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Bipolar Disorder: Natural Dietary Changes May Help
Bi-polar instability has been shown to be directly linked to the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats, especially to the amount of DHA compared to the amount of AA in your body -- the DHA/AA ratio. The manic and depressive mood swings are often directly linked to missing or deficient nutrients. Included among the probable nutritional culprits are -- low omega-3, high omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, high saturated fats, low minerals, low protein or amino acids, Here is a very helpful summary of how nutritional factors relate to mood disorders -- published in the scientific journal earlier a few months ago: Nutritional therapies for mental disorders.
Published in the Nutrition Journal, January 2008, 21;7:2. Authored by Lakhan SE and Vieira KF, from the Global Neuroscience Initiative Foundation, Los Angeles, CA, USA. "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 health-care 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." (emphasis added)
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is a major component of fish oil. The common inexpensive fish oil capsules like you would buy from Wal-Mart or Costco usually contain about 120mg of DHA per 1,000mg capsule. The other active ingredient is EPA which is very anti-inflammatory, but not as helpful for Bi-Polar and other brain chemistry imbalances. EPA usually runs about 180mg/capsule. It has recently been shown that the human body is VERY inefficient at converting standard omega-3 from vegetable sources into DHA. Roughly 0. 005 %of the Alpha Linolenic Acid from flax-seed oil or walnuts is converted into DHA. This means that you must get DHA from fish oil. AA is called arachidonic acid. This acid comes mainly from animal fats (from beef, fatty port, chicken fats, and other fatty meats or 'grease'), and from omega-6 vegetable oils(from corn, peanuts, cottonseed, soybeans, mayonnaise, salad dressings, processed foods). You must cut these to an absolute minimum. Avoid fats from animals and any oil that is not olive oil or coconut oil. Keep coconut oil to only one or two tablespoons per day. Use olive oil whenever possible. Canola oil is a 3rd choice.
In order to regain the proper balance in these nutrients,you need to do several things, simultaneously: 1) Provide your system with enough DHA from fish oil. This usually means a minimum of 1-1/2 to 2. 0 grams per day of the pure DHA. This would mean taking about 15-20 'cheap' fish oil capsules, or you could simply buy the brands offish oil with higher DHA content. These cost more, but they will do the job much more efficiently. You can find less expensive high-DHA fish oil brands at iHerb. com. 2) Reduce Omega-6 oils and animal fats to a very low minimum. Avoid them completely whenever possible. Mosts fish and even very lean meats do contain at least a litte saturated fat. And, you will get some omega-6 even in fresh vegetables, beans and whole nuts. Don't add any vegetable oil or fatty meats to this equation. For flavor and "mouth feel", substitute olive oil or coconut oil. If using coconut oil, limit it to only 2-3 tablespoons as a replacement of other saturated fats. 3) Increase the mineral cofactors that support production and utilization of DHA and other anti-inflammatory compounds in the body. These are minerals like Magnesium and calcium,zinc and a few others. Most of us are very deficient in magnesium. You should consider taking at least 400mg /dayof a chelated magnesium like MAGNESIUM CITRATE. The oxide form usually provided in cheap 1-a-day pills is not very bio-available, with only 4% being utilized. Citrate forms can provide up to 50-55% utilization. Take a good "chelated mineral" supplement daily. Minerals such as magnesium, zinc, calcium and so on help your brain's nerves communicate. Minerals are also known as "electrolytes" due to the fact that they enable electrical signaling between cells and enhance your metabolic efficiency. This one large bottle can give you the minerals you need without stocking up on a dozen different jars. You should be able to find a product that will give you all your chelated minerals for less than $20/month. Since the chelation process adds weight to each mineral, you will end up taking several pills in order to get a full dose. Good brands include: Country Life, Natural Foods, Jarrow, and Vitamin Shoppe. 4) Add Vitamin-C supplements to your diet. This vitamin is required in the manufacturing process of many of the anti-inflammatory fats in the body. 500 mg/day is the minimum, but 2,000mg /day is better, taken spread through the day, 500 mg per dose. Take with food. 5) Control your blood sugar by avoid 'high glycemic' foods that are either too sweet or too starchy. Swings in blood sugar are common in people with bipolar condition. This could be related to type-2 diabetes or a pre-diabetic condition. Eating a diet that avoids sweets, over-cooked foods, fried foods, vegetable oils, animal fats, processed foods, bakery products like cakes, cookies, crackers, pies and other foods that boost your blood sugar will help your swings in mood that are often related to variations in blood sugar. Eating plenty of FIBER and GREEN TEA may help you do this. We recommend eating apples, pears, beans,peas, whole fresh nuts, and taking a fiber supplement such as BeneFiber so that you get a total of 40-50 grams of soluble fiber per day. Green tea up to 10 cups/day can help moderate blood sugar swings. Use the decaffeinated version if you can so that caffeine won't contribute to your condition.
6) Eat enough complete protein daily. This is usually a total of about 9-12 ounces of fish, meat, beans, peas or lentils -- each and every day. Protein supplements such as Soy powder could also be used. Proteins supply the needed amino acids to build the vital neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and mellatonin. These are the "mood setting" chemicals in your brain. If they get out of balance, you can suffer wild swings in mood, ranging from manic episodes to deep depression. If you have trouble digesting meats, beans, fish or other proteins (as many older people do), you may wish to take a daily supplement of the actual amino acids themselves. Try that supplement only if you find that adding enough daily protein to your diet does not help. Hope those guidelines help you. Remember to enjoy yourself. Find joy in each and every day. Good music, tap your foot. Laugh out loud twice a day, it'll get you through. That's what life is all about.
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Contributor's Note
This report is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or treat any disease. Readers are strongly encouraged to consult with a licensed health professional (physician, dietitian) before making any changes to their diet, supplement program, and especially before changing doses of any prescribed medication. For more information on natural support for health, visit Level1Diet.com.
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This would help many teens and adults afflicted with this disorder. good info
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