This book offers alternatives, or complements, to the pharmaceuticals that have become the go-to treatment for much of the treatment of mental illness today.  The information in this book goes beyond the typical diet, exercise, and lifestyle advice normally presented as the natural ways of dealing with mental illness.  While those areas are covered, some of the other ideas require more of a belief, or at least openness to, some other more “New Age” treatment methods, including Shamanism.  I found the information presented to be interesting and clearly presented, though a lot of it seemed a bit impractical for most people as it involved the service of professionals in very specialized fields that many people would not have access to either financially or geographically.

Natural medicine is based on the knowledge that in order for comprehensive healing to occur, the factors causing or contributing to a disorder must be identified and addressed in each person.  With this approach, it is possible for people to get off their drugs or reduce their dosages, and in so doing improve their present and future health.

The introduction provides numerous statistics for bipolar disorder, and mental illness in general, in the U.S. and around the world.  After that the book is divided into two parts (plus an appendix): The Basics of Bipolar and Natural Medicine Treatments for Bipolar Disorder.  Throughout the book Marohn supplied quotes from patients, practitioners, & families about living with bipolar disorder and experiences with the relevant method of treatment.  Likewise there are many anecdotal sections within the chapters.

Part I contains two chapters: “What Is Bipolar Disorder and Who Suffers from It?” and “Causes, Triggers, and Contributors.“  In Chapter 1 we are introduced to the different types of bipolar disorder and how it affects specific populations, as well as the history of its treatment: “…often the mood swings of bipolar disorder are inexplicable, bearing no apparent relation to what is happening in a person’s life.“

Chapter 2 covers what little is known, and some about what is not known, about bipolar disorder, and focuses on 20 factors believed to play a role in the disorder.  A few of those are genetics, stress, allergies, physical health problems, and environmental toxicities.  “From a holistic viewpoint, a single physiological cause or even one such cause in combination with a genetic abnormality is not the sum total of a condition such as bipolar disorder.  Perhaps research has been unable to identify an “etiological agent” because “mental illness” is the outcome of body-mind-spirit disturbance caused by physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual,  and energetic influences, each of which affects all of the other areas, so no influence can be considered in isolation.”  The end of the chapter is an action plan for determining which of these factors could be affecting one’s own illness.

Part II includes eight different treatments for bipolar disorder from the natural medicine field, many of them overlapping in areas.  Chapter 3 covers the Five Levels of Healing: Physical Level, Electromagnetic Level, Mental Level, Intuitive Level, & Spiritual Level, a model developed by Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt that is similar to many of the systems used in other chapters.  “A basic principle of Dr. Klinghardt’s paradigm is that an interference or imbalance on one level, if untreated, spreads upward or downward to the other levels.”

The remaining chapters cover biological and biochemical treatments, amino acids, cranial osteopathy, allergy elimination techniques, homeopathy, and the shamanic view of mental illness.

The last chapter, on shamanism, intrigued me the most. Marohn covered a few different viewpoints on this, varying by cultural beliefs and including foreign practitioners’ views on how the American mental health system works.  “Taking a sacred-ritual approach to mental illness rather than regarding the person as a pathological case gives the person affected – and indeed the community at large – the opportunity to begin looking at it from that vantage point too…”

All the practitioners whose work is included in this book can be found in the Resources section of the appendix.  This includes the contact information for their practices and a full list of their specialties.

In the conclusion, Marohn tells us “Every illness has the potential to teach those afflicted how to take better care of themselves.  While you might think that you are already doing that — by eating a good diet and exercising, for example — illness has a way of highlighting those areas you have neglected.  Illness teaches you to attend to body, mind and spirit and shows you the parts of you that are hurting.  If you seize this opportunity, you can bring the different levels of yourself into alignment and find your way to a sense of wholeness that brings joy and contentment with it.”

I think these are excellent words no matter how an individual chooses to treat his or her bipolar disorder.

The author set out to present information on several natural methods of treating bipolar disorder, and this was done in a well organized and interesting way.  While it is by no means exhaustive, she introduced me to many techniques of which I was not previously aware.  Most of the literature I have read on natural treatments for mental illness mainly stuck to the issues of diet and exercise, including supplementation with herbs, vitamins, and minerals. The book is relatively short for all it covers, but gives a good base for seeking further information on any method of interest.  It provides many alternatives to the now typical pharma, both new tech and those going back to before modern medicine.

The Natural Medicine Guide to Bipolar Disorder: New Revised Edition
By Stephanie Marohn
Hampton Roads Publishing Company: July 15, 2011
Paperback, 240 pages
$16.95

There are several medical options for dealing with stress. While medications can be helpful, many individuals want to avoid taking them every day or dealing with possible side effects.

There are several natural remedies to consider when dealing with stress.

Eating a Healthy Diet

Eating right is not only good for your body physically, but it is also good for emotional health. When we eat better, we feel better. Some suggest a natural body cleanse or detox to jumpstart this process. Avoiding excessive fats, carbs and processed foods will help you feel more energetic and may give you the energy to try other natural techniques. However, before making any changes to your regular diet, discuss options with your physician.

Exercise

Exercise releases endorphins – those “feel-good chemicals” that can improve your mood and leave you feeling good about yourself. It can help you cope with stress and ward off depression and anxiety. Studies also have shown that it can improve immune function, which is often compromised under high amounts of stress.

Having a Positive Attitude

Many individuals fail to recognize the results of a positive attitude. Making lemonade out of lemons can drastically improve one’s day. A positive attitude can leave you feeling more motivated to get things done, which can reduce stress. Having a positive attitude also can allow you to enjoy more success in all areas of your life.

Trying Herbal Remedies

Several herbal remedies can be used to reduce stress. Talk to your physician before beginning to use any, as some can interfere with other medications.

Aromatherapy uses the medicinal properties of plant and herb essential oils to relieve tension and provide stress relief. Lavender, chamomile, rosewood, geranium and frankincense are just a few oils recognized for their calming effects. They also can be used as massage oils.

Some herbs can be taken orally. Again, consult your physician first.

Massage Therapy

A therapeutic massage can encourage relaxation and aid in relieving stress. It has been shown to lower the heart rate, lower blood pressure, relax muscles, and increase endorphins.

Finding the right massage therapist for you is important, so don’t be afraid to ask questions and do a little research. Check into costs and check your health care plan. You may be surprised to find your insurance may cover several sessions. If they are not covered by your healthcare provider, you may find it beneficial to work into your budget.

Massage is generally safe as long as it is done by a licensed therapist. However, they are not appropriate for everyone. Consult your physician first.

Relaxation Techniques

There are several types of relaxation techniques. Deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, and meditation are among the most popular.

Deep breathing involves slow and patterned breathing that has been proven to lower the heart rate, reduce muscle tension, and reduce anger and frustration.

Progressive muscle relaxation focuses on slowly tensing and relaxing each muscle group, allowing you to become more aware of physical sensations in the body.

Visualization includes forming mental images to take a visual journey to a calming place. During visualization it is advised to use as many of the five senses as possible.

Meditation is medically defined by the practice of concentrated focus upon a sound, object, visualization, the breath, movement, or attention itself in order to increase awareness of the present moment, reduce stress, promote relaxation, and enhance personal and spiritual growth. There are many types of meditation, so it is best to find the method that works best for you.

You will find that relaxation techniques take practice. The more you practice, the better you will become. Keep looking until you find the one that is right for you.

This article will cover some of the more popular alternative remedies for clinical depression, many of which have significant research backing to support their use. In many cases, trying an alternative treatment may be sufficient to help alleviate the most distressing symptoms of depression. As with anything you try, you should always talk to your health care professional first, to ensure the treatment is right for you (this is especially true if you’re currently taking certain medications, as they may interact badly with some herbs or diets).

