With so much depression here these days.....<P>Thought you guys might be interested in this from the December, 1999 issue of "Prevention" magazine, pages 124 - 129.<P>1) Eat more fish - "Experts note that depression rates have increased a hundredfold in the last century, just as the human consumption of omega-3s has declined." Aim for 3 servings a week: salmon, mackeral, herring and white canned tuna. Other sources: walnuts, walnut oil, canola oil, ground flaxseed, flaxseed oil or fish oil capsules.<P>2) Don't eat too many sweets - "...sugar triggers a temporary release of pleasure-producing chemicals called endorphins - followed by a more serious crash as the endorphins drop to lower-than-normal levels." It takes 3 weeks after completely removing sugar from your diet to notice an improvement in mood. Look for "hidden" sources of sugar, for instance in ketchup - read the labels.<P>3) Birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy - a possible side effect is that these may supress action of vitamin B6. "In fact, B6 deificiency is reported in as many as 79% of patients with depression."<BR>Sources of vit. B6: protein-rich foods, chicken, nuts, legumes, avocados, dark green leafy vegetables, whole wheat bread,whole grain cereal, brown rice and LIMIT supplements of B6 as overdose can cause serious side effects.<P>4) Being age 50 or older - your digestive system may become less able to absorb vut. B12. "A deficiency of B12 can make you more likely to suffer from depression, memory probloems, and even paranoia." "The National Academy of ASci9ences now advises all people 50-plus to meet most of their B12 needs through vitamin supplements."<P>5) If you are on a high-protein/low carbohydrate diet - This diet has the effect of lowering the level of amino-acid tryptophan in the brain, which is the building block for the mood-lifting chemical serotonin. "No other nerve chemical is as strongly linked to your diet as is serotonin." Every meal needs to contain carbohydrate-rich foods, especially whole grain foods such as whole wheat bread, oatmeal or brown rice.<P>Don't know if this will help anybody, but I thought it might be worth putting out here...<P>Roll Me Away
