Summary
Certain foods that contain high quantities of omega-3 fatty acids and/or a nutrient called uridine, such as salmon, herring, walnuts, sugar beets, and beet molasses, may have natural depression-fighting qualities, according to a research report published in Biological Psychiatry. Scientists have long known that nations consuming large quantities of fish had low levels of both heart problems and clinical depression.
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Could your next meal help relieve depression?
Perhaps, if the menu includes fatty fish like salmon or herring fish, walnuts, sugar beets or beet molasses.
Those foods contain substances that had an antidepressant effect in tests on rats, researchers report in the Feb. 15 issue of Biological Psychiatry.
The substances are omega-3 fatty acids (search) and uridine (search).
Abundant omega-3 fatty acids are found in certain fish --- especially in fatty fish like salmon and herring --- as well as walnuts and flaxseed.
Studies have found that societies that eat lots of fish have lower depression rates, possibly due to omega-3 fatty acids.
But in America, where fish isn't a dietary staple, depression is common.
Nearly 19 million people per year in the U.S. have depression, says the National Institute of Mental Health (search).
The new study comes from William Carlezon Jr., PhD, and colleagues from McLean Hospital's psychiatry department.
Lastly, they tried combining lower doses of both uridine and omega-3 fatty acids.
The rats stopped acting helpless and did their best, even though the test was still stacked against them.
The uridine injections acted right away, but the omega-3 fatty acids took 30 days to kick in.
That's about as long as it takes for people to get depression relief from many antidepressant drugs like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (search) (SSRIs), say the researchers.
Any supplements added to your regular medications have the potential to cause a serious interaction, so check with your health care provider to make sure it's safe.
As for uridine, sugar beets and beet molasses are food sources.
Diet may be one piece of the puzzle, but
depression is too serious to handle on your own.
About the author: Mike Adams is an award-winning journalist and holistic nutritionist with a passion for sharing empowering information to help improve personal and planetary health He has authored and published thousands of articles, interviews, consumers guides, and books on topics like health and the environment, and he has authored and published several downloadable personal preparedness courses including a downloadable course focused on safety and self defense. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2010, Adams created TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural living video sharing site featuring thousands of user videos on foods, fitness, green living and more. He also launched an online retailer of environmentally-friendly products (BetterLifeGoods.com) and uses a portion of its profits to help fund non-profit endeavors. He's also a successful software entrepreneur, having founded a well known email marketing software company whose technology currently powers the NaturalNews email newsletters. Adams is currently the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit, and practices nature photography, Capoeira, martial arts and organic gardening. He's also author of numerous health books published by Truth Publishing and is the creator of several consumer-oriented grassroots campaigns, including the Spam. Don't Buy It! campaign, and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. He also created the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the ending of corporate control over medicines, genes and seeds. Known on the 'net as 'the Health Ranger,' Adams shares his ethics, mission statements and personal health statistics at www.HealthRanger.org
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Wednesday, February 23, 2005
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