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Vitamin D: anxiety, depression, sun exposure, supplements and optimal levels

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vitamin-d
(image from Vitamin D Day website http://www.vitamindday.net/)

It was Vitamin D Day on November 2nd and it was a day to recognize vitamin D deficiency as a world problem. The day is led by the Vitamin D Society, Vitamin D Council and GrassrootsHealth, non-profit organizations dedicated to spread awareness on the vitamin D deficiency pandemic. According to the Vitamin D Day site:

Researchers agree that at least one third of the world is deficient in vitamin D, and some scientists even think a greater percent of people are deficient in vitamin D.

Why are so many people deficient, you might ask? It’s simple really. We get vitamin D from sun exposure. And now, more than ever, the world’s population lives an indoor lifestyle, avoiding the sun daily.

Doctors are beginning to discover that vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for many diseases, including heart disease and cancer.

Furthermore, they’re discovering that vitamin D deficiency may make some diseases more severe, like respiratory diseases and autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and lupus. And they’re discovering that vitamin D can be an important piece in the treatment of some illnesses and diseases, including multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, asthma and many other diseases!

Low vitamin D is also a factor when it comes to mental health. Even though this information is not listed on the Vitamin D day site, there is much research supporting the connection:

There is a strong association between low S-25(OH)D and higher negative and depressive symptoms in psychotic disorders.

In women at risk for depression, early pregnancy low vitamin D levels are associated with higher depressive symptom scores in early and late pregnancy.

Participants with higher serum vitamin D (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D) levels were significantly less likely to report problems with depression and anxiety.

Serum vitamin D status is related to the occurrence of anxiety in post-stroke patients and may be an independent risk factor of [post-stroke anxiety] after 1 month.

Here are eight key factors to know about vitamin D for Vitamin D day:

  1. Vitamin D comes from sun exposure, not your diet.
  2. Scientists and doctors agree that at least a third of the world is deficient in vitamin D.
  3. If you don’t get frequent moderate sun exposure or take a vitamin D supplement, you’re likely deficient in vitamin D.
  4. Moderate midday sun exposure is the best for making vitamin D.
  5. You don’t need to burn to make vitamin D.
  6. Vitamin D supplements are a good option in the wintertime to get the vitamin D you need.

In the northern hemisphere, the sun starts focusing more on the southern hemisphere. The sun’s rays strike the northern hemisphere at a different angle, an angle that isn’t quite as intense as during the summer. In consequence, your body has a harder time making vitamin D in the winter compared to the summer. The further north you live, the more difficult it is to make vitamin D in the winter.

Remember you can always check to see if you’re making vitamin D by looking at your shadow. If it’s longer than you, you aren’t making much vitamin D. And in the winter, your shadow is often longer than you.

Have no fear that you can’t make vitamin D! Vitamin D supplements are a good option in the wintertime. Low-pressure sunbeds and UV light units are also options to help you make vitamin D during the winter.

  1. Vitamin D is important for many things, including your bones, heart, respiratory system, brain [and mental health], and likely cancer prevention.
  2. Consider getting tested for vitamin D, to see if you’re getting enough.

Vitamin D tests are pretty easy. You can ask your doctor to add it to your next routine blood panel, or you can order an in-home test online through the Vitamin D Council.

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(image from Vitamin D Day website http://www.vitamindday.net/)

Here are the vitamin D range guidelines from various organizations and the recommendations from the Vitamin D council:

vitamin-d-2

This blog post by the Vitamin D Council helps you to interpret your results: I tested my vitamin D level. What do my results mean?

When you get your test results you will see a number in units of ng/ml, for example, 50 ng/ml. These are the units that health professionals in the United States use. Elsewhere in the world, vitamin D blood test results are given in units of nmol/l.

  • To convert a test result measured in ng/ml to one measured in nmol/l, multiply the ng/ml number by 2.5. For example, 20 ng/ml is the same as 50 nmol/l (20 x 2.5).
  • To convert a test result measured in nmol/l to one measured in ng/ml, divide the nmol/l number by 2.5. For example, 50 nmol/l is the same as 20 ng/ml (50÷2.5).

