Category - Mood-support
Fried Food, Trans Fats Promote Aggression
Researchers assessed the connection between diet and aggression in a study involving 945 men and women. They found link between the amount of dietary trans fats consumed and the degree of aggression people experienced. Trans fats had a greater effect on aggression than any of the other dietary variables that the scientists measured.
High trans fat foods include all fried foods, most margarines, and commercial baked good like cake, cookies, chips, and crackers.
In contrast, fish oils, which provide brain supportive anti-inflammatory fats, are associated with reduced aggression and hostility.
Order this product at SundropsOnline.com: Fish Oil
PLoS One 2012. Prog Lipid Reg 2008.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.
Smoke Less With Herbal Supplement Sulfonil
Sulfonil is a patented supplement made up of certain sulfur compounds that bind to the same receptors in the brain that nicotine in cigarette smoke stimulates. Sulfonil binds to these receptors more firmly than nicotine and essentially blocks nicotine from stimulating the receptors, temporarily reducing the desire to smoke. In a small two week study with 24 individuals, participants had less desire to smoke while using Sulfonil. Researchers concluded that Sulfonil may offer significant nutritional support those who want to quit smoking.
Order this product at SundropsOnline.com: Sulfonil
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.
Vitamin D Helped Teenagers With Depression. Also High EPA Fish Oil.
Vitamin D supplements reduced symptoms of depression in teens with vitamin D deficiency. Researchers saw improvements in depressed feelings, mood swings, irritability, sleeping problems, poor concentration, weakness and pain.
Skin makes vitamin D in response to the sun. Living at a high latitude, winter time, spending little time outside, and wearing sunscreen can all limit vitamin D production. Many people require a supplement to reach a good blood level.
The Right Fish Oil
Another option to consider for depress mood is a high EPA fish oil. The two important omega-3 fats in fish oil are EPA and DHA. A fish oil containing mostly EPA has been shown to have an advantage over regular fish oil in ameliorating the symptoms of depression. In fact, fish oil containing less than 60% EPA was found to ineffective, while 60% or greater EPA content was shown to improve symptoms of depression.
Order this product at SundropsOnline.com: Vitamin D High EPA Fish Oil High EPA Lemon Chewies
Get more information on depression from the Mood Support section on Sundrops.com
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.
B-Complex and Work Stress
A high potency B vitamin supplement reduced negative symptoms from chronic work stress. Compared to placebo groups, the B-complex groups reported lower personal strain and confusion.
Order this supplement at SundropsOnline.com: B-Complex
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.
Fast Food Linked To 51% More Depression
Eating more fast food and more commercial baked goods, such as packaged cookies and donuts, was linked to significantly higher rates of depression. Regular consumers of fast food had 51% more risk of depression compared to those that ate little or none.
The more of these foods people consumed the more depression they tended to experience and consuming even a small amount of these foods significantly increased depression risk.
Researchers think that the link could be that a diet rich in fast food may have less of other nutrients shown to reduce the risk of depression such as omega-3 fatty acids and B vitamins. However, previous research has linked hydrogenated fats, a harmful fat found in fast food, to depression.
Hydrogenated fats, also known as trans fats, have a different molecular shape than other oils such as olive oil and fish oil,which are known to protect against depression. Because of this difference, trans fats may work in different and potentially harmful ways in brain cells.
See all of our depression posts in the mood section at Sundrops.com.
Order this product at SundropsOnline.com: Fish Oil
Pub Health Nut 2012. PLos One 2012.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.
Dr.Oz: The Worry Cure, The Worry Free Diet, Iberogast and Aromatherapy Inhalers
On Tuesday's show, Dr. Oz used psychology, diet and more to help stressed people feel calmer.
The Worry Cure
In the first segment, Dr. Oz instructed stressed out viewers to keep a calendar about what they were afraid of. This is actually a version of a highly effective anxiety treatment called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). In CBT, people are encouraged to name their fears, and bring them up to the surface to be more closely examined.
Sometimes people who are highly anxious carry around a whole basket of unnamed, unresolved fears that can start to fade if brought into the light of day. For more information and to find a CBT therapist visit the National Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapists (NACBT) website.
The Worry Free Diet
Dr. Oz suggests a diet plentiful in complex carbohydrates like root vegetables and whole grains to deal with stress and elevate mood. However, the jury is still out on the best stress relieving diet. There is actually little to no scientific evidence that eating more carbohydrates improves mood or feelings of stress.
Carbohydrate Diet Stress
When our blood sugar is low or we are under stress, we crave carbs, but this doesn't mean eating more of them is a long term solution for stress.
In fact, you may just end up gaining weight, which can be a cause for anxiety. A 2006 study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry Journal linked obesity and various mood problems. See Sundrops' "I Want To Be Thin. How Do I Get There?" page to see what a healthy diet looks like, whether you want to lose weight or stay the same.
