About 20 years ago, knowledge about vitamins was just beginning to expand. The role that low levels of folate, or folic acid, play in neural tube defects, for instance was not known, nor was its role as a major risk factor for heart disease.
Yet, many doctors have been telling their patients for years to take vitamins. Nearly 1 out of every 3 Americans take multivitamins and many of them are afraid to tell their doctors for fear he or she would disapprove.
Now, the Journal of the American Medical Association is endorsing the use of multivitamins based on researchers’ understanding of how vitamins benefit health.
Health experts are worried that most American adults do not consume healthy amounts of vitamins in their diet, although they may be getting enough to ward off vitamin deficiency disorders. Almost 80% of Americans do not eat at least five helpings of fruits and vegetables a day, the recommended minimum amount believed to provide sufficient essential nutrients.
“All of us grew up believing that if we ate a reasonable diet, that would take care of our vitamin needs,” said Dr. Robert H. Fletcher of Harvard University. “But the new evidence, much of it in the last couple of years, is that vitamins also prevent the usual diseases we deal with every day – heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and birth defects.
The results of 150 studies of nine vitamins: B6, B12, D, A, E, and C, point to their important role in maintaining optimal health.
SOURCE: CHICAGO TRIBUNE June 19, 2002, n.p. & Knight-Ridder Newspapers. Distributed by Knight-Ridder / Tribune Information Services
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
What is SAD and how does Light Therapy Help
Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a form of depression that follows a seasonal pattern. It appears to result from changes in the length of day, although more than lost sunlight may be involved. The disorder tends to last longer and be more severe at higher latitudes where is greater difference between the long days of winter and the short winter ones.
However, the influence of light doesn’t completely explain SAD. Thus far, no studies have demonstrated a causal link between a reduction in daylight hours and the development of the disorder. And various experiments have shown that some of the body’s cycles persist in the absence of light cues. Nevertheless, light therapy is uniquely, although not universally, effective in treating “winter depression.” Light therapy is usually the first therapy recommended for a person suffering this type of depression, provided they are not suicidal.
The “light box” contains florescent lights mounted on a metal reflector. There are several light box models. Some are designed to sit on a tabletop or desk, and others clamp onto a stand. They differ in size and portability. Some are small enough to be packed in a travel bag. They can also be adjusted for height and intensity.
Other light therapy devices include a battery operated light visor worn on the head, and the dawn simulator, a bedside light on a timer that gradually illuminates the bedroom in the morning to create an artificial early dawn.
The cost of light boxes is usually covered by insurance. (Summarized from Harvard Women’s Health Watch, Feb. 2005, Vol. 12, No. 6, pp
However, the influence of light doesn’t completely explain SAD. Thus far, no studies have demonstrated a causal link between a reduction in daylight hours and the development of the disorder. And various experiments have shown that some of the body’s cycles persist in the absence of light cues. Nevertheless, light therapy is uniquely, although not universally, effective in treating “winter depression.” Light therapy is usually the first therapy recommended for a person suffering this type of depression, provided they are not suicidal.
The “light box” contains florescent lights mounted on a metal reflector. There are several light box models. Some are designed to sit on a tabletop or desk, and others clamp onto a stand. They differ in size and portability. Some are small enough to be packed in a travel bag. They can also be adjusted for height and intensity.
Other light therapy devices include a battery operated light visor worn on the head, and the dawn simulator, a bedside light on a timer that gradually illuminates the bedroom in the morning to create an artificial early dawn.
The cost of light boxes is usually covered by insurance. (Summarized from Harvard Women’s Health Watch, Feb. 2005, Vol. 12, No. 6, pp
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Theory and Treatment of Winter Depression
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) was named in the 1980’s to describe the depression that some people feel as the days shorten in fall and winter. Seasonal depression is thought to be more common and longer lasting at high latitudes, so it appears to be the result of changes in the length of day.
But more than lost sunlight may be involved. Many physiological rhythms – sleep and waking, body temperature, energy – are also adjusted daily by synchronization with the sun. Cells in the retina of the eye transmit evidence of changes in light to a pacemaker in the part of the brain called the suprahchiasmatic nucleus, which controls some of these body rhythms. According to a popular theory, this internal clock does not adjust properly to later dawns and early sunsets in people with seasonal affective disorder.
An effective treatment for seasonal affective disorder has been to expose an individual to fluorescent lights mounted on a metal reflector. This light box can sit on a stand or tabletop. An individual will sit nearby the light box for anywhere from a half-hour to two hours per day. In another version, lights can be attached to a visor worn on the forehead.
Experts recommend an intensity of 10,000 lux, which is similar to early morning light. Morning light is usually preferred, as it supposed to reset the body’s internal clock.
Other potentially effective ways to treat seasonal affective disorder are antidepressant medications, such as Prozac, Zoloft or Celexa and even the herbal St. John’s Wort.
SOURCE: HARVARD MENTAL HEALTH LETTER Nov. 2004, Vol. 21, No. 5, pp. 4-5
But more than lost sunlight may be involved. Many physiological rhythms – sleep and waking, body temperature, energy – are also adjusted daily by synchronization with the sun. Cells in the retina of the eye transmit evidence of changes in light to a pacemaker in the part of the brain called the suprahchiasmatic nucleus, which controls some of these body rhythms. According to a popular theory, this internal clock does not adjust properly to later dawns and early sunsets in people with seasonal affective disorder.
An effective treatment for seasonal affective disorder has been to expose an individual to fluorescent lights mounted on a metal reflector. This light box can sit on a stand or tabletop. An individual will sit nearby the light box for anywhere from a half-hour to two hours per day. In another version, lights can be attached to a visor worn on the forehead.
