By Professor William Vandry (3rd degree Black belt BJJ)
Last year, I wrote an article called ‘Treat yourself like a racehorse’. The intent of my article last year was to give information from medical doctors and medical journals that show how they discuss your health and especially as an athlete. I had no idea that that article last year would end up on websites all over the world. It had such a positive impact, that I began thinking of other ideas or follow ups, and I kept finding so much new research, I am following up with another one.
For those of you faithful readers of my monthly article worldwide that have not had a chance to read the Treat yourself like a racehorse article, go back to read abouthttp://austinbjj.com/node/223 on Vitamins and minerals, Inflammation and magnesium, Serrapeptaste and Curcumin, Stress, chiropractics and massage, Depression, Stress related to Heart Disease.
A martial artist is a student, a teacher, a philosopher, mentor, guide, protector, adviser, and still a martial artist!
Do you note that nowhere in that paragraph does it state ‘tough guy’, ‘fighter’, etc??
The information presented on this site is not intended for diagnostic or treatment purposes. Please consult your own physician for medical advice or services. The information provided on this website is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be considered a replacement for the expert advice of a qualified health practitioner. www.austinbjj.com makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.
I personally cannot tell you how many athletes I have had discussions on anxiety, mild depression and just feeling tired. We all get blues or certain feelings of fatigue depending on how often you train, rest, cold or flu, overworked and other conditions research from medical references give information how to get your nutrition and recharge for the next day.
First of all, remember that an athlete training constantly sweats a lot. He or she sweats out minerals, including one of the most important.
Imbalances of neurotransmitters in the brain, which are derived from amino acids, are thought to be responsible for a variety of mood disorders, including depression and anxiety. Supplementing certain amino acids may target these imbalances and help alleviate symptoms in some people.
I was researching information on athletes, and on livestrong.com I found some great references from Pubmed, a medical online journal on research and studies.
Regarding amino acids, there are some interesting tidbits of information from Pubmed regarding anxiety and depression areas.
SAMe
Antidepressant drugs fall short of fully addressing symptoms in many individuals, according to a study published in an August 2010 “American Journal of Psychiatry.” The study set out to evaluate the effectiveness of S-adenosyl methionine, also known as SAMe, as an adjunctive treatment for patients with major depression who do not respond well to conventional drug therapy. SAMe functions as a methyl donor in many reactions in the body and is involved in the manufacture of neurotransmitters in the brain. Participants in the study received 800mg SAMe twice daily for six weeks while continuing to take serotonin re-uptake inhibitor drugs. Symptom relief was 25.8 percent for patients receiving SAMe versus 11.7 percent in the control group. The researchers concluded that SAMe represents an effective, well-tolerated and relatively safe adjunctive therapy for the treatment of major depressive disorders in some individuals.
Tyrosine
Tyrosine is an amino acid that is converted in the brain into the neurotransmitter dopamine. Deficiencies during key stages of neonatal brain development can lead to anxiety later in life, according to a study published in a 2009 “Communicative and Integrative Biology.” At 4 to 6 weeks, activation of tyrosine kinase receptor neurons determines the number of surviving neurons in the brain and therefore influences the potential for optimal cognitive and emotional development. The researchers reported that impairment of this tyrosine-dependent process leads to increased anxious behavior. These neurons are influential on the development of anxiety in later stages of life.
N-acetyl cysteine
N-acetyl cysteine is a commonly used supplement that is converted by the body into the amino acids cysteine and glutathione, which have antioxidant and mood-altering properties, according to a study published in the 2009 “Central Nervous System Spectrums.” Its effects on increasing levels of glutathione–a powerful antioxidant–in particular, give N-acetyl cysteine the ability to impact negative symptoms associated with schizophrenia and depression associated with bipolar disorder. The study describes several cases of anxiety, as manifested by nail biting, that were eased with the administration of N-acetyl cysteine. Researchers theorized that oxidative stress in the brain, which is alleviated by N-acetyl cysteine, may be a causative factor in the development of certain psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and depression.