Iberogast For The Tummy
Iberogast's 9 herb blend has been used in Germany for some time to soothe tummy troubles. Lately it has been studied for use in more serious gut issues like Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Scientists believe each of the nine herbs acts in a slightly different way to make the gut work better and reduce inflammation, a harmful activation of the immune system.
Aromatherapy For Anxiety
Escents aromatherapy inhaler is available online. While no research has been done on this particular combination of essential oils, other research does support of the use of aromatherapy to relieve feelings of anxiety. Lavender, for example, reduced the pain and stress of having a needle inserted at the doctor's office.
Lemon Balm For Better Mood and Sharper Mind
Dr. Oz also mentioned lemon balm once again. In one study, researchers gave a group of volunteers either 300mg, 600mg, or no Lemon Balm, and then subjected all the participants to stress. Those receiving the 600mg dose were much more resistant to the negative mood effects of the stress, and rated themselves as much more calm and alert. The participants that received 300mg had increased speed of mathematical processing, with no loss in accuracy.
Fish Oil For Work Stress
Dr. Oz is right about this one. Fish oil reduced anxiety in a group of stressed out young medical students.
Calm & Calmer Can Help with Calmness
This three-in-one product reduces stress hormones with Relora, promotes calmness without drowsiness with L-theanine, and helps cope with stress with Rhodiola. Reduced anxiety in premenopausal women. A best-seller.
Arch Gen Psych 2006. Wein Med Wochenschr 2007. J Altern Complement Med 2010. Psychosom Med 2004. Brain Behav Immun 2011. Altern There Health Med 2006. Nutr J 2008. J Sci Food Agric 2011. Phytother Res 2012.
Find These Products At Sundrops Online.com: Fish Oil Lemon Balm Calm & Calmer
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.
Snoring Toddlers May Turn Into Problem Behavior Kids
Children between the ages of 6 months and 5 1/2 years who snored or had other sleep disrupting breathing problems had a whopping 60% greater risk of behavioral problems at age 7. According to the April Issue of Pediatrics, worse sleeping problems for a longer period of time were linked to worse behavioral outcomes, like hyperactivity.
Even when the sleep disruptions peaked early at 18 months and resolved, kids had a 40-50% increase in behavioral problems at age 7. Sleep disordered little ones were also more likely to experience anxiety and depression as they got older.
Researchers voice the need for pediatricians to question parents about their children's breathing and sleep.
What Can You Do?
There are many possible causes for sleep disorders in kids, so it is best to have your child evaluated by a physician. One of the more common causes is enlarged tonsils.
A Role For Nutrition?
A study published last year identified low Vitamin D levels as a possible risk factor for tonsillitis. 78% of the New Zealand children studied who were undergoing tonsillectomy had low vitamin D levels. In other research, children with recurrent tonisllitis or ear infections were found to be deficient in all the antioxidants studied, like vitamins A, C, and E. In yet another study, zinc was significantly lower in kids with recurrent tonsillitis than in control kids.
When giving supplements to children, it's important that they taste good! Or at least you must be able to sneak them into their food. Try chewy or liquid versions.
Don't forget about good food. A diet tilted towards fruits, especially high-antioxidant berries, and vegetables, will provide more antioxidants. Starchy and sugary foods are less likely to supply what a young body needs.
Pediatrics 2012. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2011. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 1997. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryng 2005.
Find these products at SundropsOnline.com: Lemon Omega-3 Cod Liver Oil, Liquid Vitamin D, Tasty Chewy Kids Multiple, Chewable Zinc
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.
Coconut Oil and Alzheimer’s
A lot of people have recently opened an email about the effects of coconut oil in Alzheimer's disease.
A New Hope?
The excitement is largely based on one case study of a man with early onset Alzheimer's plus one more study involving 60 patients with dementia. While there isn't a large body of evidence supporting the use of coconut oil for Alzheimer's suffers (both of these articles were written by Steve's physician wife, Dr. Mary Newport), the evidence that we do have is admittedly intriguing.
Mary Newport has written and is selling a book on her findings, but she doesn't appear to be selling any other products.
In the study with 60 dementia patients, roughly half improved and most of the rest declined more slowly than expected. Perhaps the most intriguing part of the coconut oil evidence comes in the form of Steve, though, whose apparent recovery from Alzheimer's was documented by his wife.
After many years of sliding slowly, Steve dropped deep into an Alzheimer's type dementia by the time he was 57, according to Mary Newport. Steve's symptoms included an inability to match his shoes, an awkward gait, visual disturbance, loss of basic memories, and loss of social and conversation skills. A brain scan showed a type of deterioration consistent with Alzheimer's. When asked to draw a clock, Steve drew a cluster of misshapen circles.
"I Have My Life Back"
According to the case report, after just 12 days, Steve's clock drawing had grown to look more like an actual clock. Over the coming months he apparently regained his ability to walk normally, to carry on conversations, and to match his shoes. In the case report, we read that his mood improved and he could remember major events.
