Below is an excerpt from Dr. Mercola’s elaboration on an interview with Dr. OZ, scheduled to air today. Mercola says the program allows only brief “sound bite”- like responses, so he’s expounding on the info in his newsletter found at this address online: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01/04/dr-mercola-on-the-dr-oz-show.aspx?e_cid=20120104_DNL_art_1
I’ve followed Mercola for years, and my research agrees with most of what he presents, particularly the info below on antidepressants. I’m reproducing this section of the article, because it relates to the subject of this blog and also provides non-drug approaches to treating depression.
Beginning of quoted excerpt:
Antidepressants
When it comes to the use of antidepressant medication, Dr. Oz is still in somewhat of an allopathic mode—the idea that for nearly every disease or symptom there is a pill that will likely cure it. The conventional approach to treating depression is to prescribe an antidepressant (or two). I firmly believe that antidepressants do more harm than good in most cases of depression.
Dr. Oz seeks to apply natural alternatives like St. John’s, SAMe, or tryptophan in lieu of more hazardous antidepressants, but while such supplements are certainly safer, and sometimes effective, you’re still not treating the underlying cause of depression. Some will argue that if you’re low in serotonin, you might benefit from some tryptophan. But while this may indeed help, you’re still not addressing the reason for why you’re low in serotonin. There are reasons for that, and once you eliminate the root cause, you won’t have to take pills of any kind… I think it’s really crucial to address these underlying issues.
As for antidepressants, there’s startling evidence and countless research studies that strongly suggest antidepressant drugs simply do not work. Meanwhile, every year, psychiatric drugs kill an estimated 42,000 people—that’s an astounding 12,000 more people than commit suicide due to depression.
Rooting Out the Causes of Depression
There are a number of very powerful strategies to address depression. One that has been proven more effective than antidepressants in a number of studies is exercise. Exercise not only relieves depressive symptoms but also appears to prevent them from recurring. Unfortunately, since no one is going to be making tens of billions of dollars on encouraging you to exercise, it has not received the amount of funding for studies that antidepressant drugs have received. However when the studies are performed, exercise continually comes out on top, demonstrating benefits above and beyond what antidepressant drugs can achieve.
Three key mechanisms appear to be that exercise:
Improves insulin receptor sensitivity
Regulates serotonin and norepinephrine, two key neurotransmitters in your brain, and
“Switches on” genes that increase your brain levels of galanin, a neurotransmitter that helps lessen your body’s stress response
Your diet is another key factor that must be addressed. There are well-documented studies showing that animal-based omega-3 fat (DHA) is very useful. I’m a firm believer in krill oil, which is far more effectively absorbed than fish oil. You also want to make sure to optimize your diet, meaning removing sugars, grains and processed foods, and replacing them with healthy fats. Why is your diet so important for your emotional and mental health?
The Gut-Brain Connection that Can Help Explain Many Cases of Depression
One of the reasons that dietary changes work is because it helps alter your gut flora in very beneficial ways. The beneficial bacteria in your gut have a profound influence on your health, including your mental health. They produce substances that your body needs. And, your gut actually produces more serotonin than your brain does!
Your gut is frequently referred to as ‘the second brain,’ and when you consider the fact that the gut-brain connection is recognized as a basic tenet of physiology and medicine, and that there’s no shortage of evidence of gastrointestinal involvement in a variety of neurological diseases, it’s easy to see how the balance of gut bacteria can play a significant role in your psychology and behavior as well. With this in mind, it should also be crystal clear that nourishing your gut flora is extremely important, from cradle to grave, because in a very real sense you have two brains, one inside your skull and one in your gut, and each needs its own vital nourishment.
Last but certainly not least, is finding a skilled psychotherapist who can help you work through some of the contributing emotional challenges. But optimizing your physiology with the physical approaches mentioned is probably the best marriage of an approach that has a high likelihood of success.
Here’s additional information everyone should read… whether they’re experiencing depression, or have a friend or loved one who is trying to deal with it, or just want to be better informed about antidepressants and depression.
Please Don’t Visit This Type of Doctor Unless You Absolutely Have to
They Cause 40,000 Deaths a Year – But They’re Handed Out Like Candy
Why Antidepressants Don’t Work
End of quoted excerpt from full article found here:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01/04/dr-mercola-on-the-dr-oz-show.aspx?e_cid=20120104_DNL_art_1
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