Taurine and Alanine
The amino acids taurine and alanine were studied as treatments for depression in the July 2010 issue of “Amino Acids.” The study offered mice diets supplemented with 22.5mmol/kg body weight of taurine, which functions as an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, and 22.5mmol/kg body weight alanine, which also has inhibitory neurotransmitter activity in the brain, meaning it helps make neurons less excitable. The researchers then measured their behavior under stressful conditions. Alanine-supplemented mice spent significantly more time in open arms of a maze test compared to taurine-supplemented mice or control group mice. In a swim test, the taurine-supplemented mice spent less time immobile and more time swimming compared to the other two groups. The researchers concluded that taurine had antidepressant activity while alanine had an anti-anxiety effect.
References
• PubMed.gov: S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe) augmentation of serotonin reuptake inhibitors for antidepressant nonresponders with major depressive disorder: a double-blind, randomized clinical trial.
• PubMed.gov: Conditional deletion of TrkB alters adult hippocampal neurogenesis and anxiety-related behavior.
• PubMed.gov: Nail-biting stuff? The effect of N-acetyl cysteine on nail-biting.
• PubMed.gov: The impact of taurine- and beta-alanine-supplemented diets on behavioral and neurochemical parameters in mice: antidepressant versus anxiolytic-like effects.
• PubMed.gov: Role of S-adenosyl-L-methionine in the treatment of depression: a review of the evidence.
In the September 8, 2003 issue of Sports Illustrated, an article – Prisoners Of Depression By L. Jon Wertheim spoke specifically on athletes, depression and their particular affects:
“The list of athletes who suffer from depression, bipolar disorder or social anxiety disorder–three of the most common forms of mental illness–would make for a hell of a table at a charity dinner. Ricky Williams, the NFL’s 2002 rushing leader, suffered such overwhelming social anxiety that he couldn’t bring himself to leave his house to mail a letter. Terry Bradshaw, the star quarterback and irrepressible NFL broadcaster, was once so depressed that he would go to bed crying. On the eve of last January’s Super Bowl, Oakland Raiders center Barret Robbins neglected to take medication to treat his bipolar disorder, went on a Tijuana drinking jag, considered committing suicide and was in a hospital during what should have been the biggest game of his career. Mike Tyson was in the clutches of depression long before he turned into a pitiable sideshow.”
In an article on pro athletes with depression, a post was made on pro baseball pitcher Zack Greinke:
“Greinke, SI cover boy and arguably one of baseball’s top pitchers this year, missed almost the entire 2008 season while he sought treatment for debilitating depression and social anxiety disorder. His illness took him from promising rookie in 2004, to 17 game loser in 2005, to out of baseball in 2008. He grew to despise baseball and constantly entertained ideas of staying away for good. In a recent NPR report, Greinke revealed he had contemplated mowing lawns for a living rather than continuing to pitch. After receiving treatment, including anti-depressant medication, Greinke is now back and pitching stronger than just about everyone in the league. More importantly, he reports he’s once again found joy in the game.”
Richard N. Podell, M.D., M.P.H., Medical Director and Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UMDNJ–Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Dr. Podell is one of the nation’s leading experts on the scientific integration of complementary and alternative therapies with conventional medicine. He also has special interest and expertise in clinical nutrition, Migraine and Tension Headache, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and mind-body problems.
A graduate of Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health, Dr. Podell is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and in Family Medicine. A Clinical Professor at New Jersey’s Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Dr. Podell serves as co–host of the Willner’s Window Health and Nutrition Show on New York City’s WOR Radio (710 AM).
I read an article by Dr. Podell on depression, and some interesting treatments he has on his medical website.
Alternative Treatments for Depression
Alternative treatments for depression rely on the fact that depression, at heart, is a biochemical illness. Whether the main triggers are physical or emotional, these triggers then induce a broad range of neurochemical changes that, in turn, leads to the feelings of depression and to the physical and psychological disruptions that being depressed then causes.
Once one thinks about the biochemistry it should not be surprising that alternative treatments for depression often play an important role. Almost every biochemical in our body is either directly derived from a biochemical found in food, or else is the product of the body’s processing of such foodstuff. Especially important are the co-factors or small molecules that help our metabolic enzymes assume their proper shape, so that enzymes can make our metabolic pathways do their work. In almost every case these enzyme enabling co-factors are vitamins and minerals such as B vitamins, magnesium, and selenium. The following tables list selected natural treatments for depression that have good scientific support for a beneficial role for treating depression.