This great Sunshine Calendar shows the amount of time needed to produce sufficient vitamin D.

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(image from Vitamin D Day website http://www.vitamindday.net/)

And this graphic shows why most of us aren’t getting enough vitamin D and why we need to supplement and get more sunshine exposure.

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(image from Vitamin D Day website http://www.vitamindday.net/)

To learn more about vitamin D, please visit Vitamin D Council, Vitamin D Society, GrassRootsHealth and the Vitamin D Day website.

Do you have your vitamin D levels tested at least once or twice a year? Are they in the 40-80ng/ml range?

And do you spend time in the sun and supplement?

Reduced anxiety in forensic inpatients – long-term intervention with Atlantic salmon

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wild-salmon
Wild salmon (picture used with permission: Vital Choice

Seafood is a great source of amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, iodine, iron, calcium, selenium, and vitamins B12, A, and D, many of which are beneficial for mood disorders.

Fish in the diet has a positive impact on depression

A number of studies have found that including fish in the diet has a positive impact on depression, especially those that refer to traditional diets (the famous one is by Jacka and colleagues) and the Mediterranean diet (there are a number of studies by Sanchez-Villegas et al). A study from Finland found that the prevalence of depression was lower in countries where consumption of seafood is high.

When it comes to diet and nutrients there is much more research on depression than anxiety, so when my book The Antianxiety Food Solution was published in 2011, I wrote the following:

Given the link between anxiety and depression, it’s possible that seafood consumption could also help reduce the incidence of anxiety.

A study that now shows reduced anxiety with fish consumption

We have a study that now shows this: Reduced anxiety in forensic inpatients after a long-term intervention with Atlantic salmon

In the study, 95 male forensic patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups:

  • a Fish group where they consumed Atlantic salmon three times per week from September to February OR
  • a Control group where they consumed other protein sources such as chicken, pork, or beef three times per week, also from September to February

The paper lists the incidence of the following disorders amongst the study participants (all sexual offenders) who were in a secure forensic inpatient facility in the USA:

Personality disorders (antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder or personality disorder with antisocial traits) were diagnosed among 76% of the participants. Moreover, about 31% of the participants were diagnosed with some kind of anxiety disorder (GAD, OCD, PD or post-traumatic stress disorder) and about 18% were diagnosed with depression (major depressive disorder or depressive disorder). About 31% of the participants had both a personality disorder and an anxiety or depressive disorder.

The study findings

The study participants consumed salmon for 6 months and the study findings suggest that

Atlantic salmon consumption may have an impact on mental health related variables such as underlying mechanisms playing a key role in emotion-regulation and state-anxiety

And that

The present results showed that fatty fish consumption caused changes in HRV [heart rate variability] which is regarded as an essential underlying biological mechanism involved in anxiety and emotion-regulation.

A few interesting factors about this study

  • The salmon was farmed and mercury and dioxin levels were measured. Despite this, mental health benefits and reduced anxiety was observed. I suspect even more favorable results would have been observed had wild salmon been used
  • The authors mention that a longer intervention as in this study i.e. 23 weeks/6 months is likely to lead to better results than a shorter intervention
  • The Fish group had a significant increase in both omega-3 fatty acids: EPA and DHA
  • The authors speculate about how improved vitamin D status in the Fish group may help regulate serotonin production and thereby help regulate heart rate variability and reduce anxiety
  • The study highlights nutritional benefits of fatty fish other than marine omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D: selenium, iodine, vitamin B12 and high quality proteins. I’d like to add that it is a source of zinc and iron too, both of which are co-factors for making brain chemicals.
  • Although the study found a significant decrease in state-anxiety, it did not find any changes in trait-anxiety (here are the differences in state-anxiety and trait-anxiety). The authors suggest that trait-anxiety may be more difficult to change during a 6-month intervention study. I’d like to add that other concurrent nutritional and biochemical interventions would likely have provided additional mental health benefits. This could include: a gluten-free diet, targeted individual amino acids, addressing dysbiosis, addressing high or low histamine, pyroluria and zinc-copper imbalances and so on.

