More on zinc and depression

In my last post, I described a study in which zinc was shown to enhance antidepressant activity. In this study, rats whose depression and anxiety-related behaviors had been successfully treated with antidepressants were then placed on a zinc-deficient diet.

What happened?

They started to act anxious and depressed again.

We live in a culture that has created the mentality that if you're not feeling well, you go to the doctor, she prescribes you a pill, you take the pill, and you feel all better.

Unfortunately, pills can only work some of the time. And they tend to work best when you're using them in conjunction with healthy self-care behaviors. As far as I know, and I am a voracious consumer of psychiatric and neurological research, there is no pill developed that will overcome what you choose not to do.

Medication, in most cases, should be considered an ADJUNCT to treatment, not the ONLY solution to a medical problem.

The whammy here is that when you're depressed, it can be challenging to feel like doing anything for yourself at all. If you're not up to "healthy living" but you ARE motivated to take your prescription medication...at least consider taking a zinc supplement alongside the prescription. They are easy to find and inexpensive.

And they just might be what determines whether you crawl out of that whole.....

...or feel hopelessly stuck there.

Whittle N, Lubec G, Singewald N. Zinc deficiency induces enhanced depression-like behaviour and altered limbic activation reversed by antidepressant treatment in mice. Amino Acids. 2009 Jan;36(1):147-58. Epub 2008 Oct 31.

Modulation of serotonin transporter function during fetal development causes dilated heart cardiomyopathy and lifelong behavioral abnormalities.

While I've drifted into the topic of antidepressants, I thought I'd share this piece on using them when pregnant. Two different antidepressants, fluoxetine (Prozac) and fluvoxamine (Luvox) were given to pregnant mice. Luvox reportedly did not as easily cross the placenta as Prozac. (This means that Luvox was not as available to the developing baby as Prozac was.)

Most of the rats' babies that were prenatally exposed to Prozac died after birth of a type heart failure known as dilated cardiomyopathy. This is a condition in which the heart becomes enlarged and too weak to pump enough blood to the rest of the body. These rats also showed alterations in serotonin receptor levels in the raphe nucleus, the part of the brain that is in charge of serotonin release. There was also an increased incidence of behaviors in these mice indicating anxiety and depression.

If you are female and you are choosing to treat your depression with an antidepressant, and you are at an age where you can conceive, you may wish to discuss this study with your prescribing caregiver. Your medication decisions are affecting two people, both deserving of consideration.

Noorlander CW, Ververs FF, Nikkels PG, van Echteld CJ, Visser GH, Smidt MP. Modulation of serotonin transporter function during fetal development causes dilated heart cardiomyopathy and lifelong behavioral abnormalities. PLoS ONE. 2008 Jul 23;3(7):e2782.

Watch out Lilly...here comes Lipton!

Who thought such a simple item you may already have in your cupboard could be so beneficial? I'm talking about tea!

I think if you're interested enough in health and the brain to even be reading this blog, you know that green tea has many health benefits. It's a great antioxidant, and it improves the brain's blood flow, making it easier for waste products to be flushed away from where they can do damage.

Scientists took green tea one step further in the following experiment. Mice were divided into three groups, each group receiving one of the following treatments: green tea, an antidepressant (in this case, desipramine/Norpramin), or an anti-anxiety medication (in this study, diazepam/Valium). Both low and high doses of green tea reduced depression-like behaviors within 30 minutes of administration.

Depression can slow thought processes and therefore problem solving, so these mice were put in a maze and timed for their performance. Higher doses of green tea reduced the time it took to complete the task.

One potential downside to the higher doses of green tea was that the higher doses also had somewhat of a sedative effect and reduced muscle strength and activity. The mice also were less responsive to exposures to a painful stimulus, in this case, heat.

The moral of the story appears to be that moderate doses of green tea might not be a bad thing. I'd recommend the decaffeinated version--and there are lots of great ones out there.

A green tea tip for all of you: Did you know you can cook with green tea? One of my company's sponsors, Organic Bistro, has a frozen dinner with green tea vegetables (www.theorganicbistro.com). So if you don't like to drink tea, you can sneak in some of its benefits by combining it with foods you DO enjoy.

