Treatment of Mental Disorders: Diet, Nutrition

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Treatment of Mental Disorders: Diet, Nutrition JoAnn Guest Aug 17, 2003

14:50 PDT

Treatment of Mental Disorders

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According to Richard Kunin, M.D., of San Francisco, California, the

most important dietary rules to follow for optimal psychological and

physiological health are:

 

Variety: Eat a little of a lot of different foods.

 

Moderation: Don't overeat or binge.

 

Whole foods: Eat natural foods (whole grains, fresh vegetables)

rather than processed foods.

 

Purity: Eat foods free of pesticides and additives, preferably

organic.

 

Balance: Eat a diet that is specifically suited to your own

individual needs and body.

 

By following these basic guidelines, a person can go a long way in

the prevention of mental disorders. Yet when certain conditions

exist that contribute to the deterioration of one's mental state,

more direct nutritional steps are often taken.

 

ORTHOMOLECULAR MEDICINE

 

For treating hypoglycemia, Dr. Ross will have his patients begin an

individualized program, which includes a strict diet and the use of

nutritional supplements. He recommends a high-protein, low-

carbohydrate diet, and in addition to three meals daily, the patient

eats smaller snacks every two hours between meals until bedtime.

After the first four months, patients are introduced to a

maintenance diet that includes no more than three servings of fruit

a day.

 

Raising serotonin (a chemical in the body that is important in sleep

and sensory perception) levels in the body can also help reduce

depressive symptoms, according to Dr. Riordan, who recommends the

taking of walnut tea several times a day, which is high in

serotonin. To make this tea, simply steep a broken half of an

English walnut in boiling water, and drink it. Dr. Riordan adds that

drinking plenty of water and breathing deeply are also effective

ways to reduce depression. Studies conducted by Dr. Riordan showed

that a nondepressed person breathes in six times the amount of air

than does a person who is depressed.

 

Numerous herbs and botanicals also have antidepressive effects. For

example, hypericum, commonly known as St. John's Wort, has been used

historically as a mood elevator. A recent clinical study

demonstrated that a standardized extract (two to four grams of dried

herb, or two to four milliliters of fluid extract 1:1) led to

significant improvement in symptoms of anxiety, depression, and

sleep disorders in fifteen women.36

 

See Biofeedback Training,Guided Imagery,Herbal Medicine,Magnetic

Field Therapy,Mind/Body Medicine.

 

These early studies, however, did not seem to help chronic patients,

but progress was made when vitamin B3 therapy was combined with

other treatments. " Recently, " says Dr. Hoffer, " I examined the

outcome of treatment of twenty-six chronic patients who remained

under my care for ten years and more. My survey showed that today

eleven are working, two are married and looking after their

families, two are single mothers caring for their children with no

difficulty, and three are managing their own businesses. One patient

received his B.Sc. from the local university, one was awarded her

M.A., and another got a certificate from the community college. From

this total group, eighteen are well, three are much improved, five

are improved, and one has shown no improvement. " 38 Compared to a

recent study that showed only a 5 percent significant recovery from

traditional psychiatric treatment,39 orthomolecular treatment of

medical disorders, Dr. Hoffer believes, may soon become a standard

medical practice.

 

In treating schizophrenia patients, Dr. Walsh has found that those

with low histamine levels are much easier to treat with nutritional

therapy than those with elevated histamine levels.

 

To elevate histamine in histapenics, his medical staff prescribes

folate and nutrients, basophil enhancement, and a specialized

treatment that causes their bodies to get rid of excess copper.

After several months of treatment, the nervousness, depression, and

hallucinations often disappear. Paranoid symptoms, however, may take

as long as a year to subside.40

 

With people whose histamine levels are high, treatment may begin

with liquid calcium, which helps to release excess histamines from

the body cells.

 

Megadoses of the amino acid methylamine (one thousand to fifteen

hundred milligrams), hastens the exit of histamine from the body.

These people must also avoid multivitamins which contain histamine-

elevating agents such as niacin and folic acid.

 

Dr. Walsh, along with the late Dr. Pfeiffer, has also treated

children effectively with nutritional therapy, noting improvements

in learning disability, hyperactivity, and attention deficit

disorders. " After our first one thousand patients, we found we were

getting major improvement with 70 percent of our behavior-disordered

kids, " says Dr. Walsh. " Twenty-two percent had improvement that was

clear but not complete. Eight percent had little or no improvement.