Dr. Podell’s Alternative Treatments for Depression: Nutrients and Herbs:
Nutrients and Herbs / Presumed Mechanism of Action
Inositol – Intracellular / Second Mechanism
S-Adenosyl Methionine (SAMe) / Improves Methylation Pathways
Fish Oil Omega-3 / Essential Fatty Acid
Tyrosine Amino Acid / body uses to make Norepinephrine and Dopamine
Eliminate Wheat Gluten / May apply if blood antibody test is abnormal
Anti-Hypoglycemia Style Diet / Mood Stabilizing Effect
Folic Acid / Improves Methylation Pathways
Vitamin B12 / Improves Methylation Pathways
Tryptophan Amino Acid / body uses to make Serotonin
L-Carnitine / Improves mitochondrial energy metabolism Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
May help energy pathways
Dr. Podell’s website also has a point on Natural Anxiety Treatments:
Anxiety, feeling tense or nervous is not the same thing as depression, although they often occur together. Many but not all of the alternative treatments for depression also improve anxiety, but others do not. The following natural anxiety treatments that have some scientific studies supporting their use:
Magnesium
Inositol
Valerian Root
Kava Herb
Rhodiola Herb
Appropriate Exercise (not too much, not too little)
Hypoglycemia Diet
“Food Allergy” Elimination Diet
Candida Yeast Theory (speculative)
Depression, Occurrence and Statistics
In the past 15 years, the number of people seeking treatment for depression in the U.S. has doubled; now 25 million a year. That’s bad news, but what is worse is that according to recent research, 90% of these people left their doctor’s offices with a prescription for antidepressants. It is downright frightening that prescription drugs have become the treatment of choice.
{“Hard to Swallow,” WC Douglass e-mail, Mar. 28, 2003}
Americans, 65 and older account for about 13 percent of the population but almost 20 percent of all suicides. The national rate is 11 suicides for every 100,000 people. This is higher than any other age group, and the attempts are strikingly lethal: one out of four succeed compared to one out of 200 for young adults. The graying baby boomers are already more prone to suicide than other generations.
{“Factors behind elderly suicide rate examined,” Washington, The Daily Progress newspaper, Charlottesville, Virginia, July 23, 2002} Editor’s comment: the use of alcohol contributes to depression and makes it more likely that a person will commit suicide.
Depression affects 17 million Americans a year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
{Washington Post Health, Oct 7, 1997}
One in four women will have a severe or major depression in their lifetime. For men it is one in eight. People who have depression shouldn’t drink alcohol.
{in the book, “Depression,” by Sherry Rogers, MD}
In any one given year period, 9.1% of the population, or about 19 million American adults, suffer from a depressive illness.
{“Depression: An Overview,” mhsource.com, Nov. 2003}
Thirty-five million Americans each year suffer winter gloom blues according to JAMA.
{Energy Times, Jan. 1998} Alcohol makes this worse.
One in five Americans are depressed or unhappy, and report high levels of stress, anxiety and sadness.
{Reuters Health, HealthCentral.com, Nov. 2000} Editor’s comment: Alcohol, as well as sugar is implicated in depression, and when eliminated depression may subside.
Florence Nightingale of medicine!
One of my favorite doctors in the medical industry is a woman named Dr. Sherry Rogers. Dr. Sherry Rogers MD, is a Fellow of the American College of Allergy and Immunology and a Diplomate of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, and has been in private practice for over 26 years. She has a newsletter she mails out if you subscribe that has a plethora of information on different diseases and conditions. I myself have read through nearly all her books, and learned so much from her medical knowledge and references.
I have been through all her books, which there is a link below if you want to order one. I have listened to every radio interview she is on if I get a chance. I have went from a relatively ignorant understanding on nutritional areas that correlate directly with diseases and conditions.
Dr. Rogers states Depression is Not a Prozac Deficiency!!
If you’re depressed and think your doctor’s prescription for Prozac, Zoloft, or any other popular antidepressant makes sense, it’s unlikely you will ever cure the cause of your depression, says Sherry Rogers, M.D., in her new book Depression–Cured At Last! Dr. Rogers’ national reputation is founded on her acute understanding of the complex biochemical reasons underlying such seemingly intractable conditions as environmental illness, allergies, and multiple chemical sensitivities.
