Thursday, February 26, 2009
With the shortening days of winter, many of us notice tiredness, a bit of weight gain, difficulty getting out of bed and bouts of "the blues" .
Some people, however, experience an exaggerated form of these symptoms. Their depression and lack of energy can become debilitating. The condition, known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) may affect over 10 million Americans while the milder, "Winter Blues" may affect a larger number of individuals.
Typical symptoms of SAD include depression, lack of energy, increased need for sleep, a craving for sweets and weight gain. Symptoms begin in the fall, peak in the winter and usually resolve in the spring. Like other forms of depression, the symptoms of SAD can be mild, severe, or anywhere in between.
Experts believe that, with SAD, depression is somehow triggered by the brain's response to decreased daylight exposure. No one really understands how and why this happens. Current theories about what causes SAD focus on the role that sunlight might play in the brain's production of key hormones.
Some think that melatonin and serotonin which are chemicals in the brain, may be involved in SAD. These two hormones help regulate a person's sleep-wake cycles, energy, and mood. Shorter days and longer hours of darkness in fall and winter may cause increased levels of melatonin and decreased levels of serotonin, creating the biological conditions for depression.
Melatonin is linked to sleep and the body produces melatonin in greater quantities when it's dark or when days are shorter. This increased production of melatonin can cause a person to feel sleepy and lethargic.
With serotonin, it's the reverse — serotonin production goes up when a person is exposed to sunlight, so it's likely that a person will have lower levels of serotonin during the winter when the days are shorter. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression, whereas increasing the availability of serotonin helps to combat depression.
Most depression medications are SSRI (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors). Until recently, Prozac and other known drugs have been prescribed to correct low serotonin levels. Now there is solid scientific evidence that nutritional approaches may actually work as well—or even better than pharmaceuticals.
5-HTP is an amino acid that is the precursor to serotonin. A growing base of scientific evidence suggests that 5-HTP does everything that SSRIs do, but without the side effects. Unlike drugs like Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil, which cause serotonin depletion by interfering with serotonin recycling, 5-HTP raises serotonin levels by enhancing a natural process—the synthesis of new serotonin molecules.
It's the seasonal pattern of SAD — the fact that symptoms occur only for a few months each winter (for at least 2 years in a row) but not during other seasons — that distinguishes SAD from other forms of depression.
So what can we do if we are feeling the Winter Blues? Get outside. Even though the earth's axis is rotated away from the sun, we can still benefit from its energy. This will help alleviate symptoms of the Winter Blues, and also helps with getting a much needed dose of vitamin D. Sit near windows whenever possible.
Laughter is also helpful as the body releases mood enhancing endorphins and neurotransmitters such as dopamine. If you don't feel like laughing, then fake it. Studies show that faking laughter may lead the real thing.
Other nutritional therapy for SAD include:
B complex - Balances the nervous system.
Licorice - Stabilizes adrenal function which also impacts nervous system function.
Vitamin C - When the adrenals are stress the body excretes vitamin C.
Vitex - Depression in women can be caused by a hormone imbalance typically estrogen dominance. Vitex helps balance hormone levels and naturally increases progesterone levels.
Warm Winter Vegetable Soup
6 cups water
1 large onion chopped
Salt to taste (approximately 1-2 Tablespoons)
6 medium carrots, chopped
1/2 cup frozen corn thawed
1/2 cup frozen peas thawed
1 cup sweet potato in medium chunks
1 cup potato in medium chunks
1 cup chopped celery
1 can tomato paste
1 can Muir Glen fire roasted tomato diced
Pepper to taste
1Tablespoon dried oregano
In large pot place onion and salt, bring to a boil, simmer at medium heat for approximately 15 minutes Add other vegetables, tomato paste, diced tomatoes oregano, basil and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer until vegetables are tender.
Serve with multigrain bread
References
holisticonline
smart-publication.com
Textbook of Natural Medicine, Pizzaro Jr. and Murray
The nutritional suggestions in this material are not offered to treat, mitigate or cure disease, and should not be used as a substitute for sound medical advice. This information is designed to be used in conjunction with the services of a trained, licensed healthcare practitioner. Individuals under the care of a physician should seek the advice of their physician before taking nutritional supplements or beginning a new exercise program.