With learning disorders, 53 percent show great improvement, and 34

percent are better but still have a learning handicap. Approximately

13 percent showed no improvement at all. " 41

 

In one case, Dr. Walsh treated a ten-year-old boy who had explosive

bouts of anger and hysteria, hitting people and destroying things.

After four months of treatment, his parents reported that his

behavior had significantly improved and was getting good grades in

school. Another case involved a sixteen-year-old girl who was

extremely emotional, with wild and erratic behavior, who lied, was

sneaky, and was an underachiever in school.

 

After four months of nutritional treatment, her fighting and

emotional upheavals were gone. Unfortunately, she continued to do

poorly in school.

 

In order to treat behavior and learning disorders, careful testing

(blood, urine, hair chemistry analysis) must be carried out in order

to identify each patient's biochemical individuality.

 

Over 120 different determinations need to be made, which include

testing for blood histamine, lead, copper, zinc; thyroid, kidney and

liver function; protein levels; and electrolyte levels. " We also do

a number of rather unusual tests, " says Dr. Walsh.

 

" Many children who don't improve appear to have allergy problems in

addition to biochemical imbalances, " says Dr. Walsh. " For this

particular group, diet is especially important. "

 

Some children, Dr. Walsh has found, are particularly sensitive to

food dyes, particularly yellow and red, or sugar, while others may

have a reaction to taking multivitamins and minerals. " Multivitamins

are wonderful for most people, but if you happen to have the wrong

biochemistry, it might make you dramatically worse.

 

" This is particularly common for those with learning disabilities.

One young man I saw had an extraordinary copper/zinc ratio.

 

He was taking multiple vitamins which contain copper, and this was

like poison to him. "

 

Some children are sensitive to food dyes, particularly yellow and

red, or sugar, while others may have a reaction to taking

multivitamins and minerals.

 

Treatment in such cases is to avoid multiple vitamins and enriched

foods containing copper, prescribing instead a supplement that will

bring the copper and zinc levels back to normal.

 

" We make sure that they don't drink water that may be copper-

bearing, and suggest that they stay away from other possible sources

of copper, " adds Dr. Walsh.

 

" Swimming pools, for example, are treated with antialgae agents

which are loaded with copper, and patients ought to make sure they

shower afterward and not drink any of the water. "

 

A study involving fifteen autistic children and adults, ages six to

twenty-two, indicated that autism can also be treated through the

use of diet. According to the study, " These patients were socially

isolated, resistant to learning, showed peculiar attachment to

certain objects, had fear of unusual items and situations, and

demonstrated both repetitive motor behavior and severe problems with

emotional expression. Language problems and disturbed attention were

also common. "

 

Urine analysis samples showed that the patients with autistic

syndromes have increased levels of peptides (simple proteins).

Depending upon the specific urinary pattern, three types of diets

were prescribed to reduce the overall peptide levels.

 

Some patients received a gluten-free and milk-reduced diet, others

received a milk-free and/or gluten-reduced diet, and a third group

received a milk- and gluten-free diet.

 

Milk reduction was achieved by eliminating milk and cheese, and

gluten reduction was achieved by giving only gluten-free bread and

cakes.

 

After one year, all the study subjects had changed toward the

normal spectrum: they were less psychotic, were more communicative,

and showed less bizarre behavior.

 

Other statistically significant changes include improved attention and

social integration, improved

motor ability and skills, and a decrease in irrational emotional

outbursts. Especially noteworthy is the decrease in resistance to

learning demonstrated by all cases.44

 

Orthomolecular medicine has come a long way from the original

discovery that large doses of B and C vitamins could improve the

mental condition of schizophrenic persons.

 

Yet, according to Joseph Beasley, M.D., Director of the Department

of Medicine and Nutrition at the Brunswick Hospital Center in

Amityville, New York, conventional medicine has largely ignored the

overwhelming extent to which poor nutrition and toxic environments

have damaged physical and mental health

 

As further research is completed, though, it will become increasingly

more difficult to

ignore this important link between nutrition and mental health.

 

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