Until you resolve the underlying causes, the minute you go off the Prozac, that black cloud of depression will settle over you again, says Dr. Rogers. “A lifetime of medications, by not uncovering the real causes, can not only lead to an escalation of symptoms, but to the creation of new and seemingly unrelated symptoms.”
Yet, in the majority of cases, depression’s hidden causes are both identifiable and correctable, says Dr. Rogers. While no two people with depression have exactly the same causes, depression can result from multiple problems.
These include environmental triggers, such as hidden food, chemical, and mold sensitivities or allergies; deficiencies of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, amino acids, and hormones; heavy metal toxicity (aluminum, mercury, cadmium); brain fog; leaky gut syndrome; hypoglycemia; and intestinal microfloral imbalances. Often, it is possible to pinpoint single substances capable of generating depression, such as aspartame, wheat gluten, or caffeine. A magnesium or vitamin B12 deficiency can also produce depression.
It is a terrible irony, says Dr. Rogers, that, according to the Physicians’ Desk Reference, one side effect of all antidepressants is depression. Over time, this class of drug depletes the body of certain nutrients; this depletion then generates “a slow, insidious, and escalating depression.”
Dr. Rogers addresses depression, and other major chronic diseases, by assessing the total toxic load in a patient. This means the cumulative effect of multiple toxins, allergies, stressors, chemical imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, and others. “It is only when the total body burden of mental and physical stressors has been sufficiently reduced that the body is able to reverse damages from years of overload and heal,” Dr. Rogers says.
This approach to reversing chronic illness comes out of a therapeutic view called environmental and orthomolecular medicine — “where we can find the causes for symptoms rather than merely drugging them,” says Dr. Rogers.
Her message is one of medically informed optimism, supplemented in her book by 1,000 clinical references for physicians. Insofar as the multiple correctable causes of depression can be identified, people suffering from depression no longer need to feel despair or a lack of hope. “You can most likely learn to heal the impossible, as many others have,” she encourages the reader.
The key to reversing depression is to identify the causes unique to the individual, says Dr. Rogers. She recommends patients have a complete biochemical workup including a urine analysis, thyroid test, magnesium loading test, and other blood chemistry profiles that indicate nutrient status. A liver detoxification panel, urinary Dglucaric acid test, or mercapturic acid test will help indicate if one’s liver is overloaded through chemical exposure and is thereby unable to perform its detoxification functions. Dr. Rogers advises a stool analysis to assess digestion, absorption, and intestinal microfloral composition.
Dr. Rogers suggests that depressed people stop consuming sugar, white flour products, alcohol, tea, coffee, soda, chocolate, processed foods, and chlorinated or fluoridated water, and also stop smoking. Any or all of these may be contributing to the depression.
The results of these tests then form the basis for a comprehensive healing program, involving major dietary change and purification, nutrient replenishment, a change in the components of one’s living environment, and a shift in attitude, says Dr. Rogers. The goal is to “get on a balanced prescribed program to correct the deficiencies.” Reversing chronic depression usually requires the guidance of a competent, holistically-trained practitioner, advises Dr. Rogers — and a patient who is aware of the medical realities of their reversible condition.
SOURCE–
Sherry A. Rogers, M.D., Depression–Cured at Last! (1997),
SK Publishing, P. O. Box 40101, Sarasota, FL 34242.
For information about Dr. Rogers’ other books, contact:
Prestige Publishing, PO. Box 3068, Syracuse, NY 13220;
tel: 800-846-6687 or 315-455-7862; fax: 800-884-8119.
Vitamin D3, NOT D, to the rescue!!
Dr. Rogers has a very educational book called The Blood Pressure Hoax. On page 195 she points out medical information on Vitamin D.
Dr. Rogers notes in her book that Vitamin D receptors are in nearly every tissue of the body, especially the brain, breaset, prostate and white blood cells.
She also note that a recent research shows that higher vitamin D levels provide protection from diabetes, congestive heart failure, metabolic syndrome, depression, auto immune diseases like lupus and cancer of the breast, prostate and colon, plus —high blood pressure!!
Dr. Rogers notes about the levels of vitamin D and discussions on toxicity:
“For the RDA for vitamin D is 400 i.u. despite studeies that clearly show it should be at least ten times this for 4000 i.u. daily, which has been shown to not only be safe, but necessary.”