As with any treatment for depression, your results will vary in trying any of the below options. People with more serious or severe depression may experience the least benefit from these kinds of treatments.

You should not try more than one alternative treatment at a time, especially when it comes to herbal remedies. Be patient in waiting to experience the full, beneficial effects of any of the below treatments, as it can take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks for you to feel it.

St. John’s Wort for Depression

Once you get past the weird name, St. John’s wort is actually one of the most effective herbal remedies to try for depression. St. John’s Wort is the common name for hypericum perforatum, an herbal remedy for the treatment of depression that has become increasingly popular over the past decade in the United States. It is widely used throughout Europe, Germany in particular, where it is licensed for depression, sleep disorders and anxiety. Herbal remedies are considered a form of alternative medicine.

St. John’s Wort is a yellow flower with five petals that grows wild in many parts of the world. It is named for St. John the Baptist because it blooms around June 24, his feast day. In ancient times, this herbal remedy was believed to have powers to ward off evil spirits.

Dozens of research studies have been conducted and published throughout the world on the efficacy of this herb. For instance, in early 2005, the British Medical Journal published an article demonstrating that in a large clinical trial, St. John’s Wort is at least as effective as a commonly-prescribed antidepressant and has fewer side effects in the treatment of moderate to severe major depression (BMJ 2005;330:503 (5 March)).

In 2008, the Cochrane Collaboration — a non-profit research organization that analyzes scientific studies to draw conclusions from them — determined that the overall body of research evidence for the effectiveness of St. John’s Wort in the treatment of depression was strong (Linde et al., 2008).

Cochrane Researchers reviewed 29 trials which together included 5,489 patients with symptoms of major depression. All trials employed the commonly used Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression to assess the severity of depression. In trials comparing St. John’s wort to other remedies, not only were the plant extracts considered to be equally effective, but fewer patients dropped out of trials due to adverse effects. The researchers said, “Overall, we found that the St. John’s wort extracts tested in the trials were superior to placebos and as effective as standard antidepressants, with fewer side effects.” In other words, it works.

When trying St. John’s wort, stick to name brands and look for tablets or capsules standardized to 0.3 percent hypericin. The usual dose is 300 milligrams is two to three times a day with food. Like almost anything you take for depression, it seems like it may take 4 to 8 weeks to experience the full positive effects of this treatment.

S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe)

S-adenosyl methionine (also known as S-adenosylmethionine or simply SAMe) appears to be an effective treatment for depression, as least for short-term use. In a meta-analytic review of 7 studies, a significant improvement was found for patients taking SAMe versus placebo in the treatment of depressive symptoms (Williams et al., 2005). Another, more recent review found virtually the same result, but also lamented that many of the studies examined were of poor scientific quality (Carpenter, 2011).

When considering taking SAMe, again, look for brand name products which typically have higher quality control standards. It’s generally recommended that you look for SAMe in enteric-coated tablets of either 200 mg or 400 mg. The effective dose varies between 400 to 1,600 milligrams a day, taken on an empty stomach. You can take lower doses (under 800 milligrams) once a day, a half hour before the morning meal. Anything over 800 mg you should split into at least two doses, taking the second one a half hour before lunch.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil)

Omega-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaeoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) might have an impact on depression because these compounds are widespread in the brain. The evidence is not fully conclusive, but omega-3 supplements are an option. One to two grams of omega-3 fatty acids daily is the generally accepted dose for healthy individuals, but for patients with mental disorders, up to three grams has been shown to be safe and effective.

Supplements that contain amino acids have been found to reduce symptoms, possibly because they are converted to neurotransmitters in the brain that help alleviate depression. For example, serotonin is made using the amino acid tryptophan. Dietary supplements that contain tyrosine or phenylalanine, later converted into dopamine and norepinephrine, are also available.

You can get omega-3 from a variety of sources, both natural and supplemental. Naturally occurring omega-3 can be found in large amounts in beans (kidney, navy or soy), walnuts and flaxseeds. Fish, winter squash and olive oil also can act as a rich source of omega-3. Omega-3 supplements can usually be found as “fish oil” supplements. There has been no recommended standard doses of such supplements.

Vitamins and Minerals

Deficiencies of magnesium and vitmains B and D have been linked to depression. Research suggests that patients treated with 0.8mg of folic acid per day or 0.4mg of vitamin B12 per day will have reduced depression symptoms. Patients treated with 125 to 300mg of magnesium with each meal and at bedtime have shown a more rapid recovery from major depression.

Hoang and colleagues (2011) found that low vitamin D levels are associated with greater depressive symptoms — especially in people with a prior history of depression. Taking between 1,000 and 2,000 IU of vitamin D each day may help with keeping depression at bay.

Exercise for Depression

Although it’s mentioned all the time, people still seem often reluctant to try one of the easiest ways of helping to improve depressive symptoms — exercise. This is not surprising, however, since some of the symptoms of depression that many people experience include lethargy and a lack of motivation and energy. How can one exercise when one feels so unmotivated to do anything?

There’s no easy answer, but study after study has demonstrated the beneficial effects on mood of even occasional, moderate exercise. For instance, simply walking for 20 to 30 minutes per day, every other day, is sufficient to gain some mood-lifting benefits. If outdoor exercise isn’t possible, find a physical activity you can do at home or even consider joining a gym.

Other Herbs

There have, as of this writing, been only a small number of studies conducted on other possible herbal remedies for depression (Sarris et al., 2011). Therefore, based upon the evidence to date, none of these herbs are recommended as potential treatments for depression. In two randomized controlled clinical trials of C. sativus extract, beneficial effects were found in alleviating depression symptoms. These studies also noted that anxiety, tachycardia, nausea, dyspepsia and changes in appetite are possible side effects of this herb. Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea) has had only a single study demonstrating its effectiveness in depression, and is therefore not recommended. Echium amoenum also has had only a single study that has examined its effectiveness in treating depression symptoms and is also not recommended.

Are Herbal Remedies Safe?

In general, yes, herbal remedies are safe when purchased from a major retail outlet and are a name brand product. Herbal remedies have come a long way in the past decade, as their formulations have become more standardized across manufacturers. Since herbal remedies are considered “food” by the U.S. government, they are not regulated in the same manner as prescription medication, so they may not adhere to the same stringent manufacturing requirements.

You should always carefully read the herbal packaging and ensure you understand the specific type and amount of the herb you’re intending to take. As pointed out in a recent medical journal article, contamination, mislabeling, and misidentification of herbs are important problems. In general, if you are taking an herbal remedy or thinking about it, discuss it with your physician. This is particularly important if you have several medical illnesses and are taking prescription medications.

References

Carpenter, DJ. (2011). St. John’s wort and S-adenosyl methionine as “natural” alternatives to conventional antidepressants in the era of the suicidality boxed warning: what is the evidence for clinically relevant benefit? Altern Med Review, 16, 17-39.

Hoang MT, Defina LF, Willis BL, Leonard DS, Weiner MF, Brown ES. (2011). Association between low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin d and depression in a large sample of healthy adults: the cooper center longitudinal study. Mayo Clin Proc., 86, 1050-5.

Linde K, Berner MM, Kriston L. (2008). St John’s wort for major depression. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, 4. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000448.pub3.

Sarris J, Panossian A, Schweitzer I, Stough C, Scholey A. (2011). Herbal medicine for depression, anxiety and insomnia: A review of psychopharmacology and clinical evidence. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol.

Williams AL, Girard C, Jui D, Sabina A, Katz DL. (2005). S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) as treatment for depression: a systematic review. Clin Invest Med., 28, 132-9.

