The defining symptom of depression is that one loses his capacity to feel pleasure of any sort. In medical terms they present with a 'Flat Aspect.' Food is blasé. It holds no gustatory effect for such a one. Life becomes quite dull. Nothing holds any interest for one experiencing depression. In abject depression, suicide is often contemplated. Sometimes attempted; sometimes succeeded.

    The World Health Organization estimates that depression is the fourth leading cause of disability in the world. They feel, by 2020, it will become the second leading cause of disability. The first at that time will be Metabolic Syndrome.

    This writer feels they are right because as we will have come out from under the influences of The Galactic Plane, depression will be rampant, and there will be no doctors or medications about. (Prepare Now!) The cause, is because of all the corpses one will have seen by then; the lack of food and potable water; the rampaging of those who did not prepare for such an Event; little to no government, laws and regulations to aid a society; harsh weather conditions, and much more.

    What are the symptoms of depression? Anhedonia is the core symptom. This is the inability to feel pleasure of any sort. The appreciation of a beautiful sunset or sunrise — gone! The beauty of a baby — gone! The beauty of being alive from day to day — gone! They cannot feel pleasure anymore — gone!

    With depression, people experience guilt and grief in such severity, they distort the world about them and you with it. Reality no longer exists as it does for one without depression. Those persons with unrelenting depression often attempt killing of self. Often, the depressed person injures self with regularity.

    If someone you know has depression, under treatment, and they speak to you of suicide — Watch Out! They are contemplating it. They are calling out to you for help. Let them know immediately there are other solutions. Talk positively to them. Encourage them, reinforce their positive qualities. Remember! They have little to no feelings of positive good about themselves. Work with them immediately and get them back to their medical caregiver.

    The person who is highly depressed tends to withdraw from society. There are no feelings there. Pain becomes their constant companion. They may suffer not only the mental anguish but physical pain, as well, in various parts of their body. Many feel they are in Hell. They have loss of libido, appetite, and experience changes in their patterns of sleep. One of the hallmarks of depression is going to bed and awakening in a few hours for the rest of the night. The brain architecture works differently in depressed persons for sleep. It is highly disorganized.

    In a large number of sufferers of depression, the glucocorticoid level is high. This indicates Stress! The person suffering with depression may have elevated stress hormones.

    In many cases to probably most cases of depression, a pattern exists. For instance, all know of SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder. When winter comes, the person no longer can cope because the days are shorter and often dreary. We recommend the 'blue light' therapy and especially 5,000 units of vitamin D daily, along with 25,000 units of vitamin A.

Note:

When We Mention Blue Light, we are referencing the Blue Light Spectrum; and specifically, in this case, the Blue Green Light also known as the Blue–Turquoise Light!

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also called the winter blues, is a mood disorder caused by a lack of sunlight. This disorder most often strikes people during the winter season, when the days are shorter and time spent outside is limited due to colder temperatures.

In short, too little sunlight affects the body in 3 ways – it disrupts the body's circadian rhythm, which controls your natural sleep cycle; it decreases serotonin, which influences your mood; and it increases melatonin, which regulates your body's sleep/wake cycle. When combined, these effects can result in depression, anxiety, drowsiness during the day, and weight gain, among the other symptoms of SAD.

Researchers believe that too little sunlight can affect a person’s body negatively in 3 ways:

• It disrupts the body’s circadian rhythm. – The body’s circadian rhythm is commonly referred to as its “biological clock,” or 24-hour cycle. It controls physiological functions such as sleeping and waking, body temperature regulation, the balance of bodily fluids, and the manner in which other body systems function. A lack of sunlight upsets this cycle and can trigger feelings of lethargy, fatigue, and depression.

• It decreases the brain’s level of serotonin. – Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that influences a range of the body’s psychological functions, including mood. A lack of sunlight can cause a drop in the brain’s serotonin supply, possibly leading to depressive symptoms.

• It increases the body’s supply of melatonin. – Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate the body’s sleep and wake cycles. Usually, the body’s melatonin levels rise in mid- to late evening, remain high for most of the night, and decline in the early morning hours. Melatonin production is partially affected by the amount of sunlight present. Therefore, during the shorter days of winter, the body may produce melatonin earlier, more often, or later. These changes can lead to winter SAD.

Symptoms of Winter SAD

The symptoms of winter SAD are similar to those of depression. According to WebMD, a person with SAD might:

• Sleep more and feel drowsy during the day
• Feel sad, hopeless, moody, grumpy, and/or anxious
• Lose interest in his or her usual activities
• Gain weight
• Crave food that is high in carbohydrates

In addition, a person may experience a loss of energy, have difficulty concentrating, and withdraw from social situations. These symptoms usually begin in late fall and last until springtime or, in some cases, summer. People with winter-onset SAD have usually felt depressed during the fall and winter and have gotten better when the seasons changed for 2 years in a row.