“Real vitamin D is D3 or cholecalciferol and is produced in the skin and conusmed in the diet. But the one added to milk is synthetic D2, ergocalciferol, produced by irradiating fungi and is les effective and more toxic. That’s why with studies that say lower levels of D are toxic or don’t help, you right away want to know if they used the inferior and cheaper synthetic form, the same one food processors put in thmilk.For indeed there ae many deleterious effects from synthetic nutrients, including hardening of the arteries.”
Researchers Call for Higher Doses
In an editorial in the March 2007 edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a prominent group of researchers from leading institutions such as the University of Toronto, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Tufts University and University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, lashed out at the conventional media for its lashed out at the conventional media for its inaccurate reporting of Vitamin D supplementation.
The researchers wrote, “Almost every time the public media report that Vitamin D nutrition status is too low, or that higher Vitamin D intakes may improve measures of health, the advice that accompanies the report is outdated and thus misleading. Media reports to the public are typically accompanied by a paragraph that approximates the following: ‘Current recommendations from the Institute of Medicine call for 200 IU/day from birth through age 50 years, 400 IU for those aged 51–70 years, and 600 IU for those aged >70 years. Some experts say that optimal amounts are closer to 1,000 IU daily. Until more is known, it is wise not to overdo it.’ The only conclusion that the public can draw from this is to do nothing different from what they have done in the past.”
The researchers point out that supplemental intake of 400 IU per day barely raises blood concentrations of 25(OH)D, which is the circulating Vitamin D metabolite that serves as the most frequently measured indicator of Vitamin D status. To raise 25(OH)D from 50 to 80 nmol/L requires an additional intake of 1,700 IU Vitamin D per day.
The researchers went on to write that, “The balance of the evidence leads to the conclusion that the public health is best served by a recommendation of higher daily intakes of Vitamin D. Relatively simple and low-cost changes, such as increased food fortification or increasing the amount of Vitamin D in Vitamin supplement products, may very well bring about rapid and important reductions in the morbidity associated with low Vitamin D status.”
One of the challenges is the outdated acceptable upper limit for Vitamin D3 consumption, which was set at 2,000 IU. However, researchers point out that more recent studies have shown that 10,000 IU is the safe upper limit.4
Dr. R. Vieth, one of the foremost authorities on Vitamin D supplementation has extensively studied Vitamin D, and lamented the low requirements for Vitamin D3 in a recent issue of the Journal of Nutrition: “Inappropriately low UL [upper limit] values, or guidance values, for Vitamin D have hindered objective clinical research on Vitamin D nutrition; they have hindered our understanding of its role in disease prevention, and restricted the amount of Vitamin D in multivitamins and foods to doses (that are) too low to benefit public health.”5
When examining the medical literature, it becomes clear that Vitamin D3 affects human health in an astonishing number of ways and that not obtaining enough of this important nutrient can leave the door open to developing a number of health conditions.
Depression
Vitamin D3 deficiency is common in older adults and has been implicated in psychiatric and neurologic disorders. For example, in one study of 80 older adults (40 with mild Alzheimer’s disease and 40 nondemented persons), Vitamin D3 deficiency was associated with low mood and with impairment on two of four measures of cognitive performances.
References:
3. Vieth R, Bischoff-Ferrari H, Boucher BJ, Dawson-Hughes B, Garland CF, Heaney RP, Holick MF, Hollis BW, Lamberg-Allardt C, McGrath JJ, Norman AW, Scragg R, Whiting SJ, Willett WC, Zittermann A. The urgent need to recommend an intake of Vitamin D that is effective. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. March 2007;85(3):649-650.
4. Hathcock JN, Shao A, Vieth R, Heaney R. Risk assessment for Vitamin D. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jan;85(1):6-18.
5. Vieth R. Critique of the considerations for establishing the tolerable upper intake level for Vitamin D: critical need for revision upwards. J Nutr. 2006 Apr;136(4):1117-22.
6. Wilkins CH, Sheline YI, Roe CM, Birge SJ, Morris JC. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with low mood and worse cognitive performance in older adults. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2006 Dec;14(12):1032-40.
As you readers can see, I love references, especially medical and scientific references.