“The happiest people are those who have trained their brains to make them happy” (p. ix) — this is the authors’ central thesis and forms the organizing theme of the book.  Chapter 1 details the history of happiness from the time of Aristotle through Freud and up to psychopharmacology.  Neuroplasticity, how the brain changes and repairs its circuitry, is explained as essential to ‘learning’ happiness and compared to programming computer software in that sense.  Chapter 2 delves deeper into brain anatomy and chemistry, and Chapter 3 ties together the separate notions of mind, brain, and self, again by using a computer analogy:

Your brain is what would be hard-wired, the motherboard, if you will.  Your mind would be the software, programs composed of your working knowledge of the world and how those programs interact with each other.  Your self would be the content that the you in you types on the screen, the words and thoughts that arise from the interaction of your software (mind) with your motherboard (brain). (p. 44)

This comparison leads to a definition of self that is responsive to efforts to become happier and also goes further to explain how emotions and memories are formed: “What’s important to remember is that the mind determines whether you view what caused the emotions as negative or positive” (p. 57).

Chapters 4 through 11 are entitled “______  (Think, Play, Eat, etc.) Your Way to Happiness” and serve to organize the book’s contents along each of these themes.  “Think” concentrates on recognizing and disrupting negative thought patterns such as the ‘fight or flight’ stress response.  “Meditate” continues with an explanation of mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy.  “Feel” is focused on changing your emotional set point (the default level of happiness you experience) through positivity, gratitude, and empathy.  The authors stress the value of friendships multiple times; for example, “…friendship has a much bigger effect on average on happiness than a typical person’s income” (p. 118).  The importance of “Play” is discussed in Chapter 7, and the definition of play expands to include exercise, sex, new experiences, and simply laughing.

The final four chapters focus more on the physical aspects of happiness: sleeping and eating, plus “superfoods” and supplements.  “Sleep” first reminds the reader why it is important, including the same reasons we’ve all heard about reducing stress, slowing the aging process, and losing weight, but also adding a powerful new one: “An extra hour of sleep per day — the equivalent of a nice, long nap — will give you a ‘happiness boost’ comparable to a $60,000 annual raise…” (p. 154).  The chapter explains how the different stages of sleep work to restore and rest the brain as well as the benefits of dreaming. 

In “Eat,” the authors lay out a selection of ‘brain-benefiting’ food choices and the purpose of the different food groups, discuss the effects of sugar/caffeine/alcohol, and dissect the phenomenon of food cravings.  “Boost” and “Supplements” take this theme further, going in depth on which superfoods are crucial for priming your brain to get happy and which supplements accomplish the same (fish, blueberries, nuts, and even quinoa are among the former; A through E, magnesium, zinc, and herbals such as gingko biloba and St. John’s wort among the latter).

Train Your Brain concludes with a brief summary and recap of the main concepts it puts forth, exhorting the reader to “Use What You’ve Learned.”

The collaboration of a neuroscientist, psychologist, and writer has resulted in a book that manages to be both a well-researched and scientifically valid work and an enjoyable read.  The authors use a combination of anecdotes and metaphors to enliven the academic explanations of anatomy and chemistry to good effect, the computer from Chapter 3 (mentioned above) being an example.

Most chapters begin with a multiple-choice quiz that, while somewhat simplistic, introduces the current theme and gets the reader to recognize where improvement could be affected.  Shaded boxes appear throughout the text that provide wonderful, succinct explanations of the more specific terms and concepts such as “Why Television Turns Your Brain to Mush” (p. 39) or “Depression and Diabetes” (p. 191).  These boxes also include the results of applicable research studies, as does the meat of each chapter, resulting in an enlightening summation of current scientific thought on each subject without becoming too pedantic.

The authors are very concentrated on “thinking your way” out of unhappiness, to the point where they actually define meditation as thinking (p. 17).  This can be confusing to readers who are more familiar with the idea of mindfulness and meditation as letting go of thought with acceptance of negative emotion as well as with Eckhart Tolle and other leading experts’ position that one’s emotions and thoughts do not form the core of one’s identity.  It could also imply that if the reader is depressed, he or she simply has not thought positively enough (granted, this is not the authors’ position at all, but could be read that way by someone suffering from depression).

The chapters that gave this reader the most pause were the final ones on food and supplements.  Does the self-help world really need another diet plan organized around some sort of quasi-science-based theory?  The suggestions made in Train Your Brain are sound, however, and most hew toward what is already generally accepted common sense.  Basically, the conclusion is that to eat your way to happiness is the same way one would eat one’s way to a healthy heart or avoiding obesity.  The discussion of food cravings also is valuable, being a fraught area for many.

With a combination of specific suggestions backed by valid science, the authors have created  a useful and informative basis for what it means to be happy in today’s world and what it takes to bring about that state of mind.  Train Your Brain to Get Happy will not cure depression, nor will it magically transport you to a heaven of positivity, but it will mark a proven path in that direction which is both easy to understand and pleasant to undertake.

Train Your Brain to Get Happy: The Simple Program that Primes Your Grey Cells for Joy, Optimism, and Serenity
By Teresa Aubele, PhD, Stan Wenck, PhD, and Susan Reynolds
Adams Media: June 18, 2011
Paperback, 256 pages
$16.95

The myth that natural is better is promoted heavily within many different industries, including health, fitness and beauty. Top-notch science researcher Paul Rozin has conducted research that investigates the preference for natural; he shares some thoughts with us.

Q: Why do the majority of people prefer natural to artificial, even when they are informed that they are chemically identical, and do not differ with respect to influence on health and effectiveness?

A: Because natural is treated as a basic good thing, not subject to evidence, somewhat like belief in God for those who believe in God.

Q: Why do you think the preference for natural products is stronger for food than it is for medicine? Does this preference appear in cultures other than the American culture?

A: One possible reason is that medicines are for treating things where nature or human intervention has gone awry. For Americans, the distinction between medicine and food is vanishing. We know natural is preferred in U.S. and Western European nations, but there is little data from other parts of the world, especially from traditional cultures.

Q: Why is organic food so popular? Should we prefer organic over non-organic foods?

A: Organic food is defined by the U.S. government (unlike natural) with specified growing/preparation conditions. Overall, there is no evidence that organic foods are tastier or healthier than processed foods. It depends on the case.

Q: Humans have an innate dislike for bitter tastes. This partly explains why children generally show an aversion to vegetables. How can we combat this natural tendency and increase children’s liking of vegetables?

A: Many vegetables, like string beans, are not bitter. The problem is likely that they have neither a sweet taste nor fatty textures. Fruits are sweet.

Q: What are your current research interests?  Are there any future projects you would like to mention?

A: That’s about it. We are studying French vs. Americans in terms of the food-medicine distinction, which is much sharper for French.

More on Our Preference for “Natural” Foods and Medicines

The word “natural” is generally associated with good things, as noted earlier.

According to Rozin et al. (2004), “Instrumental reasons for this preference refer to specific advantages of natural entities: They are often thought to be healthier, more appealing to the senses, or kinder to the environment than entities that are not natural. In addition, our work suggests a very important role for ideational factors; that is, the natural is preferred just because it is inherently better—more moral, more aesthetic, or simply ‘‘right.’’ The great majority of our respondents prefer a natural to the corresponding commercial product. This preference does not shift to indifference for most individuals even when we specify that the natural and commercial products are chemically identical.” (Rozin et al., 2004)

Research has found that the preference for natural is stronger for foods than for medicines. Rozin et al. (2004) inferred that a large part of the motivation to prefer natural is moral or aesthetic as opposed to concern with its healthiness or effectiveness.

What Is “Natural?”

In an effort to find out what people think of when they think “natural,” Rozin (2005) investigated two sample groups–American college students and adults in a Philadelphia jury pool. Participants rated the naturalness of a variety of ‘‘natural’’ entities–before and after they were transformed by operations such as freezing, adding or removing components, mixing with other natural or unnatural entities, domestication, and genetic engineering.

