Happiness Tools That Really Work💚

By Graeme Sait

The majority of the antidepressant drugs work by shutting down the reuptake of the feel-good hormone, serotonin, so that there is more of this critical hormone available to be used by the synapses. Unfortunately, there is a suite of side effects with these widely used drugs. The most common of those include: headaches, nausea, dry mouth, insomnia, diarrhea, fatigue, weight gain and a loss of libido. Oh my goodness, the cure is almost worse than the condition. If there is a nutrition-based alternative, it is surely worth exploring.

What if we provided the building blocks to build more serotonin? That would seem a logical strategy. The main building block for serotonin is the amino acid tryptophan.

Professor Donald Ecclestone from Newcastle in the UK conducted a review of published studies looking at the use of tryptophan as an alternative to these drugs. He concluded that this amino acid is a highly effective antidepressant that often performs better than the drugs, without the suite of side effects.

While tryptophan supplementation is proven and effective, it is a derivative of tryptophan that is even more effective, as it is one step closer to serotonin. This is 5-hydroxytryptophan or 5-HTP. Studies of this mood booster are now numerous, but they began in Japan, with the work of Professor Isamu Sano, in the 70’s. 

In that Japanese study, 107 depressed patients were supplemented with 50 to 300 mg of 5-HTP per day, and within 2 weeks, over 5O of them showed a marked improvement. After 4 weeks, over 75% reported either complete relief or profound improvements. Subsequent studies, in Japan and Europe, have quantified the potential of 5-HTP. In each of these studies, this supplement equalled the drugs, without the negatives.

Women are actually three times more likely to get depressed than men, and studies have revealed that the average rate of serotonin synthesis is 52% higher in men. Interestingly, the sexes respond quite differently to a serotonin shortage. Women are more likely to get anxious and depressed, while men are more likely to get aggressive and abuse alcohol.

There are a number of potential causative factors in a deficiency of seretonin, other than a shortage of tryptophan. There can be a hormonal link I.e. a deficiency of estrogen in women, and a shortage of testosterone in men.

There can also be a shortage of sunlight. Most city folk need to spend more time in the sun. There can also be a shortage of exercise, too much stress, and a lack of cofactor minerals and vitamins. 

Sunlight on our skin creates vitamin D, a deficiency of which can cause sadness and depression. However, sunlight is vitally important for other reasons. It seems we were supposed to receive the healing rays of the sun to remain healthy and positive. Many people spend less than one hour per day in the sun, and the balance of their waking lives is under artificial lighting. Lux is a measure of light. Our indoor exposure to these light units averages 100 lux. This compares to 20,000 lux on a sunny day and 7000 lux when the clouds roll in.

Sunlight stimulates the production of serotonin and estrogen, so office workers need to get outside as often as possible. Even sitting in the sun during lunch can help.

Melancholy v’s Apathy

There are two primary characteristics of a depressed mood. One of these involves that oppressive melancholy we have been discussing, and the other is apathy. It turns out that another group of neurotransmitters are involved in the apathy story, and they are called the catecholamines. They include dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline. 

Both adrenaline and noradrenaline are synthesised from dopamine, which is made in our bodies from the amino acid tyrosine. Tyrosine, in turn, is made from the amino acid phenylalanine. A whole class of antidepressants have been developed that block the breakdown of these neurotransmitters. It seems common sense that supplementing with phenylalanine and tyrosine might also be of benefit and sure enough, that’s just what the research has shown. 

A German study by Helmut Beckman et al involved 40 depressed patients treated for a month with either 200 grams of phenylalanine or the antidepressant drug Imipramine. Both groups enjoyed the same recovery, with less depression, anxiety and sleep disturbance. Other studies have revealed lower levels of phenylalanine in the blood of depressed patients. 

In one French study, Tyrosine, supplemented at 3200 mg per day, resulted in a marked improvement after a single day.

A good strategy is to combine 5-HTP with tyrosine and phenylalanine and the three B vitamins that turn them into neurotransmitters: B6, B12, and folic acid.

This is a program favoured by the accomplished UK nutritionist, Patrick Holford. Here is a key recipe and some dosage suggestions;

Mood-elevating recipe.

Combine 150 mg of 5-HTP with 3000 mg of tyrosine, 200 g of phenylalanine, 1000 mcg of folic acid, 1000 mcg of B12 and 100 mg of Vitamin B6.