Vitamin D3 has an excellent reference point about The association of bone mineral density and depression in an older population.
In a pubmed.org medical website of research, it showed Bone Mineral Density and Depression has a correlation with Vitamin D3:
“A significant association was found between BMD and depressive symptoms after adjustment for osteoporosis risk factors. In Caucasians, depressive symptoms were associated with both osteoporotic and osteopenic levels of BMD. Causality cannot be ascribed, with only one measurement of BMD. We postulate that there may be an unmeasured third factor, such as an endogenous steroid, that is responsible for both low BMD and depression.”
By showing the association between depression and bone mineral density, concludes with the following sentence: “We postulate that there may be an unmeasured third factor, such as an endogenous steroid, that is responsible for both low BMD and depression.” The paper says not a word about the steroid hormone, vitamin D.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11454111
From Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital,
Athens University Medical School, Greece there is another interesting correlation with D3 and depression:
“Dopamine neurotransmission has been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and, more recently, affective disorders. Among the dopamine receptors, D3 can be considered as particularly related to affective disorders due to its neuroanatomical localization in the limbic region of the brain and its relation to the serotoninergic activity of the CNS. The possible involvement of dopamine receptor D3 in unipolar (UP) major depression was investigated by a genetic association study of the D3 receptor gene locus (DRD3) on 36 UP patients and 38 ethnically matched controls. An allelic association of DRD3 (Bal I polymorphism) and UP illness was observed, with the Gly-9 allele (allele ‘2’, 206/98 base-pairs long) being more frequent in patients than in controls (49% vs 29%, P < 0.02). The genotypes containing this allele (note: allele is defined as One member of a pair or series of genes that occupy a specific position on a specific chromosome) (1-2 and 2-2) were found in 75% of patients vs 50% of controls (P < 0.03, odds ratio = 3.00, 95% CI = 1.12-8.05). The effect of the genotype remained significant (P < 0.02) after sex and family history were controlled by a multiple linear regression analysis. These results further support the hypothesis that dopaminergic mechanisms may be implicated in the pathogenesis of affective disorder. More specifically, the ‘2’ allele of the dopamine receptor D3 gene seems to be associated with unipolar depression and can be considered as a ‘phenotypic modifier’ for major psychiatric disorders.”
For more information on vitamin D3 or to order, I refer to the website that I actually purchase mine, which has 5,000 iu of D3 per tablet. The website is International health.
http://www.ihsite.com/health-products/vitamin-d3/
D3 information and deficiencies have some interesting results along with food sources by Pamela Egan, MN, FNP-C, CDE. egan is a board certified Adult & Family Nurse Practitioner, Certified Diabetes Educator, & Clinical Specialist in Mental Health.
“Vitamin D3 is deficient in many people due to lack of D3 in diet, sunscreen also blocks D3 from sunlight. vitamin D3 deficiency can result in Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Depression, Psoriasis, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Kidney Stones, Osteoporosis, & Neuro-degenerative disease including Alzheimer’s Disease. Eventually, Vitamin D deficiency may even lead to Cancer (especially breast, prostate, and colon cancers). Vitamin D3 is believed to play a role in controlling the immune system (possibly reducing one’s risk of cancer and autoimmune diseases), increasing neuro-muscular function and decreasing falls, improving mood, protecting the brain against toxic chemicals, and potentially reducing pain.
Eat foods high in Vitamin D3 including Cod liver oil, fortified milk, salmon, mackerel, & sardines, egg yolks, beef liver. If you take Vitamin D supplements make sure it is Vitamin D3 and not D2. Take Vitamin D3 supplements with food. I usually recommend Vitamin D3 2000iu-5000iu/ day depending on lab levels.”
Jiu-jitsu students train and spar a lot. We all sweat out toxins along with nutrients. Athletes can have ups and downs as well. Don’t ever be afraid to research nutrition or disease.
