Edge on Health Blog

Relieve SAD and Combat Cravings.

Starting in the fall, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) creates a funk that’s hard to fight. You may feel depressed or anxious, suffer fatigue, lack focus, and lose your sex drive. If you can’t seem to get enough sleep (even when you get plenty of ZZZs), crave sweets and carbs—and gain weight this time of year—you may have SAD.

Often severe, this form of depression usually starts with the waning of daylight in autumn only to subside as the days lengthen again in the spring. The further away from the equator you live, the fewer hours of daylight you have this time of year—and the greater your risk for SAD.

Scientists speculate that SAD is caused by increased production of the hormone melatonin, which has a sedative effect on the body. Melatonin levels in the body increase with the longer nights in autumn and winter. This hormone also regulates the body’s internal clock, affecting sleep habits.

At least 10 million people suffer serious disruption in their lives due to SAD. And 75 to 80 percent of them are women—mostly 30 and over. Women are also subject to fluctuating hormones from puberty on. This may help explain why PMS symptoms increase among SAD sufferers.

Dr. Ann Louise’s Take:

Experts at the National Institute of Mental Health have found that light therapy helps relieve SAD. Interesting new German research also shows that phototherapy for SAD may have surprising benefits in Type 2 diabetes.

Increasing exposure to daylight reduces the need for insulin in this type of diabetes. That’s because suppressing melatonin production with light therapy lowers blood sugar levels, which may explain why people with SAD crave carbs.

Another theory? SAD is linked to decreased serotonin (a brain chemical that regulates the stress response). Serotonin can be artificially raised by antidepressants such as monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors and Prozac. But light works like a natural Prozac to boost this important brain chemical.

Let There Be Light
Many SAD symptoms subside—within one week—with phototherapy that uses full-spectrum lights in a special light box for one-half hour to three hours a day. But winter blues and other symptoms quickly return without daily exposure to full-spectrum light.

Light therapy is also being used for other forms of depression, like eating disorders. And light improves patients’ responses to medications, much as it does to insulin.

Try these tips to let in the light:

1. Spend at least 20 minutes a day outside—without sunglasses—to allow the sun’s full-spectrum light to enter your pupils. Just don’t do this at midday or look directly at the sun.

2. Replace all gas discharge lights (mercury vapor, sodium vapor, and limited-spectrum fluorescent lights) with full-spectrum lights. They’re available in supermarkets and even as recessed ceiling lights.

3. Sit in front of or under full-spectrum lights (or a light box) at the same time every day, but don’t look directly at the lights. Choose a time that works best for your schedule, so you can follow this routine regularly.

A note of caution: Not everyone can use light therapy. If you have an eye condition that make your eyes vulnerable to light damage, skin that’s sensitive to light, or need to take medications (certain antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs) that react with sunlight, phototherapy may simply not be for you.

Recharge Your Batteries
To relieve depression, I highly recommend Ultra H-3. This supplement is based upon the original procaine formula Gerovital H3 (GH-3) first developed by cardiologist Ana S. Aslan, MD, more than 60 years ago. Later hundreds of clinical studies demonstrated its remarkable antidepressant and anti-aging benefits.

Interestingly, David MacFarlane, PhD, of the University of Southern California tested the original formula for its ability to inhibit the build up of MAO, an enzyme that blocks serotonin and other important brain chemicals essential to our wellbeing and vitality. Published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society in 1973, his research proved that GH-3 does inhibit MAO and relieves depression. Another clinical trial, conducted by researchers at Duke University, showed GH3 provided significant improvement in mental wellbeing.

The success of Ultra H-3 has been nothing short of remarkable. This “next generation” Gerovital is six times more effective than the original GH3 formula.

Here is what people are saying:

“I really love Ultra H-3! Nothing has affected my fatigue from menopause like it! I get sustained stamina and focus. My depression has lifted! My joints are feeling more fluid. I walked down the stairs this morning and I noticed that I was going faster and I wasn’t aching through my legs like I was before. This stuff is amazing!”

“I actually want to get out and work instead of just lay around the house,” one long-time user reports.

“I have such a sense of well being because Ultra H-3 does exactly as it says. No more ups and downs and it help with my energy level. I have much more clarity of mind with Ultra H-3,” another says.

Read more success stories here.

Sources:
www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19760569
www.annlouise.com/news-press/news-archives/

Tags: blood sugar, depression, diabetes, fatigue, hormones, insulin, sugar, weight loss

This entry was posted on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 2:00 pm and is filed under Anti-Aging. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.