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SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER (4)
Nita Bishop, Clinical Herbalist
Micronutrients
Low levels of B vitamins are also associated with depression and behavioral changes. Bicknell and Prescott, in The Vitamins in Medicine, point out where cases of senile dementia in mental hospitals and convalescent homes dramatically improved in twenty-four to forty-eight hours after large doses of B vitamins. In some cases, administration of B vitamins have been more successful than antidepressant drugs.
Nutritional researchers are discovering that deficiencies in many other vitamins, including iron, calcium, and magnesium, may all contribute to depression. In the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Dr. Pizzorno and Dr. Murray suggest that vitamin B12, vitamin C, folic Acid, and magnesium - as well as Vitamin D, also known as the "sunshine vitamin," help offset the depressive effects of lack of sunlight. The mechanism for the positive effects of vitamin D supplementation are not entirely understood, but may be related to increasing 5-HTP levels.
Some animals use hibernation to adapt to the colder months, spending winter asleep in an almost comatose state. Hibernating animals characteristically lower their body temperature, cease reproductive activity and spend the winter in deep sleep. Although this inclination to hibernate is typical of SAD patients, the time they spend in deep sleep (measured by electroencephalogram) is reduced.
This author lives in one of the cloudiest cities in the country. Seattle is the coffee capital of the world. One might suggest there is a direct correlation between SAD and caffeine intake. Many people use this drug as a form of amphetamine or "speed" to give them energy and keep them going during the dark winter months. However, caffeine can have a rebound effect on the nervous system, as well as irritate the stomach lining, causing gastric disturbances and ulcers.
Increased exercise stimulates the production of endorphins which also offsets depression. Indeed, natural light therapy often works best in conjunction with exercise to improve SAD symptoms. Such simple activities as taking a walk at lunch time and spending more time outside can improve SAD symptoms.
We may not have all the answers to explain SAD but we do have novel and effective therapies, such as light, exercise, nutrition and botanicals. We are all wired differently and so depression may manifest differently in each one of us. SAD, in whatever form it takes, should be treated with attention.
References:
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