Experts recommend an intensity of 10,000 lux, which is similar to early morning light. Morning light is usually preferred, as it supposed to reset the body’s internal clock.
Other potentially effective ways to treat seasonal affective disorder are antidepressant medications, such as Prozac, Zoloft or Celexa and even the herbal St. John’s Wort.
SOURCE: HARVARD MENTAL HEALTH LETTER Nov. 2004, Vol. 21, No. 5, pp. 4-5
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Are Alternative Therapies Effective Against Depression
If you are thinking about alternative therapies to fight depression, you need to be discriminating. Following is a summary of study results from five different alternative therapies in the treatment of depression.
Acupuncture – The needles placed at certain point in the body are believed to enhance the flow of energy and relieve emotional problems. A 1995 study found that three quarters of depressed women having acupuncture said they felt “significantly” better after eight weeks.
Herbal Remedies – If taken correctly, herbal compounds taken as teas, tinctures, or pills have been said to alleviate many conditions including depression. Few herbs have been studied as antidepressants, but Saint John’s Wort seemed to work against moderate depression with few side effects in a German study.
Exercise – It lessens anxiety and other negative emotions for hours, or if done regularly, for days and weeks. According to a 1970’s study of men who reported moderate depression, those who took up exercise were 12 times less likely than non-exercisers to remain depressed two years later.
Meditation – The “relaxation response” of meditation is said to decrease pain and reduce anxiety and depression. Based on dozens of studies, doctors have been urged to accept meditation as an effective treatment for chronic pain, anxiety, and panic attacks.
Nutrition – Some alternative practitioners recommend a fast to purge “toxins” from the body; types of food are then gradually re-introduced to track how patients respond. There is no reliable scientific literature on the psychological value of abstaining from food.
SOURCE: HEALTH - JAN / FEB 1997 PP 72-78
Acupuncture – The needles placed at certain point in the body are believed to enhance the flow of energy and relieve emotional problems. A 1995 study found that three quarters of depressed women having acupuncture said they felt “significantly” better after eight weeks.
Herbal Remedies – If taken correctly, herbal compounds taken as teas, tinctures, or pills have been said to alleviate many conditions including depression. Few herbs have been studied as antidepressants, but Saint John’s Wort seemed to work against moderate depression with few side effects in a German study.
Exercise – It lessens anxiety and other negative emotions for hours, or if done regularly, for days and weeks. According to a 1970’s study of men who reported moderate depression, those who took up exercise were 12 times less likely than non-exercisers to remain depressed two years later.
Meditation – The “relaxation response” of meditation is said to decrease pain and reduce anxiety and depression. Based on dozens of studies, doctors have been urged to accept meditation as an effective treatment for chronic pain, anxiety, and panic attacks.
Nutrition – Some alternative practitioners recommend a fast to purge “toxins” from the body; types of food are then gradually re-introduced to track how patients respond. There is no reliable scientific literature on the psychological value of abstaining from food.
SOURCE: HEALTH - JAN / FEB 1997 PP 72-78
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Can Vitamin D Prevent Infection?
A number of researchers are finding that vitamin D may play a large role in fighting infection. In July, 2005, the FASEB Journal reported that vitamin D boosts white blood cell production of cathelicidin, one of the antimicrobial compounds that fights germs.
Recent studies link vitamin D intake to increased cathelicidin production. One study that investigated the relationship between vitamin D and susceptibility to tuberculosis also supports the idea that Vitamin D deficiency may make individuals susceptible to infections.
Legions of germs come into contact with our bodies every day. Most would-be invaders, however, don’t succeed. They are destroyed by cellular recruits called up to participate in local immune militias. Scientists hadn’t been sure what serves as the call to arms for these immune cells and what triggers the production of their antibiotic arsenal.
However, over the past five years, a number of studies began to show the importance of cathelicidin, which, according to Richard L. Gallo of the University of California, San Diego, “targets the bad guys.”
Researchers discovered that Vitamin D, in its active form of 1,25-D, transforms into a compound called a pre-hormone. When researchers administered 1,25-D to a variety of cells, the gene for making cathelicidin “went boom” according to John H White, of McGill University in Montreal.
There are numerous independent and promising studies underway testing vitamin D’s effect on infections such as tuberculosis and influenza. It is possible that a shortfall in Vitamin D might seriously compromise a body’s defense system.
SOURCE: SCIENCE NEWS Nov. 11, 2006, Vol. 170, No. 20, pp312+
Recent studies link vitamin D intake to increased cathelicidin production. One study that investigated the relationship between vitamin D and susceptibility to tuberculosis also supports the idea that Vitamin D deficiency may make individuals susceptible to infections.
Legions of germs come into contact with our bodies every day. Most would-be invaders, however, don’t succeed. They are destroyed by cellular recruits called up to participate in local immune militias. Scientists hadn’t been sure what serves as the call to arms for these immune cells and what triggers the production of their antibiotic arsenal.
However, over the past five years, a number of studies began to show the importance of cathelicidin, which, according to Richard L. Gallo of the University of California, San Diego, “targets the bad guys.”
Researchers discovered that Vitamin D, in its active form of 1,25-D, transforms into a compound called a pre-hormone. When researchers administered 1,25-D to a variety of cells, the gene for making cathelicidin “went boom” according to John H White, of McGill University in Montreal.
There are numerous independent and promising studies underway testing vitamin D’s effect on infections such as tuberculosis and influenza. It is possible that a shortfall in Vitamin D might seriously compromise a body’s defense system.
SOURCE: SCIENCE NEWS Nov. 11, 2006, Vol. 170, No. 20, pp312+
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