The Holistic Health Warrior

Archive for the ‘Research’ Category

Can sugar consumption affect mental health? 

For years, decades even, researchers and even some “think outside of the box doctors” have known that what we eat, and more importantly what we absorb and metabolize has a direct effect on how we think, feel and act. 

Noted British psychiatric researcher Malcolm Peet conducted a provocative cross-cultural analysis of the relationship between diet and mental illness.

Professor Malcom Peet is a Consultant Psychiatrist with Doncaster and South Humber NHS Healthcare Trust, and Honorary Professor at the University of Sheffield and at Sheffield Hallam University.

From a background of research in psychopharmacology, Professor Peet has been studying the role of nutrition in mental health since 1990. He has pioneered research into the role of omega-3 fatty acids in both depression and schizophrenia – including controlled treatment trials – and remains at the forefront of international research in this field. He has also shown that schizophrenia is more severe in countries where the national diet is higher in sugar and saturated fats, while depression is more common in countries with lower intakes of omega-3 from fish and seafood. These findings could help to explain why depression is more common and schizophrenia more severe in developed countries than in the developing world.

Professor Peet continues to investigate the links he has found between diet and mental health and to explore plausible mechanisms. More recently, his research has also focused on the practical applications of nutritional interventions within mental health services in the United Kingdom, and their implications for professional training. He has published and lectured extensively on the topic of nutrition and mental health and is highly skilled at communicating the latest research and its implications to public and professional as well as academic audiences. His primary finding was a strong link between high sugar consumption and the risk of both depression and schizophrenia.

According to Professor Peet, there are at least two potential mechanisms through which refined sugar intake could exert a toxic effect on mental health. First, sugar actually suppresses the activity of a key growth hormone in the brain called BDNF. BDNF levels are critically low in both depression and schizophrenia.

Second, sugar consumption triggers a cascade of chemical reactions in your body that promote chronic inflammation. In the long term, inflammation disrupts the normal functioning of your immune system and wreaks havoc on your brain. Once again, it’s linked to a greater risk of depression and schizophrenia.

Source: http://blogs.mercola.com/sites/vitalvotes/archive/2009/12/04/How-Eating-Sugar-Can-Cause-Mental-Illness.aspx

It really makes you think, doesn’t it? How many people do you know that would be greatly helped with diet over medication? 

To Your Great Health,

Holistic Health Warrior

More Thoughts from Mellisa

Question: What are you without an immune system?
Answer: You are dead.

As morbid as it may sound, it’s true. When your immune system is weak you will get sick. When your immune system completely fails you will die.

If I could show you a way to boost your Natural Killer Cells by up to 437%, would you be interested in hearing more? Of course you would.

Get Healthy and Wise with  Extreme Health 4Life

Many  Doctors know which prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs are the most dangerous. If Doctors won’t even take them why should you?

When asked by MSN Health, “Which medications would you skip?” Here were their answers:

Advair

This asthma medicine can make your asthma deadly. Advair contains the long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) salmeterol. A 2006 analysis found that regular use of LABAs can increase the severity of an asthma attack. Researchers estimate that salmeterol may contribute to as many as 5,000 asthma-related deaths in the United States each year.

Avandia

Diabetes is destructive enough on its own, but if you try to control it with rosiglitazone, better known as Avandia, it could cause a heart attack. A study found that people who took rosiglitazone for at least a year increased their risk of heart failure or a heart attack by 109 percent and 42 percent, respectively.

(Please continue reading below)

Celebrex

This painkiller has been linked to increased risks of stomach bleeding, kidney trouble, and liver damage. And according to a 2005 study, people taking 200 mg of Celebrex twice a day more than doubled their risk of dying of cardiovascular disease. Those on 400 mg twice a day more than tripled their risk.

Ketek

This antibiotic, which has traditionally been prescribed for respiratory tract infections, carries a high risk of severe liver side effects. In February 2007, the FDA limited the usage of Ketek to the treatment of pneumonia.

Prilosec and Nexium

The FDA has investigated a suspected link between cardiac trouble and these acid-reflux remedies, although they did not find a “likely” connection. But whether this is true or not, they can raise your risk of pneumonia, and result in an elevated risk of bone loss. The risk of a bone fracture has been estimated to be over 40 percent higher in patients who use these drugs long-term.

Pseudoephedrine

This decongestant, found in many drugs, can raise blood pressure and heart rate, setting the stage for vascular catastrophe. Over the years, pseudoephedrine has been linked to heart attacks and strokes, as well as worsening the symptoms of prostate disease and glaucoma.

Visine Original

These eye drops “get the red out” by shrinking blood vessels. Overuse of the active ingredient tetrahydrozoline can perpetuate the vessel dilating-and-constricting cycle and may cause even more redness.

Although prescription drugs may be a necessity, we have to remember prescription drugs are only invented and designed for temporary use. So when they are used long term there will be consequences. Also, we need to remember there are often safer, natural remedies that work with the body to heal instead of against it to just suppress symptoms. 

Sources:
MSN Health

Holistic Health Warrior

More Thoughts from Mellisa Question: What are you without an immune system? Answer: You are dead. As morbid as it may sound, it’s true. When your immune system is weak you will get sick. When your immune system completely fails you will die. If I could show you a way to boost your Natural Killer Cells by up to 437%, would you be interested in hearing more? Of course you would. Extreme Health Is Worth Fighting For!