The authors mention a limitation of the study, in that this group of adult male forensic inpatients may make it difficult to generalize the results to other groups in the population and recommend further similar research in children and women.

I look forward to future research but I feel very comfortable about putting this limitation aside for now, especially with the positive results found with this group of patients with very severe symptoms.

I also feel very comfortable extrapolating these results from salmon to sardines and would expect similar beneficial results. I highly recommend selecting wild salmon or wild sardines rather than farmed.  

If you suffer from anxiety and stress, or any mood disorder, I hope this research is further motivation to eat wild fatty fish a few times a week. How much fatty fish do you eat each week and have you observed mood or other health improvements?

And if you’re a practitioner, I hope this research is a bigger incentive to continue to recommend fatty fish to your clients or patients.

If you’re looking for some great recipes check out this yummy summer salmon pate recipe and this delicious pomegranate olive mint salsa to serve on grilled salmon. Vital Choice, a wonderful source for great quality home delivery WILD fish, has great recipes on their site too.

The Anxiety Summit – Take magnesium and melt your anxiety away

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Dr. Carolyn DeanQuote_Anxiety2

Dr. Carolyn Dean, MD, ND, author of The Magnesium Miracle was interviewed  by host of the Anxiety Summit, Trudy Scott, Food Mood Expert and Nutritionist, author of The Antianxiety Food Solution.

Take magnesium and melt your anxiety away

  • how important is magnesium: enzymatic processes, mitochondria, heart health, anxiety
  • how important is magnesium compared to calcium; and the vitamin D connection
  • the medication fluoride concern and magnesium impact
  • the symptoms of magnesium deficiency
  • why we are deficient in magnesium
  • dietary sources of magnesium and why diet is often not enough
  • how to test your magnesium level

Here are some snippets from our interview:

If your magnesium is low, your adrenal glands, which require a lot of magnesium, get kind of trigger-happy. And you can start getting adrenaline surges when you’re under stress, blood sugar can go low and you think you’re having an anxiety attack or a panic attack.

Now, your cholesterol depends on a magnesium enzyme to balance cholesterol. If you have too much, it brings it down; if you have too little, it brings it up. It’s done through the mechanism of magnesium. But the statin drugs kill that particular enzyme! And, as well, they cause more magnesium deficiency because many of the statin drugs actually have a fluoride molecule attached, and that fluoride molecule will bind up more magnesium.

Here is one of the 2014 studies we mentioned: Effect of oral magnesium supplementation on physical performance in healthy elderly women involved in a weekly exercise program: a randomized controlled trial

Daily magnesium oxide supplementation for 12 wk seems to improve physical performance in healthy elderly women. These findings suggest a role for magnesium supplementation in preventing or delaying the age-related decline in physical performance.

Here’s the blog post: When magnesium makes me worse  It also has information about magnesium RBC testing with RequestaTest.com and fluoride in medications.

This is the last study Carolyn mentioned – Magnesium deficiency induces anxiety and HPA axis dysregulation: modulation by therapeutic drug treatment.

Overall, the present findings demonstrate the robustness and validity of the Mg(2+) deficiency model as a mouse model of enhanced anxiety, showing sensitivity to treatment with anxiolytics and antidepressants. It is further suggested that dysregulations in the HPA axis may contribute to the hyper-emotionality in response to dietary induced hypomagnesaemia.

Carolyn’s gift 4 Weeks of 2 Year Wellness Program PLUS Invisible Minerals

If you are not already registered for the Anxiety Summit you can get live access to the speakers of the day here www.theAnxietySummit.com

Breast Cancer Awareness: don’t be driven by fear

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DrNalini Chilkov’s new book
Dr. Nalini Chilkov’s new book

October is Breast Cancer awareness month so here are 7 resources to keep you informed, hopeful and inspired to take charge of your overall health and breast health – for prevention and healing – and no more fear!