The results supported four hypotheses:

1. The notion of “contagion” accounts for much of the perceived reduction in naturalness when natural products come into contact with unnatural entities.
2. Chemical transformations are thought to reduce naturalness much more than physical transformations do.
3. The history of an entity’s processing is more important in assessing its naturalness than is the nature of the entity’s contents.
4. Mixing like natural entities (e.g., water from different sources) does not markedly reduce the perception of the naturalness of the end product.

According to the sample groups, the biggest decrease in naturalness is due to the genetic modification of organisms. Surprisingly, domestication–a human-driven activity that drastically changes genotype and phenotype–was considered less damaging to naturalness than genetic modification.

The Myth that All-Natural is Better

The belief that an all-natural product or entity is necessarily safer or more beneficial to health is not supported by evidence.

Natural chemicals contained in organically grown coffee, pepper, mushrooms, apples, celery, potatoes, nutmeg and carrots present a greater risk of cancer in people than DDT, DDE, or Alar, three pesticides that are banned in the U.S. and many other countries (Silver, 2006).

Aectaldehyde, benzaldehyde, benzene, benzo (a) pyrene, benzofuran, caffeic acid, catechol, 1,2,5,6-dibenz (a) anthracene, ethylbenzene, formaldehyde, furan, furfural, hydroquinone, d-limonene, 4-methylcatechol, styrene, toluene–these are natural carcinogenic and DNA–damaging chemicals present in a cup of certified organic coffee. (Gold et al., 1992)

Would you be surprised to learn that the world’s most dangerous toxins are all natural? They include ricin, abrin, botulinum, and strychnine—highly evolved chemical weapons used by organisms for self-defense and territorial expansion. Indeed, every plant and microbe carries a variety of mostly uncharacterized, more or less toxic attack chemicals, and synthetic chemicals are no more likely to be toxic than natural ones. (Silver, 2006)

In the fall of 2006, 204 Americans became seriously ill after eating freshly packaged spinach contaminated with a toxic bacteria found “naturally” in cow and pig manure. Ironically, the company that grew the tainted spinach was named Natural Selection Foods. (Silver, 2007)

Conclusion

Evidence does not support the claim that natural is necessarily safer, better or more nutritious. When people are asked why they prefer natural products, their reasoning is often inconsistent and ambiguous. Even when they are told that the chemical structures are identical, and do not differ in respect to influence on health and effectiveness they still prefer the natural choice. Why is this?

Perhaps Rozin has it right:

Because natural is treated as a basic good thing, not subject to evidence, somewhat like belief in God for those who believe in God.

References

Gold LS, Slone TH, Stern BR, Manley NB, & Ames BN (1992). Rodent Carcinogens: Setting Priorities. Science 258, 261-265.

Hale, J. (2009). Organic Food: The Real Story. Retrieved on March 12, 2011 from: http://www.maxcondition.com/page.php?148

Rozin, P., Spranca, M., Krieger, Z., Neuhaus, R., Surillo, D., Swerdlin, A., & Wood, K. (2004). Natural preference: Instrumental and ideational/moral motivations, and the contrast between foods and
medicines. Appetite, 43, 147–154.

Rozin, P. (2005). The Meaning of Natural: Process more important than content. American Psychological Society, 16 (8), 652-658.

Silver, L.M. (2006) Challenging Nature. Harper Collins.

Silver, L.M. (2006). The Environment’s Best Friend: GM or Organic? Update Magazine May / June.

Silver, L.M. (2007). Why Challenge Nature. Retrieved on March 12, 2011 from: http://www.science20.com/challenging_nature/why_challenge_nature

Looking Past the Hype When Considering Different Diets

To optimize a diet’s effectiveness, many factors should be considered: your activity level, primary goals, metabolic abnormalities, past dieting experiences, responses to meal frequency, psychological issues, convenience issues, food availability, and support systems. Many weight management programs are too generic and do not take these factors into consideration (Hale, 2010).

For example, an ineffective program might assume that its specific recommendations would apply to everyone — even with strenuous activity, sickness, a low-carbohydrate diet, metabolic disorders, very low calorie consumption, or some other variable.

Investigate Whether Scientific Information Is Accurate

There are several things to remember when considering the science behind weight-loss programs. Reliable scientific information is derived from scientific research. When claiming that “science says,”proper referencing should be provided. Proper referencing does not refer to information written on the back of the package or pamphlets, testimonials (no matter who they are from) or product ads that contain scientific-sounding explanations. It means reference to peer-reviewed scientific journals or, in some cases, referencing sources that reliably report on scientific research. Non-peer-reviewed sources should have been reliable and valid in previous instances.

When reading scientific research data or reports on research, it’s important to consider research design, how the results were extrapolated, who conducted the research, and who—if anyone—has a vested interest in the design or outcome. You can learn how to understand research papers here and how to read a scientific paper here. Once you understand the basics of research methodology and how to read research papers you will be better equipped to evaluate scientific information.

Weight Loss Is Not the Only Measurement of Success

Weight loss comes in various forms, including fat, body proteins, water, toxins, glucose, and mineral storage. Body composition can be important for health, performance, and physique. In addition to weight loss, measurements and a blood panel are important for some people when determining the success of a program and overall health. Don’t rely on the scale alone to give you an accurate reading of your success.

Beware of Programs Pushing Their Own Food

Supplements can play a positive role in weight management, but they’re not magic and their nutrition is not superior to the nutrition found in food. The word supplement means “to complement” the program, not “to replace” exercise or the nutrients found in food.

Sometimes supplements are beneficial because they are more convenient and cheaper than food. If you need supplements to get the job done, go for it. However, packaged foods and massive quantities of supplements are not necessities for weight loss. A company that requires you to buy their supplements or food is not necessarily interested in your losing weight or upgrading your nutritional status.

Requirements of a Quality Diet

Many roads lead to the same place. If you can’t stick to the diet, it won’t be successful. The psychological aspect of dieting is often overlooked, but is crucial in determining success. For many people, dietary compliance is determined by psychological issues — support systems, coping with emotions, quality & frequency of counseling (Freedman et al., 2001). Pick a diet that you can stick with. If you hate all of the foods included in the diet and you’re really dreading beginning the diet—choose a different one. A quality diet takes the following into account:

• Adequate calories. (This matters whether you’re consciously counting calories or not.) Calorie balance is the major determinant of weight loss.
• Essential nutrients.
• Individual likes and dislikes.
• Metabolic abnormalities.
• Occasional breaks. (You don’t have to stick to the program 100 percent of the time to see the benefits.)

References

Freedman, M., et al. (2001). Popular Diets: A Scientific Review. Obesity Research, Vol.9, Suppl 1, March.

Hale, J. (2010). Should I Eat the Yolk? Separating Facts From Myths to Get You Lean, Fit & Healthy. Berkeley, CA: Ulysses Press.

Kayman, S., et al. (1990). Maintenance and relapse after weight loss in women: behavioral aspects. AM J Clin Nutr, 52:800-7.

Hahnemann suggested two key principles. First, he asserted that “like cures like.” In other words, a substance that produces certain symptoms in a healthy person can be used to cure similar symptoms in a sick person. Second, he claimed that very small doses of a remedy would be effective. Hahnemann diluted the remedies in a process he named potentization. He would take an original natural substance and dilute it numerous times. Between each dilution, he would shake the remedy. Shaking supposedly released the cure’s healing energy.

A 1991 study in the British Medical Journal investigated 107 controlled trials of homeopathy. The researchers concluded: “At the moment the evidence of clinical trials is positive but not sufficient to draw definitive conclusions because most trials are of low methodological quality and because of the unknown role of publication bias. This indicates that there is a legitimate case for further evaluation of homoeopathy, but only by means of well-performed trials.”