Many have enjoyed a good response to this mood-enhancing blend, and I trust that, should you need assistance, this might prove of benefit.

Minerals for depression

Finally, we will examine some mineral deficiencies linked to depression. I have already discussed the importance of magnesium relative to anxiety and depression, but we have not yet examined the other major deficiency (75% of us) in the Western world, which is zinc.

A study by Petrilli et al, called “The Emerging Role for Zinc in Depression and Psychosis”, highlights the importance of zinc in relation to mental wellness. Here, the researchers chronicle the reasons for such a widespread deficiency. These include dietary insufficiency and impaired absorption, which is common with aging. There are also medical conditions like pyrolle disorder, which is characterised by an inability to absorb zinc and some B vitamins. This common disorder is also characterised by anxiety and depression. 

Alcoholism is another factor in zinc deficiency. However, perhaps the greatest issue relative to zinc deficiency and mental health is that many of the common prescription medications, including anticonvulsants, some of the drugs used for diabetes, antacids and anti-inflammatory drugs, can seriously inhibit the uptake of zinc.

Another major contributor to the widespread deficiency of zinc in the developed world is our overconsumption of cereal grains. These grains contain phytic acid, which forms an insoluble zinc phytate that is excreted. That’s part of the reason I always suggest that you take your 30 mg of chelated zinc immediately before bedtime each evening (free from the grains). That way, it can become absorbed and will serve as part of your small, but hugely protective, zinc storehouse.

I touched briefly on selenium, in relation to its role in the antioxidant enzyme system, glutathione peroxidase. However, selenium has other key roles. Along with iodine, it is a major player in the health of the thyroid gland. This gland seriously impacts mood, motivation and energy. In fact, both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism are characterised by anxiety and depression. 

We are one of the few organisations that check for selenium in our soil tests, and it is almost always missing. As a result, our food is deficient in this mineral, and most of us should probably supplement with selenium at 200 micrograms per day. Alternatively, the consumption of 4 well-chewed Brazil nuts will also deliver sufficient selenium. Brazil nuts are also a major source of both magnesium and zinc, so they are serious friends to those battling the black dog. You can also toss this supernut into your green smoothie. Your 2 hp machine will micronise them and release their nutrient load, much better than your jaws could ever do.

Iodine, halogen suppression and happiness.

Iodine is a halogen, along with chlorine, fluorine and bromine. However, iodine is very much the runt of the litter, amidst these brutal brothers. Chlorine, fluorine and bromine pop up everywhere, in toothpaste, in drinking water and in a dough softening agent used in our most popular food, bread. Bromide is also part of a fire retardant chemical applied to your carpets, curtains and couches, so it can be difficult to escape its endocrine-disrupting clutches. All three of these ubiquitous halogens shut down iodine uptake and, as a result, many of us have insufficient iodine to optimise thyroid health and associated mental well-being. The consumption of kelp, as salads, sushi, or supplements, provides luxury levels of iodine to ensure both immune competence and thyroid health.

That concludes this two-part article on managing mental wellness, and I am hoping that some of you found something of value.

The measure of a good life is how much happiness we enjoy on the journey. Many of us could benefit from tools that optimise this ultimate goal.

MagSorb™

MagSorb™ is a liquid concentration of magnesium chloride, derived from ancient seabed deposits. It has a naturally oily texture and is commonly called 'magnesium oil' (although it is not technically an oil). The skin has massive unrecognised absorption potential. 

"Popping magnesium pills has been the most popular strategy to replenish our magnesium reserves, but there are several problems with this approach. A variety of factors compromise the uptake of Mg during oral supplementation including phytic acid, prescription drugs and malabsorption. In addition to this, people with low magnesium (most of us) have reduced capacity to absorb magnesium."

Green Defence™

Green Defence™ features the energy-building power of pre-digested super greens, including spirulina and cereal grasses, combined with the exciting phytonutrients derived from pre-digested vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, cabbage, corn, beets and ginger. The multicoloured pigments from these vegetables have been shown to deliver many nutritional benefits.

"Protective pigments like lutein, lycopene, beta-carotene and anthocyanin have become catchwords for phytonutrient research in nutritional science. The growing understanding of these 'defence foods' heralds the dawn of a new era of science-based nutrition."

 To order or learn more, call NTS on (07) 5472 9900 or email sales@nutri-tech.com.au.

Certificate in Nutrition Farming

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