Tag Archives: depression

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

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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

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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.