A 1990 study published in Revue d’Epidemiologie et de Sante Publique investigated 40 randomized trials involving homeopathy. The researchers concluded that the evidence did not show homeopathy to be effective. In 1994 the National Council Against Health Fraud, a U.S.-based organization, advised consumers not to buy homeopathic products or to patronize homeopathic practitioners. In addition, they stated, “Basic scientists are urged to be proactive in opposing the marketing of homeopathic remedies because of conflicts with known physical laws. Those who study homeopathic remedies are warned to beware of deceptive practices in addition to applying sound research methodologies.”

A 2005 study published in Lancet analyzed 110 homeopathy trials and 110 conventional medicine trials. The researchers concluded “there was weak evidence for a specific effect of homoeopathic remedies, but strong evidence for specific effects of conventional interventions. This finding is compatible with the notion that the clinical effects of homoeopathy are placebo effects.”

Brien and colleagues (2010) conducted a study to assess whether benefits from adjunctive homeopathic intervention in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are due to the homeopathic consultation, homeopathic remedies or both. The researchers found that homeopathic consultations were associated with clinically relevant benefits for patients with active but relatively stable RA. Homeopathic remedies were not associated with benefits.

Very few studies validating homeopathy’s efficacy have appeared in major medical journals. Most positive studies have appeared in nonscientific journals, and have been subject to bias, or have had a poor research design. The overwhelming majority of data appearing in scientific journals shows that homeopathy is an ineffective treatment for any clinical condition.

Why Homeopathy?

Why do people turn to homeopathic treatment? In many cases they do not trust physicians or the expensive drugs that are often prescribed. Some people feel like physicians are not really interested in them personally, especially if they can’t find anything wrong with the patient, or if the diagnosis doesn’t match with what they think it should. Not hearing what the patient knows is right may be taken offensively. Physicians, generally, do not spend much time talking with the patient, which further supports the patient feeling the doctor’s lack of interest. If the physician doesn’t find anything wrong this may further offend the patient.

A visit to a homeopathy practitioner may take 45 minutes to an hour. The homeopathy practitioner asks numerous questions and appears to be genuinely concerned with the patient’s personal life. The homeopathy practitioner designs the remedy to suit the unique individual, which furthers the patient’s confidence in the remedy. Homeopathy is alluring to both the patient and practitioner. They become partners in fighting this terrible condition. The benefits of homeopathy are not the remedies, but the consultations (increasing placebo effects) associated with homeopathy (see Brien et al. above).

References

Brien, S., Lachance, L., Prescott, P., McDermott, C., & Lewith, G. (2010). Homeopathy has clinical benefits in rheumatoid arthritis patients that are attributable to the consultation process but not the homeopathic remedy: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Rheumatology (Oxford) Nov.13.

Hill, C. and F. Doyon. 1990. Review of randomized trials of homeopathy. Revue d’Epidemiologie et de Sante Publique 38 (2): 139–47.

Kleijnen, J. et al. 1991. Clinical trials of homeopathy. BMJ 302 (6772): 316–23.

National Council Against Health Fraud, Inc. NCAH F position paper on homeopathy. http://www.ncahf.org/pp/homeop.html (accessed November 25, 2010).

Shang, A. et al. 2005. Are the clinical effects of homeopathy placebo effects? Comparative study of placebo-controlled trials of homeopathy and allopathy. Lancet 366 (9487): 726–32.

Wagner, M. W. 2002. Is homeopathy “new science” or “new age”? Homeowatch. http://www.homeowatch.org/articles/wagner.html (accessed November 25, 2010).

Studies show that a lack of certain nutrients may contribute to the development of mental disorders. Notably, essential vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids are often deficient in the general population in America and other developed countries, and are exceptionally deficient in patients suffering from mental disorders.

Many experts believe that nutrition has the potential to affect the symptoms and severity of depression. Supplements including omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins C and E, and folate have been investigated.

Omega-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaeoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) might have an impact on depression because these compounds are widespread in the brain. The evidence is not fully conclusive, but omega-3 supplements are an option. One to two grams of omega-3 fatty acids daily is the generally accepted dose for healthy individuals, but for patients with mental disorders, up to three grams has been shown to be safe and effective.

Supplements that contain amino acids have been found to reduce symptoms, possibly because they are converted to neurotransmitters in the brain that help alleviate depression. For example, serotonin is made using the amino acid tryptophan. Dietary supplements that contain tyrosine or phenylalanine, later converted into dopamine and norepinephrine, are also available.

Deficiencies of magnesium and the B vitamin folate have been linked to depression. Trials suggest that patients treated with 0.8mg of folic acid per day or 0.4mg of vitamin B12 per day will have reduced depression symptoms. Patients treated with 125 to 300mg of magnesium with each meal and at bedtime have shown rapid recovery from major depression.

Experts have looked at a range of herbal remedies and supplements for individuals with anxiety. The evidence supports the effectiveness of kava for mild to moderate anxiety disorders. Kava does, however, impact on other medicines metabolized by the liver.

St John’s wort, valerian, Sympathyl (a mixture of California poppy, hawthorn and elemental magnesium) and passionflower have been investigated for anxiety but the studies have generally been small or inconsistent. Lower than average omega-3 levels have been reported in patients with anxiety, and supplementation with omega-3s appears to improve some symptoms. Zinc and chromium supplements may be helpful, as well as calcium and vitamin B6.

Trials of women with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) suggest that vitamin B6 “relieves overall premenstrual and depressive premenstrual symptoms.” Dietary studies also indicate that calcium taken at 1,200mg per day may be useful.

Four hundred IU per day of vitamin E has shown some effectiveness, and several other supplements are under investigation. These include magnesium, manganese and tryptophan.

Calcium supplementation is another promising option. Fluctuations in calcium levels may help explain some features of PMS. Tiredness, appetite changes, and depressive symptoms were significantly improved in one study of women receiving calcium, compared with placebo.

People with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) often benefit from selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), so the nutrients that increase serotonin levels are likely to reduce symptoms. Again, the amino acid tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin, and tryptophan supplements can increase serotonin levels and treat OCD.

St. John’s Wort has also been shown to benefit OCD symptoms. A dose of 900mg per day of St. John’s Wort has been found to improve OCD symptoms and is less likely to cause side effects, but it can interfere with some prescription medicines.

Dr. Shaheen E. Lakhan of the Global Neuroscience Initiative Foundation in Los Angeles says, “There is tremendous resistance from clinicians to using supplements as treatments, mostly due to their lack of knowledge on the subject. Others rather use prescription drugs that the drug companies and the FDA researches, monitors and recalls if necessary.

“However, for some patients, prescription drugs do not have the efficacy of nutritional supplements and they sometimes have far more dangerous side effects. So for clinicians to avoid these supplement therapies because of a lack of knowledge and unwillingness to use treatments not backed by drug companies and the FDA, they are compromising their patients’ recovery.”

Dr. Lakhan believes that psychiatrists should be aware of nutritional therapies, appropriate doses, and possible side effects in order to provide alternative and complementary treatments for their patients. “This may reduce the number of noncompliant patients suffering from mental disorders that choose not to take their prescribed medications,” he adds.

References

Lakhan, S. E. and Vieira, K. F. Nutritional therapies for mental disorders. Nutrition Journal, published online January 21, 2008.

Saeed, S. A., Bloch, R. M. and Antonacci, D. J. Herbal and dietary supplements for treatment of anxiety disorders. American Family Physician, Vol. 76, August 2007, pp. 549-56.

Wyatt, K., Dimmock, P. and Jones, P. Poor-quality studies suggest that vitamin B(6) use is beneficial in premenstrual syndrome. The Western Journal of Medicine, Vol. 172, April 2000, p. 245.