    Let us now give some simplified neurochemistry of depression. Norepinephrine (noradrenaline) is concerned with energy. Its absence or more likely, less of it, explains why one feels depressed without energy. They feel it is exhausting to do anything. Serotonin, another neurotransmitter, is concerned with grief, guilt, and despair. And the shortage of dopamine, the pleasure pathway neurotransmitter (actually, it is concerned with reward—of its many functions, a chief one is in the role of the anticipation of pleasure), when it is lacking, causes anhedonia—or the inability to feel pleasure in anything, sex, food, sunrises, sunsets, anything.

    Neuro anatomy teaches that depression is concerned chiefly within the frontal cortex area of the brain particularly in the subarea known as the anterior cingulate. From here is where you come up with abstract thoughts of sadness and this area of the brain is able to influence the other areas of the brain to get into the 'act' and feel sad and just holy miserable!

    Your WebMasters have pointed out the following approximately two years ago on their WebSite under 'Questions For The Doctor':

Question:

    I suffer from depression, but I am not on medication. Why is it that my mood always lifts whenever I eat a lot of starchy foods?

    This is a very good question and probably one that is plaguing all of America, and if not, it will soon plague everyone as the standard of living drops drastically with the coming devaluation of the dollar.

    I would also suggest that many Americans who are suffering with depression probably have weight gain, including other symptoms such as mood swings and carbohydrate (starch) cravings.

    On June 2, 2004, a study presented at the National Institutes of Mental Health's new Drug Evaluation Unit showed that chromium piccolinate supplementation decreased cravings for carbohydrates. This manifestation is defined as atypical depression, which is generally undiagnosed. It is characterized by mood swings, weight gain and carbohydrate cravings.

    Researchers think that atypical depression is a function of less chromium, because chromium has a role in insulin function—Life Extension Magazine, August, 2004, Page 67.

    It has been found that insulin helps improve serotonin levels in the brain, which helps elevate mood. When serotonin levels are low, carbohydrate cravings go up as depression increases. When carbohydrate fulfillment is achieved, at least for a while, depression tends to drop, because unbeknownst to the carbohydrate addict who may be suffering depression, it is a biochemical attempt to stimulate insulin, which in turn causes brain serotonin levels to elevate.

    Now, let's get to the crux of the matter. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter found primarily in the brain, cannot get past the blood brain barrier (BBB). However, tryptophane, serotonin's precursor, can cross the BBB with transport molecules. It is like passengers on a bus going from one city to another.

    But here's the difficulty. Tryptophane, which is converted into serotonin in the brain, must share its bus ride with other amino acids, but 5 others in particular compete directly with tryptophane to get into the brain via the BBB. They are:

• Phenylalanine,
• Leucine,
• Isoleucine,
• Valine and,
• Tyrosine.

    Therefore, you can see that tryptophane is easily outnumbered by the competition to enter the brain via the BBB, where it can be converted into serotonin and bring about mood elevation.

    Serotonin neural circuits help with feelings of:

• Personal security,
• Well-being,
• Calmness,
• Concentration and confidence.

    However, our lifestyle in America is one of arousal—just look at the success of "reality" TV shows. People want arousal and excitement.

Anxiousness,

Agitated depression,

Anger,

Fear,

Tension,

Aggression,

Violence,

Obsessive-compulsive actions,

Overeating,

Especially of carbohydrates,

Sleep disturbances, and especially of

Anxiety

    So one finds that by overeating excessive carbohydrates, he tends to increase brain tryptophane supply. It happens this way.

Eating Large Amounts of Carbohydrates:

When you eat large amounts of carbohydrates, your body secretes more insulin to lower the high blood sugars that follow from the excessive starch, and here comes the rub. The insulin not only increases protein synthesis, but can also lay down more fat in the fat cells of the body. Insulin still does one thing more—it clears from the blood most of the other 5 amino acids from the transport bus that compete with tryptophane, such that tryptophane now has a free ride practically all to itself to the brain to be converted into serotonin.

    People who are depressed often subconsciously know that if they ingest large amounts of pies, cakes, ice creams, breads, chips, pizza, candy and sweets—all carbohydrates—especially when feelings of depression are upon them, they start blocking these feelings and start feeling better because of having eaten this high amount of starch. This practice, they have found, makes them feel good and changes their outlook on life. It lowers arousal and anxiety, thus generating a short-lived sense of well-being and security.

    But remember, if this is short-lived, one such practice generates another practice, and the side effect is weight gain.

The Connection:

    Therefore, this is the carbohydrate addiction, serotonin elevation and obesity connection.

    We suggest, to break this cycle, that one ingest high doses of B-complex vitamins, a good all-round vitamin, and a separate,

• Mineral tablet high in calcium, magnesium and trace minerals, plus extra
• Chromium.

    Also you should consume a high-protein diet, and one of the easiest ways to do this is to take a supplement such as Muscle Milk by CyberSport, or Enhanced Life Extension Whey Protein by Life Extension Foundation.

