Tag: zinc

A bit about Depression

Todays post, courtesy of Scott, is about Depression.

September 8 was R U OK day; a day organised to create awareness about mental health issues. So with that in mind, we have decided to share this short overview about depression.

Depression is among the most common of all mental health conditions, and impacts many Australians every day. While we all get sad, feel low or lacking in energy at times, people with depression experience these feelings more intensely and for longer.

What is Depression?

The Webster dictionary states that depression is defined a state of feeling sad: low spirits: or melancholy. More specifically it is a mood disorder that is marked by varying degrees of sadness, despair, and loneliness.

It is typically accompanied by inactivity, loss of concentration, feelings of guilt, social withdrawal, sleep disturbances, and sometimes there may be suicidal tendencies. But in reality it is far more complicated than that. It affects how you feel, think and behave, and there are physical symptoms as well.

Experts have been arguing for years over what causes depression and still there is no consensus.

So, what have I learnt from study, observation and experience?

All of our thoughts and emotions are the culmination of an incredible array of interactions of neurotransmitters. Things like serotonin, dopamine and nor epinephrine just to name a few. All of these chemicals are affected by another multitude of things like our vitamin and mineral intake, genetics, epigenetics and our environment.

This means that the food we eat and the drugs/medications we take can have a measurable physiological effect on our mood. Recently scientists are discovering more about the brain-gut connection and our moods.

Genetics and epigenetics means that our biological family and even where we live can also have an effect on our mood.

What simple things can we do?

The good news is that no matter what is going on now or whom your parents were; good mental health is in your hands.

Making time to talk with a mental health professional is a good start, however there are some additional things that can help. With some simple changes to your daily routine, big improvements can be made. This does not mean that things will get easy or that a good diet is a cure all, but it is a start and every little bit helps.

When it comes to nutrition, things can get a little more complicated and a consultation with a naturopath or nutritionist will be beneficial.

Generally the nutrients we need for good mental health include vitamin B6, tryptophan, zinc, iron and folate. What foods can I get these from you ask and what is tryptophan? That is a whole other subject and will be covered in another post.

For now consider making sure your diet is high in green leafy veg, bright coloured fruit and lean meats. Also, don’t forget to drink water; the recommended amount per person is .03 mls per kilo of body weight. It doesn’t sound like much but when you do the sums, you will be surprised at how much you should be drinking.

We hope this information is helpful,

Till the next post,

 

Live clean n Prosper

A condition called Pyrrole Disorder

Hello all Scott here again.

Following on from my last post I thought I would talk about something called “Pyrrole disorder” or Pyroluria.

So what is pyrrole disorder?

Pyroluria, or pyrrole disorder, is a condition caused by stress. It develops when there are too many pyrrole molecules in your body.

Hydroxyhemopyrrolin-2-one (HPL) is a molecule naturally excreted via urine. Some people may excrete more HPL (pyrroles) than others. Previously called elevated HPL, this condition is now known as pyrrole disorder.

Pyrrole molecules don’t serve any important function in the body. However, an excessive amount can deplete the body of certain vitamins and minerals before they are able to be absorbed.

This means that these nutrients, mostly zinc and B6, become depleted in the body. This in turn leads to an excess of copper because copper and zinc are linked and the levels of one affect the other.

The result of this is noticeable shifts in mood.

Pyrrole disorder has been known to have symptoms including anxiety, depression and even schizophrenia.

How is it diagnosed?

The condition has many and varied signs and symptoms, making it impossible to diagnose from history and observation alone. It is often mistaken for bipolar disorder. This is due to the variations of mood changes, which can range from mania to depression over a period of weeks.

There is also pathology testing which includes a urine assessment called a kryptopyrrole test. This test identifies how many HPL molecules you have in your body. An excessive amount may indicate pyrrole disorder.

What are some common symptoms?

This disorder is thought to affect around 10% of the population with the most likely cause being genetics.

Common symptoms include –

  • sensitivity to light or sound
  • irritable bowel syndrome
  • mood swings / a propensity to anger easily for insufficient reason
  • memory loss / poor short-term memory
  • feelings of anxiety / depression
  • Insomnia / fatigue

The severity of symptoms can be affected by stressful or traumatic situations and/or poor diet as well as allergies.

How is it treated?

Research on this subject is still ongoing and new things are being discovered about it all the time.

At this stage there appears to be no cure as such for Pyrrole disorder. However, given the role of HPL molecules in removing vitamin B6 and zinc from the body, it has been found that supplementing these micronutrients can help treat pyrrole disorder.

Most therapies focus on a holistic approach that addresses nutrition, stress, and lifestyle.

I hope you found this information interesting.

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper

 (Sources – Nutrient Power  by Dr William J. Walsh,  The Science of Psychotherapy )

Vitamins, Nutritional supplements and Intravenous Therapy

This morning I was browsing the paper and 2 articles about vitamins jumped out at me.

First, was an article advising about the importance of certain vitamins to include in our daily intake. Second, was a small article about a new trend, booking in for a quick intravenous vitamin boost in your lunch break.

This got me thinking about vitamins and nutritional supplements. Is it more beneficial to have a regular ‘intravenous treatment’ rather than take a supplement daily?

So some research is required.

A Supplement a Day by Peter Dingle PhD

This book delves into the science behind supplementation and the reasons we should supplement. I’ll share some relevant snippets.

“It is generally recognised that our bodies require some 40 essential nutrients. These include: 16 vitamins, 12 amino acids, 3 essential fatty acids and 20 or so minerals or trace elements.”

“Nutritional intake gained through whole foods is generally of greater benefit to health than that achieved through supplements. Supplements should not be seen as an alternative to whole foods.”

However, “many of our current foods are depleted as a result of the overuse and misuse of our soils.”

“The simplest concept to start with is that if the nutrients are not in the soil, they can’t be in the food.”

So, we need 16 different vitamins a day. Recent studies show that we require up to 1000mg a day of Vitamin C. This helps our skin, bones, our iron absorption and assists in preventing infections.

We need Zinc daily to help our immune system and assist with would healing.

A recently discovered vitamin called K2 is required to direct calcium to our bones, NOT our arteries.

Finally, we need Iodine for our Thyroid hormones to manage our metabolism.

Tablets or Intravenous?

I found a few studies online that cover this issue. A study was done in regards to Vitamin B12 and the results were similar for taking a daily supplement and a regular injection.

There is also information about studies of Vitamin C. Taking high, very frequent oral doses will achieve blood plasma concentrations approaching, but not equalling, intravenous infusion.

High doses in the range of 30,000 to 100,000 milligrams per day, and 1,000-2,000 milligrams per dose. At a frequency of 1,000-2,000 mg every ten minutes you are awake, obviously not achievable for most of us.

The benefit of an IV infusion is that it delivers 100% of the vitamin directly into your blood stream and can have an immediate impact on your health.

 

My personal opinion, after reading these different studies, is that by taking supplements daily we are maintaining our levels in a way that is easy for most of us. We are improving our overall ‘gut health’ as the supplements are broken down and metabolised in the gut.

The IV solution would be very beneficial if you were suffering from a deficiency and needed to boost your levels significantly.

 

I am not a big fan of needles, so I would need to be quite deficient in a vitamin to opt in for the IV solution.

 

Till the next post,

 

Live Clean n Prosper.