A great deal of research has investigated the possible role of caffeine in ADHD. Caffeine is a psychoactive stimulant drug, which can increase alertness and reduce drowsiness. Coffee, tea, soft drinks and chocolate all contain caffeine and are consumed around the world. Approximately 90 percent of adults in North America consume caffeine daily.

It is widely believed that caffeine boosts attention in normal adults, but research results are unclear. Some studies find better performance on memory tasks; others find that caffeine aids concentration but impairs short-term memory. There is also a general belief that caffeine makes people more anxious and hinders sleep. Caffeine withdrawal may trigger headache, fatigue, irritability and nervousness.

As it is a stimulant, caffeine has been investigated as a potential treatment for attention deficit disorder. Its use as a therapy is not widespread because it was found in research studies to be less efficient than other stimulants. But experts writing in 2008 suggest the doses were too low to have a consistent effect. They say that if caffeine proves useful, it “would represent a qualitative increment over the traditional repeated use of psychostimulants, which can have severe side effects if repeatedly used in children.”

Anecdotal evidence suggests that many individuals are already using caffeine to self-medicate ADHD in themselves or their children. Many sufferers find it has the opposite effect than it does in other people: instead of making them more active and stimulated, it actually has more of a “calm-down” effect, and encourages sleep.

The effectiveness of coffee in calming ADHD children has become a great discussion point on websites and forums. Many adults with ADHD also turn to coffee. In fact, some can’t do without it; caffeine’s stimulating effect helps them focus and stay on task.

A similar outcome has been found in animals. A 2005 study of rats with hyperactivity, impulsivity, poor attention, and deficits in learning and memory found a significant improvement in test results when caffeine was administered to the rats beforehand.

The researchers, from the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Brazil, explain that these rats are “considered to be a suitable genetic model for the study of ADHD, since they display hyperactivity, impulsivity, poorly sustained attention, and deficits in learning and memory processes.”

The rats received a dose of caffeine 30 minutes before training, immediately after training, or 30 minutes before a test session in a water maze. These rats needed significantly more training sessions to learn the maze than ordinary rats, but then performed similarly in the test session 48 hours later.

Pre-training caffeine improved the learning deficit in the “ADHD” rats, but had no effect on the other rats. Caffeine given post-training made no difference to either group. “These results demonstrate a selective learning deficit which can be attenuated by pre-training administration of caffeine,” say the researchers.

Caffeine certainly appears to be beneficial for some adults and children with ADHD. But just because it is easily accessible without a prescription, it is still a drug and this does not guarantee a lack of side effects. Overconsumption can be dangerous, especially when consumed on a regular basis over a long period of time. Consuming sugar alongside caffeine in coffee, tea, cola or chocolate may exacerbate attention deficit disorder symptoms.

What’s more, the effects of caffeine are likely to be more short-lived than those from conventional medication, and may diminish over time, as habitual intake can lead to increased tolerance.

A condition known as caffeinism can be triggered when caffeine is consumed in large amounts over an extended period of time. Caffeinism causes nervousness, irritability, anxiety, tremulousness, muscle twitching, insomnia, headaches and heart palpitations. A high intake over time can also lead to peptic ulcers and other gastrointestinal problems.

Caffeine use for ADHD should always be discussed with a physician and may not preclude the need for other medication or therapy.

References

Lesk, V. E. and Womble, S. P. Caffeine, priming, and tip of the tongue: evidence for plasticity in the phonological system. Behavioral Neuroscience, Vol. 118, 2004, pp. 453-61.

Cunha, R. A. et al. Potential therapeutic interest of adenosine A2A receptors in psychiatric disorders. Current Pharmaceutical Design, Vol. 14, 2008, pp. 1512-24.

Caffeine As An Alternative ADHD Treatment

Prediger, R. D. et al. Caffeine improves spatial learning deficits in an animal model of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) – the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, Vol. 8, December 2005, pp. 583-94.

Severe cases of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can be diagnosed as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). PMDD significantly interfere’s with a woman’s ability to function in her everyday, normal life — including with family, at work, or do other activities she normally enjoys.

Symptoms of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

Symptoms of PMDD are similar to those for PMS, except that a woman usually experiences more of them, and they are more severe. In order to be diagnosed with PMDD, a woman must experience at least 4 or more of the following symptoms:

• Mood swings
• Depressed mood or feelings of hopelessness
• Significant feelings of anger
• Increased interpersonal conflicts
• Tension and anxiety
• Irritability
• Significantly decreased interest in usual activities
• Great difficulty concentrating
• Fatigue
• Change in appetite
• Feeling out of control or overwhelmed
• Sleep problems, including sleeping too much, restless sleep, or inability to sleep
• Physical problems, such as bloating, headaches, joint or muscle pain

Women who have a family or personal history of depression or postpartum depression are at higher risk for developing PMDD. PMDD affects somewhere between five and ten percent of menstruating women.

Keeping a calendar of when symptoms and menstruation occur will help a woman and her doctor decide if she has PMDD.

Why Do Some Women Get Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder?

The cause of PMDD is unknown at this time. Research suggests that the cause of PMDD may be related to hormonal changes related to the menstrual cycle. Additional research suggests some similarity to that of certain mood disorders with the brain’s ability to properly regulate key neurochemicals, such as serotonin. However, no definitive research has been conducted that has shown a single cause for premsenstrual dysphoric disorder.

A woman may be more likely to suffer from PMDD if she has had a major depressive disorder or has bipolar disorder, or if someone in her family has suffered from one of these conditions. It’s possible that a woman with major depression and PMDD may find her symptoms ease somewhat during her period, but they won’t go away.

Diagnosis of PMDD

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder may be diagnosed by a physician or mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist or psychologist. A diagnosis is made based upon the symptoms listed above, their severity, and their level of interference with a woman’s life.

A professional making the diagnosis of PMDD will rule out other possible explanations for the symptoms, including both physical and mental health issues, such as depression. Other underlying medical or gynecological conditions will also be ruled out, such as endometriosis, fibroids, menopause, and hormonal problems that could better account for symptoms.

Treatment of PMDD

For more severe symptoms of PMDD, there are a variety of treatments available that will help reduce the severity of the symptoms (but may not make them go away altogether):

• Optimal diet and exercise regularly — Cutting out or reducing alcohol, caffeine and chocolate is important, as these ingredients may exacerbate symptoms. Evening primrose is effective, but only to combat breast tenderness and fluid retention. Vitamin B6, calcium, vitamin D and Agnus Castus have been shown to be of benefit in easing mild to moderate PMS. Regular aerobic exercise is a good complement to a healthy diet.
• Antidepressants – Medications like Celexa, Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil make many women with more severe PMS feel better. Some women take these medications during the second half of their cycle and others need to take it every day of the month. Your doctor will help you decide the course of therapy best for you.
• Hormone therapy — Estrogen-containing birth control pills can help regulate menstrual cycles and often alleviate severe PMS symptoms. In the most severe cases, in which a woman is incapacitated by depressions around her periods, it may be necessary to stop her cycle completely with hormones.
• Psychotherapy — Psychotherapy can help a woman learn to better cope with the symptoms and with other challenges in her life. Therapy can also teach stress reduction techniques, meditation and relaxation — exercises that help many women better face the symptoms of PMDD.

If symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) are more mild, simple changes in lifestyle can alleviate symptoms:

• Reduce caffeine intake
• Limit salt and sugar during the second half of your cycle
• Eat several small meals daily and do not skip meals
• Eat complex carbohydrates (example: grains, fruits, vegetables)
• Eat low-protein, low-fat meals
• Avoid binging
• Consume adequate calcium — It is recommended that adult women get 1,200 mg of calcium daily, the equivalent of three glasses of milk, which is found in dairy products, fortified orange juice and breakfast cereals, some deep-green leafy vegetables, fish with edible bones (example: canned salmon) and vitamin supplements).
• Increase in aerobic exercise (example: dancing, jogging)
• Over-the-counter pain medicines (example: aspirin)
• Nutritional supplements — Several scientific studies are looking at evening primrose oil and vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine). Some women get relief from these things. If you try the Vitamin B6, you must be careful because it can be toxic in high doses! Be sure to consult your physician before taking any nutritional supplements.