    Surprisingly, not known to most health food stores or the average citizen, is that L-tryptophane in 500 mg capsules, has been back on the market, allowed by the FDA, for 2 years now. Call your local natural foods store for L-tryptophane.

When To Take It:

    Tryptophane should be taken either late at night on an empty stomach prior to bed, or once or twice during the day, without any competing foods or drinks. Also drink only filtered water, to avoid many of the "endocrine disrupters" such as plastic components and drugs now being found in drinking water.

    It is further suggested that if you are a male, (or a female) you may be low in testosterone, which is very good as a mood elevator, because a certain amount of testosterone is converted to estradiol, which is necessary for brain function.

    We recommend that you get a 20% testosterone cream. Men should use a dime to quarter-sized amount on the muscles, spreading it around. Women should use a dime–sized amount, again spreading it around on the muscles.

    Mild exercise would be advantageous also, such as brisk walking, with jogging as the body allows.

    Take Melatonin also, to reduce cortisol levels, another thing that helps serotonin to rise. Get melatonin at your natural foods store.

Compulsive Gambling, Suicidal and/or Thrill-Seeking Behavior, Pyromania:

    If you have problems with compulsive gambling, suicidal behavior, thrill-seeking behavior or pyromania, these and others have been shown to be connected with neural activity of low- serotonin nerves, and excessive dopamine and noradrenaline activity.

Note:

    Tryptophane years ago was used for anxiety and sleep disturbances. Its use appears to have come full circle, but its advent back onto the market was so surreptitious, no one knows it is available again. It is purified, toxin-free and allowed by the FDA.

—Vitamin Research News, April, 2004, Vol. 18, #3, Pages 1-2, 10-11.

Note:

    Tryptophane is the original spelling. However, when the Japanese company did genetic modification with it to have bacteria make it cheaper and more; a toxin was produced by the microbes and it inadvertantly was included with the tryptophane final product. Some people who ingested this "new" manufactured tryptophane from bacteria died, and it was taken off the market. Now, since it is re–introduced and purified, it appears the companies who presently manufacture the amino acid want to distance themselves from the word "tryptophane" and now call it "tryptophan."

    But, here's the rub with tryptophan. It can cause problems if in excess, as it is converted to serotonin. And now, it appears that it, with estrogen or its mimetics, is causing holy hell in depressed people. There are other problems associated with serotonin excess that one may have.

    We will discuss this more fully in the next coming issues of The ChembioUpdate. For now, learn the above and memorize the following picture.

    Now, with the above considerations, we reconsider the figure below from Human Anatomy & Physiology, Sixth Edition, by Elaine N. Marieb.

    We have suggested previously, one copy and carry this figure with explanation in their run bag if they need to know what's happening to them and/or family and friends, as the Stressors mount.

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    Note: On the top left–hand chart designating that response from the hypothalamus is "Short Term."

Short–Term Stress Response:

• Increased heart rate
• Increased blood pressure
• Liver converts glycogen to glucose and releases glucose to blood
• Dilation of bronchioles
• Changes in blood flow patterns leading to increased alertness, decreased digestive system activity, and reduced urine output
• Increased metabolic rate

    Not only do we have an understanding of how Chronic Stress from whatever source, causes high cholesterol, but we have been given a hint about high blood pressure and other diseases, such as diabetes.

    This is from the top right-hand of the above chart:

More Prolonged Response:

Mineralocorticoids

• Retention of sodium and water by kidneys

• Increased blood volume and blood pressure

Glucocorticoids

• Proteins and fats converted to glucose or broken down for energy

• Increased blood sugar

• Suppression of immune system

... To Be Continued ...

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Sources

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Basic Medical Biochemistry: A Clinical Approach, Marks, D.B., Marks, A.D., Smith, C. M., Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Pennsylvania, 1996.

Basic Neurochemistry: Molecular, Cellular, and Medical Aspects: Seventh Edition, Editors: Siegel, Albers, Brady, Price, Elsevier Academic Press, 2006.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology: Third Edition, Elliott, W.H., Elliott, D.C., Oxford University Press. NY; 2005.

Cell And Molecular Biology: Concepts And Experiments. Fourth Edition Karp, Gerald. John Wiley & Sons, 2005.

Instant Notes in Biochemistry, Hames, B.D., Hooper, N.M., & Houghton, J. D., Bios Scientific Publishers, NY, Reprinted 1999.

NeuroScience: Fourth Edition, Editors: Purves, Augustine, Fitzpatrick, et. al., Sinauer Associates, Inc. Sunderland, Massachusetts, U.S.A 2008.

Remington: The Science and Practice of Pharmacy, 21 Edition, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006.

Stress and Your Body, Transcript Book. Professor Robert Sapolsky, Stanford University. The Great Courses®, Science & Mathematics by The Teaching Company. DVD; 2010.

Peat, Ray, Ph.D., Serotonin, Depression, And Aggression: The Problem of Brain Energy. RayPeat.com, 2009.

In An UpComing Issue:
Depression: Part II—What You Can Do About It When No Doctor Is About!

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