Since it's Earth Day week, I'll slip in a little plug for thinking "outside the brain" and looking for organic brands of green tea. Here's a nice website with some options...http://greenshopper.com/product.aspx?parentId=235&childId=407

Sattayasai J, Tiamkao S, Puapairoj P. Biphasic effects of Morus alba leaves green tea extract on mice in chronic forced swimming model. Phytother Res. 2008 Apr;22(4):487-92.

Mania and free fatty acids

Plasma free fatty acids (primarily omega-3's) have gained much attention for their therapeutic potential in many psychiatric diagnoses--including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bipolar disorder. Now researchers are discovering that the level of these fatty acids in the blood may actually influence the symptom severity of these illnesses.

In this particular study, done in patients with bipolar disorder, medication-free patients who were seeking help for a manic episode had their blood tested for free fatty acid levels. These levels were compared to those in individuals who did not have bipolar disorder. In the manic individuals, the lower the levels of arachidonic acid (AA) or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), the worse the manic symptoms were. The greater the AA/EPA ratio, the worse the manic symptoms were.

In plain English? While the diets of these individuals were not analyzed, it is well-established that a diet high in fish and omega-3's promotes good EPA levels. A diet high in meat and pro-inflammatory oils (those "S" and "C" oils I like to refer to), the higher the AA levels.

So...eat a lot of meat and processed foods with the wrong kinds of fat, and your bipolar disorder stability might pay the price. Focus on fish, flax, and nuts...and you might not need as many emergency room visits.

It's kind of a catch-22. In working with bipolar disorder, it seems that the very foods that cause trouble are the very foods these individuals seem to crave. It can take a concerted effort to stay on track with nutrition. However...what I do notice is that if these individuals DO stick with the plan and pull their nervous systems back into balance, the cravings eventually lessen and appetites for healthier food begin to surface.

I've been in the presence of a client in the middle of her mania. At least from my shoes, on the outside looking in, knowing what danger her state put her in, I'd highly recommend making the effort and minimizing the manic episodes.


Sublette ME, Bosetti F, DeMar JC, Ma K, Bell JM, Fagin-Jones S, Russ MJ, Rapoport SI. Plasma free polyunsaturated fatty acid levels are associated with symptom severity in acute mania.Bipolar Disord. 2007 Nov;9(7):759-65.

Anxiety disorder: medication vs. acupuncture

Chinese researchers recently investigated the effectiveness of acupuncture compared to psychotropic medications in the treatment of anxiety disorder. Eighty six patients with this diagnosis were assigned to one of three treatment groups: acupuncture only, medication only (primarily Prozac, Paxil, or Xanax), or a combination treatment. The most effective treatment appeared to be the acupuncture treatment, followed by the combination therapy, with medication having the lowest effectiveness. Acupuncture was even able to modify levels of platelet serotonin and plasma ACTH, a stress hormone.

If you are comfortable with complementary treatments for medical problems, and you have anxiety disorder, it might be worthy to engage an acupuncturist in your treatment to see if you respond as did the subjects in this study.

Yuan Q, Li JN, Liu B, Wu ZF, Jin R. Effect of Jin-3-needling therapy on plasma corticosteroid, adrenocorticotrophic hormone and platelet 5-HT levels in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. Chin J Integr Med. 2007 Dec;13(4):264-8.

Fish oil, anxiety, and anger

I am noticing in my most recent medication reviews, that more and more psychotropic medications are being tested as treatments for aggressive behavior. I've worked in treatment centers and I know that the kind of aggression seen in substance users is more than just being "a little pushy"...and that this behavior, if it can be intervened on, can help a person with this problem to have more productive relationships and overall life successes.

A recent study found that substance abusers have dietary habits that promote poor omega-3 balance. (Anyone reading this who has attended a 12 Step meeting will attest to the donuts and sugared coffee these meetings are known for!)

In this study, 3 months of using 3 grams per day of fish oil (containing both EPA and DHA), anger and anxiety on test scores decreased significantly.

Interestingly, EPA and anxiety were most closely associated, and DHA and anger were most closely associated. For anyone using fish oil as a supplement, this distinction is likely moot. However, for anyone who is vegetarian and using marine algae or marine algae-supplemented foods as their omega-3 source, they may not see the reduction in anger that a fish-eating person may eat.

I just love it when nature shows us ways to feel better that don't always have to involve medication!

Buydens-Branchey L, Branchey M, Hibbeln JR. Associations between increases in plasma n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids following supplementation and decreases in anger and anxiety in substance abusers. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2007 Nov 1 [Epub ahead of print]