Category Archives: Mental Health

High Glycemic Index Diet a Risk Factor for Depression in Post-Menopausal Women

May is National Mental Health Month in the U.S., and in recognition several of this month’s posts will address mental health topics.

In 2015 a group of researchers associated with a number of universities including Columbia, Duke, the University of Minnesota, NYU, Stony Brook University and UC-Davis published a prospective cohort study examining the high glycemic diet as a possible risk factor for depression in post-menopausal women. The research group examined data from the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study, which included over 80,000 women enrolled at over 40 clinical centers across the U.S.

Participants in the study completed a food frequency questionnaire at baseline, which consisted of 145 items. Participants also completed the Burnam 8-item questionnaire which measured depressive symptoms, both at baseline and then again at 3 year follow-up.

Results of the study showed that a higher glycemic index diet was associated with increasing odds of depression incidence in this group of post-menopausal women. In addition, researchers found that added sugars were strongly associated with depression incidence.

There were some other interesting findings of the study. Increased consumption of lactose, a sugar found in milk, was associated with significantly lower odds for depression incidence. Lactose is a lower glycemic index sugar. Also, both higher dietary fiber content and increased consumption of fruits and vegetables were also associated with lower odds for depression.

The glycemic index (GI) ranks carbohydrates on a scale of 0 to 100, based on how they raise glucose levels after eating them. Glucose is given a score of 100. GI scores for some common foods for comparison purposes include 36 (apples), 13 (peanuts), 56 (potato chips), and 111 (baked russet potatoes, a favorite of Idahoans), based on a standard serving size. 

It has been established that diets high in sugars and refined starches are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and increased inflammation, and it is perhaps through this relationship that the risk for depression is increased. 

Depression is a common problem world-wide. The World Health Organization estimates as many as 300 million adults suffer from depression, and it is more common in women. This well-designed study incorporates a large group of women across multiple study sites in the U.S. The results would seem applicable to a large group of post-menopausal women. Monitoring and reducing the glycemic index of one’s daily diet appears to be a simple way to lower the risk for developing depression.

(Source- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2015; 102)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

 

 

Acupuncture as a Adjunct Treatment for Depression

The World Health Organization (W.H.O.) has designated April 7th as World Health Day, with this year’s focus on depression. In recognition of this important day, our posts today will discuss depression and it’s treatment.

According to the results of the 2010 Global Burden of Disease study, depressive disorders rank 2nd in terms of global disability.

 Recently researchers from Taiwan conducted a meta-analysis of randomized trials in which the effects of antidepressant medications for adults diagnosed with depressive disorder was compared to a combination therapy of antidepressant medications plus acupuncture. The initial literature search yielded 661 possibly relevant research papers, which eventually was narrowed down to 13 studies, with a total of 1046 subjects.

Types of acupuncture included electro-acupuncture, manual acupuncture, and acupuncture with moxibustion. The number of acupuncture sessions varied from 9 to 36 with most treatment regimens lasting about six weeks. Various antidepressants were used including amitriptyline, fluoxetine, and paroxetine. Outcome measures included the Hamilton rating scale for depression (HAMD-17) and the self-rating depression scale (SDS), among others.

What the researchers found after their analysis of the 13 different randomized trials was that the combination of acupuncture plus medication is more effective than medication alone, for the treatment of depression in the first six weeks.

 Given depression’s massive burden to both the individual and society it would seem acupuncture may warrant some consideration as an add-on treatment to conventional therapy. Acupuncture is generally well tolerated and may help mitigate side effects of antidepressant medications as well.

(Source- Journal of Affective Disorders, 176 (2015))

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone.

 

Low Magnesium Associated with Depression in Younger Americans

April 7th has been designated as World Health Day by the World Heath Organization, and this year’s focus is on depression. In recognition of this day our posts will focus on depression and its treatment.

Researchers affiliated with the University of Vermont examined the relationship between magnesium intake and depression in adults. Using data from the National Health and Nutritional Survey (NHANES) researchers looked at subjects ages 20 and older, which included nearly 9,000 records. The NHANES is a population-based survey, which was designed to collect information on the nutrition and health habits of the U.S. population, using a random sampling method.

Magnesium intake was estimated from a 24-hour diet and supplement recall. The Patient Health Questionnaire was used as a tool to assess depression in adults. 

What the researchers found was a bit unexpected- in those subjects younger than age 65 low magnesium was associated with greater depression, while in those subjects 65 and older low magnesium seemed to be protective of depression. The reason for this is not clear.

In addition, the researchers also found that over half of the adults in the survey do not consume adequate daily amounts of magnesium.

More research on this topic is needed, particularly to determine why the effect of magnesium on depression is somehow moderated by age. However, it is clear from this study that low magnesium intake in the 20-64 age population in the U.S. is associated with higher rates of depression.

(Source- Journal of the Board of Family Medicine, 2015.02.140176)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

Drinking Tea May Help with Depression

April 7th has been designated World Health Day by the World Health Organization, and this year’s focus is on depression. In recognition of this today’s posts will examine depression and its treatment.

An estimated 15 million Americans suffer from depression, with nearly 7% of the adult population affected in a given year. Worldwide more than 300 million are affected, and depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Depression contributes to the nearly 800,000 suicides which occur worldwide each year.

A recent study published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry examined the relationship between tea consumption and the risk of depression. Researchers from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan China performed a meta-analyisis of eleven studies with 13 reports, involving nearly 23,000 subjects. These subjects were from China, Finland, Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan.