Lower exposure to bacteria in early childhood may stop the immune system from developing as it should. Allergic children also often have different types of bacteria in their intestines, specifically, less lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.

A team from the University Central Hospital of Helsinki, Finland decided to investigate whether probiotic supplements could add these missing bacteria.

The researchers gave either a probiotic mixture (2 lactobacilli, bifidobacteria, and propionibacteria) or a placebo at random to 1,223 mothers whose infants were thought to be at high risk of allergies, for the last month of their pregnancy. Once born, their babies were given the same mixture plus a prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharide from birth until they reached six months.

At five years old, the children were examined for symptoms of eczema, food allergy, allergic rhinitis (hay fever), and asthma. The probiotics did not protect children from allergies, except those who had been born by Caesarean section. This group had a 53 percent lower chance of developing an allergic disease.

The study is published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Researcher Dr. Mikael Kuitunen said that “it is possible that stronger and longer stimulation of the infant immune system possibly by varying the strains of bacteria, may result in better allergy-preventive effects.”

The same team previously found a beneficial effect of probiotics and prebiotics against food allergy and eczema, but these new results cast doubt on the earlier findings. They have also investigated the long-term safety of giving probiotic and prebiotic treatment to newborn infants, and its impact on infection rates. They say that “live probiotic bacteria and dietary prebiotic oligosaccharides (together termed synbiotics) are increasingly are being used in infancy, but evidence of long-term safety is lacking.”

In their study, carried out between November 2000 and March 2003, 1,018 pregnant women whose babies were deemed to be at high risk for allergy were randomly given either a mixture of four probiotics or placebo for four weeks before delivery. Their infants received the same probiotics plus prebiotic, or placebo, every day for the first six months.

“Infants in both groups grew normally,” report the experts in the journal Pediatrics. There were no differences in mortality rates or feeding-related behaviors such as colic. Babies taking the synbiotics needed slightly fewer courses of antibiotics than those on placebo, and suffered fewer infections, an average of 3.7 compared with 4.2.

“Feeding synbiotics to newborn infants was safe and seemed to increase resistance to respiratory infections during the first two years of life,” the researchers concluded.

Despite mixed findings, positive results in the field of pre- and probiotics have led to enthusiasm in the scientific community, the food industry, and among the public.

Dr. Kuitunen says that allergic disorders are generally caused by an overreaction of the immune system in response to “antigens” in the environment. Dietary approaches to reducing the risk of allergies or controlling symptoms “have not been satisfactory regarding long-term prevention, and new approaches are urgently needed,” he writes. This realization has led to new ideas based on the consumption of beneficial live probiotic microorganisms.

Basically, the aims are to restrict the growth of damaging microorganisms, to strengthen the gut’s defenses, and to stop “hypersensitivity reactions.” Probiotics of the groups Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are most often used. They have been shown to regulate inflammation and oversee “the development of the immune system during the critical period of life when these functions are immature and inexperienced and the risk of allergic disease is heightened,” says Dr. Kuitunen.

The action of each probiotic strain differs, as each strain is a unique organism itself with specific properties. A combination is probably needed to “counter the plethora of allergic disease,” especially as every individual will have a different gut mixture to start with. At present, experts are trying to identify specific strains with anti-allergenic potential, as well as the dietary question of how different foods and food combinations can interact and support these strains of “friendly bacteria.”

References

Kuitunen, M. et al. Probiotics prevent IgE-associated allergy until age 5 years in cesarean-delivered children but not in the total cohort. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Vol. 123, February 2009, pp. 335-41.

Kukkonen, K. et al. Long-term safety and impact on infection rates of postnatal probiotic and prebiotic (synbiotic) treatment: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Pediatrics, Vol. 122, July 2008, pp. 8-12.

Isolauri, E. et al. Probiotics: use in allergic disorders: a Nutrition, Allergy, Mucosal Immunology, and Intestinal Microbiota (NAMI) Research Group Report. The Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, Vol. 42, July 2008, pp. 91-96.

What is this method? Classical Homeopathy.

Homeopathy has been shown to be beneficial for those seeking treatment for anxiety, depression, grief, phobias, and trauma, along with other types of psychological challenges.

Many people are familiar with the effectiveness of homeopathy for first aid or acute situations, such as using arnica for a bruise or a sprain. But the most powerful way to use homeopathy is called constitutional, or classical homeopathy, where one remedy is chosen by a professional homeopath based on all your physical symptoms, along with your personality and temperament.

A homeopathic remedy is chosen after on an extensive two hour interview which covers one’s present day symptoms along with a psychological and physical history of one’s entire lifetime. The information is then analyzed and a remedy is chosen which most closely matches the symptom picture the client is presenting.

Homeopaths and psychotherapists are similar in their view that most physical or emotional upset is rooted in trauma which happened earlier in a person’s life. Homeopathic medicine stimulates an innate healing process at a deep physiological, emotional, and spiritual level which allows an individual to release trauma and realign to a more optimal state of health.

Over the past ten years I have witnessed the way a well prescribed homeopathic remedy acts as a powerful catalyst for elevating a person’s level of wellbeing. Often times after taking a remedy, old memories surface, dreams and situations from the past are activated, and feelings that have long been buried are brought to life. These are signs that show the remedy is working at a deep level. Normally these reactions are mild and short term, and they are followed by a significant improvement in overall health.

For people undergoing psychotherapy, homeopathy is an excellent form of complementary medicine. It can be of value for people taking pharmaceuticals and in some cases it is possible for the client to reduce and eventually discontinue their drugs, under the guidance and direction of their prescribing physician.

The length of treatment varies with each person depending on one’s age, overall vitality, durations of symptoms, and number of medications one is using. The healing process can only be evaluated over a period of weeks and months-and sometimes it can take multiple remedies to find one that works well.

People who have been treated successfully with homeopathy not only have their presenting problem significantly improved, many clients report feeling better overall and living with greater vitality and ease.

Will Cassilly MA CCH is a Certified Classical Homeopath with a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology. Will maintains a private practice in Soquel, CA . Call 831.477.7782 or visit his website at SantaCruzHomeopathy.com.

Jane A. Plant is a professor of geochemistry at Imperial College London. She became interested in mental health via her work in environmental health and after first-hand experience. While her previous books have focused on a range of physical conditions, she has now turned her attention to depression.

In her controversial new book, Beating Stress, Anxiety and Depression: Groundbreaking Ways to Help You Feel Better, Plant aims to “inform and empower sufferers and their families” and “give the reader the latest findings on medications commonly used and misused to treat the epidemic that is sweeping the Western world.”

The book discusses the current debate as to whether pharmaceutical drugs are any better than placebo for managing depression. Plant and co-author Janet Stephenson are both themselves former sufferers: Plant survived years of chronic anxiety after taking benzodiazepines to counteract the stress of cancer treatment, and Stephenson, herself a psychologist, suffered from psychosis that began as postnatal depression and eventually led to admission to a “frightening” mental institution.

Both authors say that those experiences left them feeling helpless and part of an often-invisible community. By writing the book they hoped to pass on what they learned about regaining their health.

Plant and Stephenson identify 10 lifestyle factors that that they believe can “dramatically reduce anxiety and depression,” as well as proposing “10 Food Factors” to improve mental well-being.

Rather than relying on antidepressants, they recommend that depression sufferers take steps such as avoiding dairy products, sending fewer text messages, eating porridge at night and playing card games. They say all their tips are based on hard scientific evidence gathered from studies around the world.

