Re: brain chemistry (was RE: Diet coke and other sins)

[Guest guest]

Dear , Thanks so much for the info. It comes at a good time to help my DH

who suffers from SAD every winter. I too find this a very interesting topic. Do

you know of any books or websites that you would recommend to me on brain

chemistry?

I find that I can easily become depressed if I don't eat right, sleep right and

EXERCISE. Have not been doing well on the exercise lately but got out for a

good hike with DH and DDs this a.m. - nice sunny day but cold. Will get

downstairs and use some of that equipment that we have. I do regularly swim at

the Y but with Christmas prep that has been missed.

I quite believe the connection between cholesterol and depression. I have

low/normal total cholesterol - very high HDL and very low LDL (both off the

scale) and very low triglycerides. I eat 3 eggs every day - from a farm lady -

and try to eat more fat to get/keep cholesterol up! Cholesterol is also

necessary for the making of various hormones. Last time mine was checked it was

on the low end of normal - an improvement. Low cholesterol is also connected to

cancer and a number of other problems. So we are all different.

DH is slightly high on LDL but OK on the others - we are trying to modify that.

I am sure Axel is thinking I need nut/seed smoothies! And probably I do!

Thanks for the info...Happy Holidays. Ann

brain chemistry (was RE: Diet coke and other sins)

> I would like to better understand brain chemistry...at

> times I think I need more dopamine or perhaps just want

> more dopamine...

A topic of great interest to me. I was reading, just the other day,

that the brain is essentially a mass of fatty tissue. Interesting

studies between cholesterol reduction and depression, too. When

individuals attempt to lower their cholesterol - either with diet or

drugs - depression goes UP. The brain needs fat; the brain IS fat.

Problematic, of course, is the type of fat. Too much of the wrong

kind, not enough of the right kind.

" An insufficiency of omega-3 oils in the diet has been linked to

depression. This may be related to the impact of dietary fatty acids

on the composition of nerve cell membranes. While it is thought that

the cell is programmed to selectively incorporate the different fatty

acids it needs to maintain optimal function, a lack of essential fatty

acids (particularly omega-3 oils) and an excess of saturated fats and

animal fatty acids leads to the formation of cell membranes that are

much less fluid than normal.

A relative deficiency of essential fatty acids in cellular membranes

substantially impairs cell membrane function. Since the basic

function of the cell membrane is to serve as a selective barrier that

regulates the passage of molecules into and out of the cell, a

disturbance of structure or function disrupts the cell's ability to

control it's internal environment. Because the brain is the richest

source of fatty acids in the human body, and because proper nerve cell

function is critically dependent on proper membrane fluidity,

alterations in membrane fluidity impact behavior, mood, and mental

function.

Studies have shown that the physical properties of brain cell

membranes, including their fluidity, directly influence

neurotransmitter synthesis, signal transmission, uptake of serotonin

and other neurotransmitters, neurotransmitter binding, and the

activity of monoamine oxidase - the enzyme that breaks down serotonin

and other monoamine neurotransmitters such as epinephrine, dopamine,

and norepinephrine. All of the factors have been implicated in

depression and other psychological disturbances.

Researches have concluded that omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the

development of depression, just as they reduce the development of

coronary artery disease. This conclusion was based on several

factors:

1. Recent studies have suggested that lowering plasma cholesterol

levels by diet and medications increases suicide, homicide and

depression.

2. The quantity and type of dietary fats consumed influence serum

lipid levels and alter the biophysical and biochemical properties of

cell membranes.

3. Dietary advice to lower cholesterol levels tend to increase the

ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 and decreases the level of essential

omega-3 fatty acid, docosehexanoic acid.

4. Population-based studies in various countries and the US have

indicated that decreased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids correlates

with increased rates of depression.

5. There is a consistent association between depression and coronary

artery disease. "

Excerpted from Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Revised 2nd Edition.