a potent antioxidant that can raise the levels of other antioxidants, such as glutathione. Melatonin plays a role in the health and survival of mitochondria,4 your body’s powerhouse, where energy production takes place at a cellular level.

Melatonin has shown some promise for pain control in those suffering from endometriosis. In one study,5 10 mg per day decreased pain by 39.8% and dysmenorrhea by 38.01%. Topical application may help prevent sunburn,6 while oral supplementation was 150 times more effective at treating tinnitus as compared to other drugs. Melatonin may also play a protective role in:7

Delayed sleep phase syndrome Strengthening the blood-brain barrier Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Reducing transplant complications Recovery from stroke and traumatic brain injury Diabetes
Vision and eye health Parkinson’s disease Thrombocytopenia
Gut health Jet lag Blood pressure and heart health
Acid reflux Aging Fertility

Boost Your Melatonin Naturally

Melatonin does come in supplemental form, but it’s also possible to raise your levels naturally. Researchers recognize nonpharmacological approaches to insomnia include better sleep hygiene, physical exercise and mindfulness meditation.

It makes sense to engage in simple habits to increase your natural production and improve your overall health and sleep without adding supplements. Four simple strategies include:

• Sunshine during the morning — Melatonin is affected by your exposure to light and dark. When it’s light, production of melatonin naturally drops. Getting at least 15 minutes of sunlight in the morning hours helps to regulate the production of melatonin, dropping it to normal daytime levels, so you feel awake during the day and sleep better at night.

• Sleep in the dark — Your body produces and secretes melatonin in the dark, helping you to go to sleep and stay asleep. Sleeping in a completely darkened room, without lights from alarm clocks, televisions or other sources will improve your sleep quality.

If you get up during the night to use the bathroom, it’s important to keep the lights off so you don’t shut off your production of melatonin. Also, wear blue-light blocking glasses after sunset to avoid blue-light exposure.

• Lower your stress level and your cortisol level — The release of melatonin is dependent on the release of another hormone, norepinephrine. Excess stress and the resulting release of cortisol inhibits the release of norepinephrine, and therefore the release of melatonin. Stress-reducing strategies you may find helpful before bed include yoga, stretching, meditation and prayer.

• Increase foods high in magnesium — Magnesium plays a role in reducing brain activity at night, helping you to relax and fall asleep more easily. It works in tandem with melatonin. Foods containing higher levels of magnesium include almonds, avocados, pumpkin seeds and green, leafy vegetables.

Supplementation and Potential Negative Effects

The beneficial effects associated with melatonin suggest it may primarily have a function as an antioxidant. In speaking with Time magazine, Helen Burgess, co-director of the Sleep and Circadian Research Laboratory at the University of Michigan, said:8

“Some of the emerging science is showing that in people with higher levels of inflammation — which could be because they’re obese, or because they’re in the [intensive care unit] for a transplant — melatonin in the range of 6 mg to 10 mg may decrease markers of inflammation.”

The authors of past studies have associated a deficiency in melatonin with obesity. It also may address inflammation, as supplementation has been associated with lowering oxidative stress and regulating adipokines involved in the inflammatory process. While believed to be relatively safe for up to 18 months, the long-term effects are largely unknown.

Possible negative interactions have been suggested for those with epilepsy or those taking Warfarin, a blood thinner. Melatonin is sometimes used in children to benefit those with sleep disorders, but long-term effects in children are also unknown. There has been some research suggesting that using melatonin during puberty may interfere with natural production of the hormone.

Researchers leading one study cautioned that supplementation should be limited in those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. They suggest considering the supplement only for those who also have chronic insomnia. It’s crucial to remember that melatonin is a hormone, and long-term supplementation with hormones can have unknown effects on the body.

In addition to the strategies listed above to boost your natural production, you may benefit from sleep habits information in my past article, “Top 33 Tips to Optimize Your Sleep Routine.”

 

 

 

 

 

Category:

Gut Health, Inflammation, Sleep, Supplements, Treatment