“Smiling is a way of tricking your brain into thinking that everything’s OK, even if it’s not,” says Plant. “People who are mildly depressed should do their best to show the world a happy face, as that will improve people’s reaction to you and lift your mood.”

The authors advise sufferers to increase their intake of mood-boosting chemicals by eating kippers or poached haddock for breakfast because they contain omega-3 fatty acids, and to be less materialistic, as those who achieve success may do so at the expense of personal relationships, which are a better guarantee of happiness.

The authors argue that human contact, face-to-face or over the telephone, and the “people skills” to both talk and listen meaningfully are useful. However, they point out that emailing and texting are individualistic and isolating processes which people should spend less time on.

They condemn the conventional approach, urging a radical overhaul of medical treatment for the increasing number of people with mood disorders. Psychiatrists come in for some heavy criticism: “We know of many psychiatrists who have only a rudimentary knowledge of the brain and its workings.”

All the more reason to follow their advice and take control. “We do not agree with the usual advice to ‘keep taking your medication and eventually all will be well, because doctor knows best’,” they write. “We challenge many of the conventions in the treatment of mental illness, particularly the way that patients are prescribed medication without any diagnostic tests being carried out.”

They say that people with low self-esteem should ignore celebrity culture as much as possible, because it can reduce their self-esteem further. They also recommend improving your appearance through a new hairstyle, clothes or make-up because this can improve self-confidence.

Although controversial, these non-drug suggestions are receiving some mainstream support. In the U.K., the National Institute of Clinical Excellence says that cognitive therapy, involving one-on-one sessions, can be just as effective as antidepressants. Many family doctors feel that they are writing too many prescriptions when a different approach could be better for their patients.

The alternative approach outlined in the book has also been praised by the neurologist Sir John Walton, a former president of the British Medical Association. He says that it is an “admirable book, which would do much to alleviate the fear, helplessness and hopelessness which many feel when suffering from mental ill-health.”

Reference

Plant J. and Stephenson J. May 2008. Beating Stress, Anxiety and Depression: Groundbreaking Ways to Help You Feel Better (Piatkus Books).

There are several methods to help keep your mind and body strong. Physical exercise can help, as can simple, common sense steps like taking plenty of breaks and vacations. There are also more formal methods that may be helpful.

Guided Relaxation

Guided relaxation lowers blood pressure and reduces anxiety. During guided relaxation you sit or lie down in a quiet place and close your eyes. Then a relaxation expert, or a DVD or CD helps you to unwind by tensing and relaxing each major muscle group in turn. You are encouraged to breathe slowly and steadily through the nose.

Visualization

This technique uses deliberate visualization of scenes or actions. There are at least two ways of using visualization.

At home during a quiet time, imagine stressful situations and picture yourself reacting in a calm, rational way. This can help develop strategies to react differently in the future.

Visualization also can be used in the middle of a stressful situation. Take a moment to concentrate on a very relaxing experience such as an afternoon on a quiet beach, or a long candle-lit bath. Picture it in detail and you will be able to take a step back from what’s currently happening and lower your anxiety.

Meditation

It only takes 10 to 20 minutes to benefit from meditation. These few moments of quiet reflection will bring relief from stress and help increase your tolerance to it.

A research study found that meditation can help produce antibodies against infection as well as lift your spirits. People who meditated at home one hour a day, six days a week, for eight weeks had greater brain activity in the part of the brain linked to positive emotion and higher levels of antibodies than those who didn’t meditate. What’s more, the biological effects lasted up to four months afterwards. It is simple to do: Sit quietly in silence, or listen to peaceful music, relax, and try to empty your mind, or think of a calming word or phrase. If you like, you can focus on an object such as a candle or a crystal. Practiced regularly, it will increase your sense of control and allow you to confront stressful situations more positively.

Slow Breathing

Controlled breathing is a valuable stress-relieving tool which calms the body and mind. How we breathe reflects how we are feeling — shallow and rapid when we are anxious, deep and slow when we are relaxed. Deep breathing can help you relax and increase your energy levels, so make sure you are breathing from your abdomen, not the top of your chest.

This isn’t always a bad thing — our favorite foods actually can reduce our stress levels. But moderation is key.

Giving your body the nutrition it needs is a positive step you can take every day toward combating stress. With the correct nutrition, you are better prepared to face the challenges of the day.

Adrenaline is produced during times of intense stress. That gives you a burst of energy, but your blood-sugar level drops after the crisis is past. Sustaining food is needed to replenish it. Certain foods increase the physical stress on your body by making digestion more difficult, or by denying the brain essential nutrients. Stress itself can cause bad digestion. Drinks can have just as great an effect — caffeine and alcohol both put a considerable strain on the body.

With a sensible diet it’s possible to reduce the effects of stress, avoid some common problems, and protect your health.

Avoiding Common Problems

• Indigestion. This can result from eating in the middle of a stressful situation, as the digestive system is not relaxed. It also can be due to eating on the run, so always sit down to eat and eat more slowly, chewing food properly. You will then really taste and enjoy your meals and snacks.

• Bloating. As we all know, bloating is unpleasant, and stressful in itself. It could be triggered by wheat products (bread, pasta, cakes and biscuits) and dairy products (milk, cheese, butter and cream), so try cutting out each food group for a couple of weeks to see if the problem eases.
• Caffeine dependency. Relying on caffeine to keep you going is a bad idea. It raises stress hormones and can lead to insomnia and dehydration, affecting your body’s ability to handle stress. There are many delicious caffeine-free alternatives, such as herb teas.
• Hangovers. No one functions well with a hangover, so drinking heavily will lead to trouble the following day. This does not mean that you need to avoid alcohol completely, just be aware of its effects, and resist using it regularly as a coping technique.
• Cravings. These often hit during the ‘post-lunch dip’, and increase at hormonal times and under stress. To curb your cravings, include small portions of the craved item into your usual diet, rather than trying to resist completely. Or distract yourself by getting involved in something else, and the craving may pass. Keep healthy food nearby, and do not wait too long between snacks.
• Sugar highs and lows. Although the brain needs glucose to enable it to perform effectively, very sugary foods cause your blood sugar level to spike and then plummet, leaving you sleepy and lethargic. This can lead to another sweet craving, and the cycle continues.

Theory into Practice

Some tips on improving your diet:

• Breakfast. Aim always to eat breakfast, even if you can only manage a piece of fruit. Fruit smoothies make a great choice for breakfast. They can be made with various combinations of fruits and with or without yogurt. Be adventurous by adding vegetables or spices.

• Lunch and the evening meal. Healthy options include baked potatoes with baked beans or tuna, sushi, vegetable soup, whole-grain sandwiches or salads. In restaurants, baked fish or chicken with vegetables are good choices. Or go for pasta with a tomato-based sauce.
• In-between. To sustain your energy, snack on healthy food throughout the day. This calls for a little planning. Bring a banana, yogurt, nuts and raisins, a few oatcakes or a bagel to work to have handy.
• Drinks. Cut down on stimulants such as coffee, tea, and soda as much as you can. Trade them for decaffeinated coffee or tea, 100 percent fruit juice and herb teas. Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration and protect your kidneys.
• Alcohol.Alcohol supplies little to no nutrients. Women should have no more than seven alcoholic drinks a week, and men no more than 14. ttempt to match each alcoholic drink with a glass of water or juice.
• Supplements. Consider a vitamin and mineral supplement to replace the nutrients depleted by stress, particularly the B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium and zinc. Herbal supplements to aid digestion include liquorice root, aloe vera, lemongrass and kava kava. Mint, dandelion, fennel, ginger, slippery elm and meadowsweet teas help digestion.

References

Jane Clarke’s Bodyfoods Cookbook: Recipes for Life (more readily found at Amazon UK)
Stressbusting
Steps to a Healthier You