The Mood Cure: Take Charge of Your Emotions in 24 Hours Using Food and Supplements. Julia Ross

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СКАЧАТЬ the other aminos in the bloodstream to get into your brain. Our clients find that tryptophan supplements work as quickly as 5-HTP does and research shows it to be equally impressive:

      

Over and over, studies have shown that removing tryptophan from our diet lowers serotonin and increases depression (including winter depression), insomnia, panic, and anger and also triggers bulimia and chemical dependency. In contrast, adding it as a supplement can raise serotonin 200 percent¹⁸ and prevent or reverse all of these dark cloud problems.¹⁹

      

The beneficial effects of tryptophan on sleep are legendary, and studies have demonstrated its powers in PMS²⁰ and fibromyalgia,²¹ as well.

      

In my favorite study, tryptophan stopped obsessive birds from plucking themselves bare of their own feathers.²² (There’s a tryptophan product based on this study called Avian Tranquility that is popular among veterinarians who treat obsessive-compulsive parrots!)

      

Some psychiatrists, desperate to help patients not benefiting from anti-depressant medication alone, have added tryptophan with positive results: in a British study of depressed patients who had been untouched on medication alone, tryptophan was added and the depressive symptoms suddenly dropped more than 50 percent.²³ In another study, when combined with Prozac, tryptophan increased the speed of antidepressant effects and eliminated the sleep disturbances that Prozac caused.²⁴

      Actually, tryptophan has had an even longer and more illustrious history as a serotonin savior than 5-HTP, but it was taken out of circulation for several years and has only recently been returned. (For a full recounting of the tryptophan saga, see page 222.)

      Tryptophan is harder to find and more expensive than 5-HTP, but it’s a godsend for those who don’t do well on 5-HTP. Tryptophan not only converts to 5-HTP and then to serotonin in minutes, it can also be used to make the important B vitamin niacin and many other valuable enzymes in the body. It is available by prescription (from compounding pharmacists only), mail order, and through some health practitioners. We’ve carried it in our clinic since 1999. You’ll find ordering suggestions in the Action Steps at the end of this chapter.

      The Happy Herb: Saint-John’s Wort

      Aside from 5-HTP and tryptophan, the only other really effective natural serotonin booster I know of is the ancient herbal remedy Saint-John’s wort. Much of the research on Saint-John’s wort has been done in Germany, where this herb outsells Prozac as an antidepressant. The reason is that it’s been found to work as well as or better than Prozac and similar drugs, with few side effects:

      

      

In a study comparing Saint-John’s wort with Prozac, the two were exactly equal in effectiveness. Both provided 48 percent improvement in symptoms of depression.²⁵

      

In another study comparing the herb to Prozac, both provided slightly over 50 percent improvement.²⁶

      We’ve found that Saint-John’s wort often helps to raise serotonin levels when the amino acids somehow do not. One of our clients, Nan, was always irritable and sleepless. Unfortunately, she was very sensitive to foods and supplements, and she got headachy and spacey on 5-HTP and tryptophan, so we tried a tincture (liquid extract) of Saint-John’s wort. That did the trick, reducing most of her angry feelings and helping her get to sleep. It wasn’t quite as complete a solution as we’re used to getting from 5-HTP and tryptophan, but she was definitely feeling and sleeping better because of it.

      While we understand how nutrients like 5-HTP and tryptophan work in the brain, Saint-John’s wort, like most herbs (and the drugs often derived from them), is mysterious in action. We sometimes successfully combine Saint-John’s wort with 5-HTP or tryptophan. Mostly, though, we rely on it as a safe alternative when the other two supplements just don’t work. This typically happens only when thyroid function is sluggish. For example, we discovered that Nan had thyroiditis, a not uncommon autoimmune disease of the thyroid gland. (More later on the thyroid factor.)

      SAM-e Sometimes

      There’s one other nutrient that sometimes helps when serotonin levels are low and the other supplements don’t work. SAM-e, a natural antidepressant used and researched extensively in Europe, became a sensation in the United States when it appeared on the cover of Newsweek magazine in 1999. It has been researched and used successfully for many years in Europe for depression, and it helps with a variety of other ailments, including arthritis and liver damage as well.

      SAM-e (S-adenosyl-L-methionine) is a chemical found naturally in every cell of our bodies and is key to many crucial cellular functions, including the production of serotonin and the three other mood-regulating neurotransmitters in our brains.

      We all have some SAM-e, but SAM-e levels in depressed people are typically low. Our supplies can become badly depleted by poor diet, specifically when the vitamins B₁₂ and folic acid required for its production are lost, as well as through alcohol and stimulant drug addiction or simply by aging. We find that very few of our clients need SAM-e because the aminos, combined with B vitamins, usually work so well, but those people who have benefited from it have done so in a big way!

      We recommend SAM-e if the aminos or Saint-John’s wort don’t completely relieve depressive symptoms, particularly in people over forty; or where alcohol, cocaine, or other stimulants have been a problem; or where arthritis or liver function is a problem. It is not as quick to show results as the aminos, but if you try it, stick with it for at least one bottle’s worth to see if it will help.

      Melatonin for Sleep Aid

      If sleep is a problem for you, melatonin supplements may be very useful temporary adjuncts to your pro-serotonin supplement program. As you’ll see in detail in chapter 12, melatonin is made out of serotonin. Taking melatonin supplements can relieve the drain on your serotonin store, leaving it more available to shore up your mood. Often, though, 5-HTP, tryptophan, or Saint-John’s wort supplements provide enough serotonin to improve both mood and sleep.

      Tips on Taking Serotonin-Boosting Supplements

      At first, when you take your 5-HTP, tryptophan, or Saint-John’s wort, you’ll feel the difference, typically within fifteen minutes, but your mood will be noticeably elevated for only a few hours. That’s why most people need to take these supplements at least twice a day. Middle or late afternoon and nine to ten P.M. are usually the best times to take them, but take them earlier if your symptoms trouble you in the mornings. For children, use СКАЧАТЬ