Depression Information and Fact Statistics
People who suffer from depression also suffer from anxiety and vice versa. Although some of these depression statistics represent the frequency of depression among different population sectors, others represent delicate mind/body connection fact. A study shows that people with depression are four times as likely to die within six months of a heart attack as well as when depression is high, the immune system suffers
General Depression Statistics
• Depression weakens the immune system and so one becomes susceptible to physical disorders
• In a year nearly 13 million and 14 million people experience a depressive disorder
• Only 20 percent who develop depression receive adequate treatment
• 16 percent of adults will experience depression at same age
• 97 percent of those reporting depression are with the opinion that their work, home life and relationships suffered as a result of it
• Depression increases chances of dying within 6 months after a heart attack
Depression Statistics about Children
• Childhood depression, whether boys and girls, depression rate is equal
• Children with depression are having it as a hereditary problem
• Most of the research result in depression proved that it occurs more in earlier age than in past decades
• In US nearly 2.5 percent of children suffer from depression
• In US nearly 8.3 percent of adolescents suffer from depression
Depression Statistics about Women
• There is higher rate of depression in married women as compared to single women and many are having depression at child birth
• Common age group of women is 25 to 44 who suffer from depression
• Depression is becoming nowadays a major cause of disability in women
• On an average out of 3 depressed women, only one will seek professional help
• Women experience depression twice as much as men
• In US nearly 7 million women are clinically depressed
• One in five women can have chance of having clinical depression at same age
• Mostly 15 percent of women suffering from severe depression will commit suicide
• Nearly 10 percent of women experience postpartum depression after birth of a child
Depression Statistics about Men
• One in seven men will develop depression within 6 months of becoming unemployed
• Men after retirement are having highest risk of depression
• Those men who are recently diagnosed with depression are having high risk of cardiovascular problems in the next five years
• Even though women experience depression as twice as men do, but the rate of men who commit suicide is three times as that of women
• Main reasons of depression in men are separation after marriage, widowed, divorce
Depression Statistics about Suicides
• Mostly people between the ages of 15 and 24 commit suicide
• Generally Children between the ages of 5 and 14 commit suicide
• At the rate of 2 out of every 3 people who commit suicide visited their health care center the month prior
• At the rate of 2 out of every 3 people who commit suicide already talk about it to friends or family
Elderly Depression Statistics
• Older people in depression mostly have risk of committing suicide
• One forth of total suicides are committed by the elderly people
• About 6 million elderly people suffer from depression
• Only 10 percent of the elderly experiencing depression could get medical help
• Old peoples having depression needs 50 percent higher healthcare costs
• It has been observed that elderly women experience depression more than elderly men
Anxiety and Depression Statistics
1. 2003 National Comorbidity Study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health 16% of the population that is nearly 35 million Americans suffer from severe depression
2. National Institute of Mental Health 19.1 million Americans and of age group 18 to 54 years-old suffer from anxiety disorders.
3. National Institute of Mental Health: The 9.5% of the adult population that is nearly 18.8 million American adults suffer from clinical depression.
Don’t forget about magnesium!!
Here is a reference to a study on magnesium and depression.
Significant Magnesium Deficiency in Depression
By Richard H. Cox, Ph.D.,C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D. Roger K. Cady, M.D., Diane Veehoff, R.N., M.S.W., Ph.D., Mariann Burnetti Awell, Psy.D., Rita Houston, L.P.N.
“Magnesium levels were tested in a total of 457 patients suffering either chronic primary depression or chronic pain with depression. The magnesium load or tolerance test is considerably more reliable than serum, red blood cell, whole blood, or white blood cell magnesium levels. Virtually all significantly depressed patients are deficient in magnesium. Clinicians should consider the potential of therapeutic benefit from magnesium replacement therapy in chronic depression. Although magnesium deficiency has been reported in depression, this association is not widely recognized (Ref. 1). Over the past 7 years we have investigated magnesium levels extensively in patients with primary depression and chronic pain with depression. The current report summarizes the frequency of magnesium deficiency in depressed patients as well as the greater accuracy of the magnesium load test over various blood levels for measuring metabolic competency of this critical mineral!”
For supplements and nutrition, see your primary caregiver.
I think going with the Vandry racehorse theory, we constantly have to adjust in nutrition, sleep, metabolism, diet, and balance in life. Jiu-jitsu is a piece of that, but if you do not groom yourself as a racehorse, you can deplete yourself and your talent on the mat can be limited.
I hope you enjoy reading this, and my thanks to all the medical professionals out there who did the research for we all to learn from.
Absorb, and think.
Professor William Vandry, (3rd degree Black belt BJJ)
www.austinbjj.com