#1 Reduce stress in your life. Here is a blog post I wrote in 2010 with information from my colleague Ellyn Hilliard: 10 Unique Ways to Support You During Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Reduce the stresses in your life. Calm the nervous system. Meditate, go on a walk…

Start to look at chemicals in your life. Find natural alternatives to cleaning products.

#2 Exercise to prevent cancer and have fun at the same time

up to a third of breast cancer cases in Western countries could be avoided with a nutritious diet and exercise

If exercise is a chore, find something fun to do and it will be a totally different experience

#3 Be aware that a lot of pinkwashing goes on – it’s quite awful how people are being taken advantage of. And know there is so much you can do that is healing and preventative. You can read more here: Pinkwashing for the cure (ridiculous!) or green for prevention?

Pinkwasher: (pink’-wah-sher) noun. A company or organization that claims to care about breast cancer by promoting a pink ribbon product, but at the same time produces, manufactures and/or sells products that are linked to the disease.

Helyane Waldman’s book “The Whole-Food Guide for Breast Cancer Survivors: A Nutritional Approach to Preventing Recurrence”

Rebecca Katz’s “The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing, Big-Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery”

#4 Ann Louise Gittleman, author of The Fat Flush Diet and Get the Sugar Out, just posted a great blog on how to become a breast health warrior

Raise your daily Vitamin D intake (D is like a hormone rather than a vitamin) to at least 1,000 – 4,000 IU to reach a level of at least 52 ng/mL. Women with serum levels at

Get the Sugar Out! Plain and simple, cancer feeds on sugar which is known to immobilize white blood cells for up to five hours.

#5 Dr Nalini Chilkov is my cancer referral source and she has a new cancer booklet called 32 Ways to OutSmart Cancer. It has beautiful back-to-basics advice about eating nourishing nutrient-dense, antioxidant- and polyphenol-rich real whole food. I especially like the section on herbs and spices and love the chapter on gratitude. Here is a yummy salmon recipe from her blog.

#6 Be hopeful and optimistic. My colleague Fran Sussman shares her journey and story of recovery from breast cancer in this article called I am a breast cancer survivor: There is hope. Fran will be offering six-week support classes for women diagnosed with breast cancer starting in December.

I’ve come through it, with great resilience and rebounding health. I feel better than ever post-breast cancer, at age 60. I am healthy; my doctors concur.

What can you do for prevention? Support your body with optimal nutrition, exercise, sleep and hydration. Use nutrition to minimize inflammation and insulin resistance.

 Acknowledge and work with your fear, but don’t be driven by it.

#7 And my final piece of advice is stated so beautifully by Fran: “Acknowledge and work with your fear, but don’t be driven by it.” Anxiety and depression is very common in people who have been diagnosed with cancer.  This is understandable, but I encourage you to look for and get support in this area too, so you are not driven by your fear.

You may need to address low GABA levels, keep your blood sugar stable with good quality protein at breakfast, support your adrenals, and drink calming carob instead of coffee.  There is so much you can do.

If you’re looking for more great resources for your healing journey, I invite you to join us on The Anxiety Summit, Nov 3-16, and learn more about nutritional and natural solutions for anxiety.  The topics our expert address will also lead to improved overall health, improved heart health and will help with cancer prevention too.

 

Woman with Anxiety at ADAA 2012 conference: food is the answer

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I’m heading to the 32nd Annual Conference of Anxiety Disorders Association of America . It’s on from April 12 – 15, 2012 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, Virginia.

The theme is: Integrating Mind-Body Connections: Advancing Science, Informing Practice for Anxiety and Related Disorders and you can find conference details here

I’m thrilled that I’ve been accepted to do a poster presentation on food/nutrients and anxiety – Food and Mood: Case Study of Woman with Anxiety. It will cover real whole food, including grass-fed red meat; neurotransmitters and amino acids GABA and 5-HTP; the mineral zinc; the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids; vitamin D; the mood impacts of gluten and more.  All supporting research will be provided.

