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Ever depressed? Here are two innovative ways to treat depression; one over-the-counter, one prescription. Hope they cheer you up. First something OTC:
Chocolate maintains mental health
By Trice WhitefieldDaily Texan (U. Texas-Austin)
October 07, 2002
(U-WIRE) AUSTIN, Texas ; Next time you're tired, but need to cram for that 8 a.M. Exam the next day, try eating some chocolate.
For centuries, people have known that food can affect your mental and emotional health. Think of comfort foods like apple pie and mashed potatoes. Research has shown that there are several scientific reasons behind one's desire to consume massive amounts of chocolate after a stressful day.
The brain produces chemicals called neurotransmitters that trigger action, speech, thought and emotion. The types of food people eat alters the production and activity of these neurotransmitters. After repeated experiences with certain foods, people often relate specific items with sensations like comfort, alertness or passion. "These chemicals do not compel a person to eat (certain foods), but they intensify the urge," said University of Texas-Austin psychology professor Devendra Singh. This knowledge, conscious or subconscious, triggers that insatiable inclination to dive headfirst into the pantry.
Found in milk, cake, candies and the mind of every dieting person in this country, chocolate is a food demanded equally for its taste and emotional-healing properties. Americans, after all, eat about $5 billion worth of chocolate every year, the equivalent of 11 pounds per person. The calming effect of a pint of rocky road ice cream lies in the neurotransmitter anandamide, a cannabinoid chemical that attaches to specific brain receptors. This part of the brain also catches similar chemicals found in marijuana smoke and creates a mellow, calm feeling.
"There are few other foods that evoke the sort of sensory response that chocolate elicits," writes cooking instructor and consultant Carole Kotkin in her article, "Chocolate ; The Original Comfort Food." But in order to replicate a marijuana-like high, a person would need to devour 400 ounces of chocolate, or 25 pounds, according to an article on www.Dummies.Com.
And now something that requires a prescription:
Efficacy of estradiol for the treatment of depressive disorders in perimenopausal women: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
Soares CN, Almeida OP, Joffe H, Cohen LS.
Perinatal and Reproductive Psychiatry Clinical Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 15 Parkman St, WACC 812, Boston, MA 02114, USA. csoares@...
BACKGROUND: Results of previous studies suggest that estrogen improves somatic and mild depressive symptoms experienced by perimenopausal women. This study investigated the efficacy of 17beta-estradiol for the treatment of clinically significant depressive disorders in endocrinologically confirmed perimenopausal women.
METHODS: Perimenopausal women meeting criteria for major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, or minor depressive disorder, were randomized to receive transdermal patches of 17beta-estradiol (the estrogen patch) or placebo in a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
RESULTS: Fifty women were enrolled in the study; 26 met criteria for major depressive disorder, 11 for dysthymic disorder, and 13 for minor depressive disorder. Remission of depression was observed in 17 (68%) women treated with 17beta-estradiol compared with 5 (20%) in the placebo group (P =.001). Subjects responded similarly to estradiol treatment, regardless of diagnosis. Patients treated with estradiol sustained antidepressant benefit of treatment after the 4-week washout period, although somatic complaints increased in frequency and intensity. Treatment was well tolerated and adverse events were rare in both groups.
CONCLUSION: Transdermal estradiol (the estrogen patch) is an effective treatment of depression for perimenopausal women.
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2001 Jun;58(6):537-8.
The above is not meant to be medical advice. Please read the attached Disclaimer, Etc.
Best wishes. Dr. Rehert
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