Coconut Oil and The Brain
The people who have studied Steve theorize that his brain cells are somehow less able to use blood sugar than most people's. It is thought that in general, people with Alzheimer's may have trouble using blood sugar to make energy in their brains.
We used to think that brain cells could only use blood sugar for energy. In the 1960's a scientist discovered that brain cells could also use compounds called ketones. Your body will naturally make a certain amount of ketones, especially in times when carbohydrates are scarce.
Dr. Newport and others believe that different cells in Steve's brain starved and died over a period of decades as his brain function gradually, then progressively deteriorated. When you look at images of his brain scans, there appears to be shrinkage and gaps where healthy cells should be.
When you eat coconut oil, your liver will take a fat from it called MCT and make it into ketones. Coconut oil is the richest source of MCT available. Those studying Steve theorize that the ketones his body makes from coconut oil sneak through the back door to his brain cells and provide the energy his brain was starving for.
The Doctor's Recommended Dosing
Dr. Mary Newport, Steve's physician, suggests that people take a half and half mixture of MCT Oil and coconut oil. She suggests people start slowly to avoid stomach upset and build to 4-6 tablespoons per day.
Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 2004. Steve Newport- Coconut Oil Case Study – Update- April 2, 2009 by Mary Newport, M.D. Coconut Oil Dietary Guidelines by Mary T. Newport, MD – Updated September 2009. February 2011 Update Steve's Status, Regimen, and Latest On Ketone Research. Case Study Dietary Intervention Using Coconut Oil. Caregiver Reports Following Dietary Intervention with Medium Chain Fatty Acids in 60 Persons with Dementia- Mary T. Newport, MD July 31, 2010
Find these products at Sundropsonline.com: Coconut Oil and MCT Oil
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.
I should feel good. Why am I tired?
If you are like most people, you would like to bounce through your day feeling good, full of energy, efficiently crossing off everything off your to-do list. A lack of good nutrition can interfere with energy production and leave you feeling bedraggled instead.
Rule Out The Obvious
Visit your doctor to rule out obvious causes like hypothyroidism and also more serious causes. If you can't find an answer at your doctor, read on.
Fatigue Has Many Causes
An important thing to note is that fatigue is a sensation experienced in the brain. That is not to say it is all in your head. It is very real, and can be debilitating. But it results from a reaction that occurs in the cells of your brain. The trick to feeling better is to take steps to ultimately improve the state of your brain, even if it is your body that feels tired.
Your Immune System
You know how you feel bone tired when you have the flu? It’s not because of the virus per se, it is because of all the compounds your immune system pumps out in response to the virus. Your mind-brain body system is clever. When your brain picks up that immune signal, it says “there is something wrong. We are tired and we must go lay down.”
That’s a great plan when you have the flu, but what if you have a low grade immune response all the time? Your brain could pick up this signal and tell you constantly that you are tired. This type of immune response is called chronic inflammation.
Why Would I Have Chronic Inflammation?
- Diet. The modern diet is the source of much modern illness. Two main dietary factors contribute to inflammation: Too much carbohydrates and too much bad fat. Reduce your consumption of anything made from any grain or flour, and cut out the sugar. Stop eating as much red meat, dairy fat, cheese, and egg yolks. Cut out trans fat and fried fat, as well as any oil besides olive oil.
- Omega-3 fat keeps inflammation from being manufactured and is itself the building block of good anti-inflammatory compounds. If you lack omega-3’s, you are likely to have excess inflammation.
- Vitamin D is the super hero of supplements. A hormone affecting thousands of genes, it hits some really important ones concerning inflammation and fatigue. If you are short, the research says you increase your chances of being tired.
- Food sensitivities. If you frequently eat one or several foods to which you have an immune reaction, that is enough inflammation to feel tired a lot. If you can’t find any other reason why you are tired, consider an elimination diet for a few weeks to search out the food culprit.
Stress
When you experience stress, your body sends out a bunch of chemicals to help deal with the stress. Cortisol and adrenaline are well-known stress hormones. While the stress response is effective for signaling your brain to get your mind and body in gear to cope, long term or excessive stress can cause us to adapt in counterproductive ways. At the more extreme end of this stress response spectrum, people can get diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Fibromyalgia. Other people feel chronically run down and don’t feel better after a night’s sleep.
Adaptogens
Adaptogens are a class of plants that help your brain and body adapt to stress. These include the ginsengs, rhodiola, and ashwaganda. Ashwaganda, for example, as been shown to decrease fatigue and increase well-being.
Med Hypotheses 2002. Neurol Endrinol Lett 2007. J Clin Sleep Med 2010. Med Hypotheses 2011. Scand J Prim Healthcare 2010. Phytother Res 2012. Altern Med Rev 2000
Find more information on specific health concerns under the How Your Body Works section of Your Nutrition.
Find these products at Sundropsonline.com: Omega-3 Vitamin D Rhodiola Ashwaganda
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.