The amazing thing is that this woman, a client of mine, was able to completely eliminate her anxiety and panic attacks, PMS and carb cravings using dietary and lifestyle changes only.

I look forward to sharing this information and my book The Antianxiety Food Solution  with attendees.

One of the newest food mood studies I’ll be sharing is one by Davison and Kaplan, titled Nutrient Intakes Are Correlated With Overall Psychiatric Functioning in Adults With Mood Disorders. It was recently published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.

They looked at Canadian adults with mood disorders. Intake of carbs, fiber, total fat, linoleic acid, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin B6, B12, pantothenic acid, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, magnesium and zinc were measured and higher levels of nutrients equated to better mental health.

Dr Kaplan, PhD was quoted as saying: “Doctors should consider counseling their patients to eat unprocessed, natural, healthy foods and refer them to a nutrition professional if specialized dietary consultation is needed.”

Here are some other interesting poster sessions I plan to visit:

  • Evaluation of Oral Zinc Sulfate Effect on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A
    Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
  • Dietary Supplements for Anxiety Disorders: A Systematic Review

There are also some very interesting sessions that I look forward to attending:

  •  Integrating Complementary and Alternative Medicine Into the Treatment of Anxiety and Related Disorders
  • Exercise for Mood and Anxiety
  • Adding Biofeedback to a Mental Health Practice
  • The Ethics of Psychology in the Media: Print, Internet, and TV
  • Anxiety and Gastrointestinal Distress Across the Lifespan
  • Benzodiazepine Use

All in all it should be a great three days of sharing, learning and networking at the ADAA 2012 conference and then a day of leisure in Washington DC before I head to Wisconsin for 3 days of Food-mood-anxiety workshops . I’m going to need that day of leisure!

I’ll be sharing what I learn on future blog posts and have plans to share my new beautiful 3ft x 5 ft poster too (created by my wonderful assistant Mika Howard) . And of course, I’ll take plenty of photos too.

Natural remedies for a cold, flu and sore throat

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On my recent food-mood trip to Boston, I was able to keep going for three days despite the fact that I had picked up a bug or two!  I had a slight sore throat before leaving and the long flight and time change didn’t help. It was also a pretty demanding 3 days of all-day presenting on Food and Mood: 9 Steps to Calm the Anxious Mind, Improve Mood & End Cravings.  Each day I lectured for about 7 hours and had about an hour of Q&A time answering questions. I really thought I might lose my voice by the end of day two but these natural remedies for colds, flu and sore throats really saved the day!

  • Vitamin D (5000IU), which has important antimicrobial properties
  • Vitamin C (1000mg 4 x day) and Zinc (30mg), both of which help with the common cold
  • Boiron Cold Calm, a homeopathic product that is amazing for cold symptoms
  • Boiron Oscillococcinum, a homeopathic product that is amazing for flu symptoms
  • Boiron Roxalia, a homeopathic product for hoarseness/voice strain. I love Boiron Cold Calm and Oscillococcinum and always have some on hand, especially when travelling. The Roxalia product was new to me but worked wonders for all the talking and I think should be a standard for speakers and singers! You can check out all the Boiron products here. Another favorite is the Arnica cream which I used on my aching feet (all that standing!)
  • I drank warm herbal tea all day. I had a jug of hot water up near the podium and enjoyed sipping on Throat Coat!
  • I also gargled twice a day with a few drops of tea tree oil diluted in warm water
  • And another new one for me was Manuka lozenges – lozenges made from pure manuka New Zealand honey, very soothing on the throat and with great anti-bacterial properties. This is a keeper too!

I did of course also make sure to eat well, drink plenty of filtered water and get a good night’s sleep. I hope you can benefit from some of these wonderful natural remedies too.