Emotional Health/ Depression

Certain nutrients have been shown to enhance an individual’s mood and encourage anti-Depression mechanisms within the body, while improving an individual’s ability to adjust to psychologically demanding situations.

 

The extract of the deep sea fish Garum armoricum is branded under the name “Adapton.” The active components of Adapton have been shown to help the body adjust to emotionally and physically stressful situations. In England Adapton is used for its anti-Depression effects.

 

Studies have found that the blood level of Gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABa) is much lower in men with Depression than in healthy individuals. The low level of GABa has been directly correlated with the length of the illness. Plasma GABa levels could be a biochemical sign of a patient’s susceptibility to depression. The consistent, observable relationship between low blood-concentrations of GABa in subjects in a state of Depression supports the biochemical theory of Depression.

 

One study revealed that normalizing the concentration of L-tryptophan in the red blood cells ameliorated the symptoms of Depression. The synergistic effect of L-tryptophan and anti-Depression medication from the monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) group has also been investigated. In these studies, L-tryptophan appears to augment the anti-Depression effects of these medications. This study encouraged further research into the role of L-tryptophan and its effects on Depression, as well as its involvement in the serotonin mechanisms so closely related to Depression. One revealing study, published in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry in 1994, suggests that individuals with no prior history of Depression, albeit with a family history of the condition, demonstrate sensitivity to L-tryptophan levels. It was observed that the subjects in this group experienced a more acute decrease in mood level than the control group, with a corresponding tryptophan depletion. This hypothesis is also consistent with theories that associate poor serotonin production as one of the probable cause of the Depression.

 

L-tyrosine is an amino acid present in only moderate amounts in protein-rich foods.

L-tyrosine is a biochemical source for the production of the catecholamines: Norepinephrine, Epinephrine, Dopamine, hormones of the thyroid glands and the skin pigment called melanin.