Nutrition and your Attitude

HealthTip
of the Week…


Many nutritional supplements have been recommended to assist people suffering with depression. Among the recommendations (and please check into these for your own edification) are: Folate (vitamin B9), Omega-3 fatty acids, Tryptophan, Selenium, Inositol, and Vitamin C. For more info, go to
http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/depression/treatment/alternative/dietary_supplements.asp

New research, published in the February, 2008 edition of the journal PLoS Medicine, claims that unless you are at the extreme upper end of the “very depressed” category of patients, the use of antidepressants provided barely more relief than a sugar pill.
In fact, the researchers found that the popular antidepressants, including Prozac and Paxil, have little impact on most patients. This research is based on a comprehensive review of newly released data from trials that were conducted before the drugs were approved in the U.S.
While there certainly are plenty of studies about antidepressants, what makes this one so important is that the researchers were able to track down comprehensive unpublished trial results from the drug makers themselves before the drugs were authorized for sale in the U.S., and include them in their review of the literature.
This news is likely to be depressing for the drug makers as the tendency for conclusive positive results to be published, sometimes more than once, and thus over-represented, while mediocre results can be ignored or even suppressed, is now public knowledge rather than the drug makers “little secret.”
The authors of this study point out that their results are based on reviews of “the only data set we have that is not biased.” Until now, the drug companies have made the rules about which research to allow and which to ignore, which research benefitted them…not you!


The Bottom Line…The Bottom Line…The Bottom Line…


The National Institutes for Mental Health recommend that to help yourself, you should, among other things, consider: mild exercise or activity, participation in social, religious or other activities to remain occupied, set realistic goals for yourself, break up large tasks into small ones, set some priorities and do what you can as you can, try not to isolate yourself, let others help you, expect your mood to improve gradually and watch for improvement in your sleep.
Postpone important decisions, such as getting married or divorced or changing jobs, until you feel better. Discuss decisions


This issue of the HealthTip of the Week is brought to you as a public service by…
K. Andrew Shepherd, DC CCN
www.mhcnz.com 972.398.0440