The meta-analysis showed that higher consumption of tea was associated with a lower risk of depression. There was a linear association between tea consumption and risk of depression, as every 3 cups per day unit in tea consumption was associated with a 37% decrease in risk of depression.

Given the potentially devastating impact of depression on an individual’s health, drinking tea would seem to be a safe and simple way to help lower one’s risk.

(Source- Australian&New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 2015, Vol. 49(4) 334-345)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with you personal physician. 

Acupuncture For Depression

2016miaw-twitter-header

In our second post for Mental Illness Awareness Week we will examine research which shows support for acupuncture in treating depression.

In an article published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research a Chinese research group found benefit for acupuncture in treating major depression. This particular study looked at manual acupuncture as well as electro-acupuncture, in a group of patients who received the commonly prescribed anti-depressant paroxetine.

The study included 160 patients diagnosed with moderate to severe depression. One treatment group received paroxetine only, while the other two groups received manual acupuncture or electro-acupuncture in addition to the paroxetine.

The patients in the acupuncture groups received three sessions of acupuncture per week over six consecutive weeks. Assessment of the patients in the manual and electro-acupuncture groups showed significant improvement in depression scores compared to paroxetine alone beginning at week one and continuing through week six of the study. In addition, in the group which received electro-acupuncture, the benefits continued four weeks after the electro-acupuncture treatments were stopped.

The results of this study are significant, especially in light of the beneficial effect of acupuncture when added on to a commonly used anti-depressant. The finding that acupuncture helps with depressive symptoms almost immediately is particularly important, as the beneficial effects of medications often take longer to materialize. Given the generally safe nature of acupuncture treatments, they may offer a supplemental treatment choice for depression.

(Source- Journal of Psychiatric Research 47, 2013 )

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

Curcumin Helps With Depression

2016miaw-twitter-header

 

October 2nd-8th is designated as Mental Illness Awareness Week, and this week’s posts will be related to mental health.

Curcumin is an active ingredient of the Asian spice turmeric, which is a member of the ginger family. Turmeric is a widely used spice in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking and is grown in India, Nepal, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and elsewhere. Turmeric is also used in Ayurvedic Medicine, and is currently being studied in Western Medicine for possible uses. Curcumin has been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

A study published in 2013 in Phytotherapy Research looked at using curcumin as a treatment for major depression. The researchers were located in India and Texas. The study examined the use of fluoxetine and curcumin, both alone and in combination in the treatment of major depression. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) was used, and was checked at the start of therapy, at two weeks, at four weeks, and at the conclusion of the study at six weeks.

Forty-five enrollees completed the six-week study. Curcumin was found to be equivalent in terms of improvement in the HAM-D scores. 75% of the subjects taking curcumin had a “good” or “excellent” response, while 70.5% of the subjects taking fluoxetine had a “good” or “excellent” response. Curcumin was also found to have a benign side effect profile.

This was the first randomized clinical trial to look at curcumin for major depression , and while  larger studies are certainly needed this pilot study provides hope that this ancient spice may have benefit for an illness which affects nearly 300 million people worldwide. Lifetime prevalence rates are highest in the U.S. with 17%, and lowest in Japan at 3%.

(Source- Phytotherapy Research, 2013)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

Yoga May Offer Hope for PTSD in Women

yoga1

 

In honor of PTSD Awareness Day, today’s post looks at research on the possible benefits of yoga on women with PTSD. Researchers from Boston designed a pilot study which involved 12 sessions of yoga in a group of women with PTSD, ages 18-65 years.

38 women were randomized to either a yoga intervention group, or a control group. Women in the yoga group had 12 sessions of yoga of 75 minutes each, with other elements such as mindfulness included. Subjects were assessed at the time of enrollment, after completion of the intervention, and at a one month follow-up. Questionnaires were used to assess the subject’s alcohol and substance abuse risk.

Researchers found a trend towards decreased alcohol and drug use in the yoga group, compared to the control group. Women in the yoga group also reported substantially approved symptom management. The research group theorized that the improved management exhibited by the yoga group may in turn lead to less alcohol and substance abuse.

As this was a small pilot study it was not large enough to find statistical differences between the two different groups. However it is important research as it looks at a understudied group, PTSD in women. The yoga intervention would seem to have few significant side effects. A larger study seems warranted based on this promising pilot study.

(Source- The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Volume 20, Number 10, 2014)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.

 

Acupuncture May Offer Help In PTSD

PTSD Awareness

 

Out of respect to National PTSD Awareness Day today’s post will examine a possible role for acupuncture in treating PTSD.

A group of researchers in Korea and the U.S. performed a systematic review of the published studies regarding acupuncture for PTSD. After eliminating several studies whose design did not meet criteria, researchers looked at four randomized controlled trials and one uncontrolled clinical trial. Study participants were from the U.S. and China.

After studying these particular clinical trials the researchers concluded that the evidence in support of acupuncture to treat PTSD was encouraging. They also felt that additional well designed studies in this area would be helpful.

PTSD can be a challenging condition to treat. It would great if new and novel treatments were available. Perhaps in the future some well designed clinical trials will provide a definitive answer as to acupuncture’s effectiveness to treat PTSD.

(Source- Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Volume 2013, Article ID 615857)

This blog is a review of medical and scientific literature, and should only be used for informational purposes. It does not constitute medical or health advice, nor does it create a physician-patient relationship with anyone. Discuss any health concerns with your personal physician.