Nutrition Biochemistry is incredibly complex. This complexity makes it easy to mistakenly (or otherwise) cherry pick facts to suite nearly any preconception. In the realm of both physiological (i.e, nutritional) and pharmacological interventions, skepticism is in order. Mindful of this warning, it is nonetheless important to focus on the possibility that many illnesses can be returned to homeostasis - to health - not by treating symptoms, which begets a cascade of negative side effects, but by restoring the system to health, producing a cascade of positive effects. There are many examples in which physiological interventions have cured a disease. One of the best examples is the curing of what appeared to be a form of schizophrenia which turned out to be caused by a diet deficit in niacin, or its precursor, tryptophan. The disease was pellagra. In contrast, the attempt of Orthomolecular Psychiatry to cure or manage schizophrenia with megadoses of niacin were unsuccessful.
The distinction between "natural" or physiological interventions and pharmacological interventions has a fuzzy boundary.
Link to fuzzy boundary article
US
Department of Agriculture Food & Nutrition Information Center Nutrition & Health
Obesity not only reduces lifespan, but also quality of life and runs the risk of impacting the brain.
The following proverbs attributed to Jack LaLanne may be helpful to remember:
Ten seconds on the lips and a lifetime on the hips,
Your waistline is your lifeline.
Don’t exceed the feed limit.
Nutrition & the
Mind Bipolar
Disorder & Diet
Nutritional therapies for mental disorders.Lakhan
SE, Vieira
KF.
Global Neuroscience Initiative Foundation,
Los Angeles, CA, USA. slakhan@gnif.org
Nutr J. 2008 Jan 21;7:2.
According to the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4 out of the 10 leading causes
of disability in the US and other developed countries are mental
disorders. Major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and
obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) are among the most common mental
disorders that currently plague numerous countries and have varying
incidence rates from 26 percent in America to 4 percent in China. Though
some of this difference may be attributable to the manner in which
individual healthcare providers diagnose mental disorders, this
noticeable distribution can be also explained by studies which show that
a lack of certain dietary nutrients contribute to the development of
mental disorders. Notably, essential vitamins, minerals, and omega-3
fatty acids are often deficient in the general population in America and
other developed countries; and are exceptionally deficient in patients
suffering from mental disorders. Studies have shown that daily
supplements of vital nutrients often effectively reduce patients'
symptoms. Supplements that contain amino acids also reduce symptoms,
because they are converted to neurotransmitters that alleviate
depression and other mental disorders. Based on emerging scientific
evidence, this form of nutritional supplement treatment may be
appropriate for controlling major depression, bipolar disorder,
schizophrenia and anxiety disorders, eating disorders, attention deficit
disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD),
addiction, and autism. The aim of this manuscript is to emphasize which
dietary supplements can aid the treatment of the four most common mental
disorders currently affecting America and other developed countries:
major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive
compulsive disorder (OCD). Most antidepressants and other prescription
drugs cause severe side effects, which usually discourage patients from
taking their medications. Such noncompliant patients who have mental
disorders are at a higher risk for committing suicide or being
institutionalized. One way for psychiatrists to overcome this
noncompliance is to educate themselves about alternative or
complementary nutritional treatments. Although in the cases of certain
nutrients, further research needs to be done to determine the best
recommended doses of most nutritional supplements, psychiatrists can
recommend doses of dietary supplements based on previous and current
efficacious studies and then adjust the doses based on the results
obtained.