Past the Peak...and Rising

[Guest guest]

" HSI - Jenny Thompson " <HSIResearch

 

HSI e-Alert - Past the Peak...and Rising

Wed, 06 Apr 2005 06:59:00 -0500

HSI e-Alert - Past the Peak...and Rising

 

Health Sciences Institute e-Alert

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April 06, 2005

 

 

Dear Reader,

 

" Treating Depression Slows Seniors' Physical Decline "

 

That's the headline from a Reuters Health article that caught my eye

last week. And there's really no big surprise here. As we've seen many

times, physical health and mental health often go hand in hand.

 

The Reuters article detailed an Indiana University study in which more

than 1,800 subjects over the age of 60 with major depressive disorder

received either normal care or normal care with access to a clinical

depression specialist. After a one-year trial, most of the subjects

who improved their depression status experienced a significant

improvement in physical health.

 

This research dovetails nicely with another study in which middle-aged

subjects found relief from depression without resorting to

prescription drugs.

 

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Bringing it all back home

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A recent study from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

examined the effects of DHEA on subjects with mild to major depression

that developed in middle age.

 

DHEA is an acronym for the hormone dehydroepiandrosterone, which is

secreted by the adrenal glands. Your own natural production of DHEA

peaks in your twenties during your prime reproductive years. After

that, it gradually declines. On average, DHEA levels in 40-year-olds

are half what they are in 20-year-olds. By the time you reach your 70s

or 80s, DHEA levels have declined considerably to about 10 percent of

what they were at their peak.

 

Scientists have not clearly established whether declining DHEA

production is a cause or a result of the aging process, but research

has shown that raising low levels with supplemental DHEA can have

dramatic anti-aging effects. In addition, giving DHEA a boost may also

help reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, help control

diabetes, increase energy levels, improve memory, strengthen the

immune system, and alleviate depression.

 

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Blues be gone

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In the NIMH study - published in the Archives of General Psychiatry -

46 subjects were randomly divided into two groups. One group received

90 mg per day of DHEA for three weeks, followed by three additional

weeks with the dosage increased to 450 mg per day. The other group

received a placebo for six weeks.

 

Before the trial period, at three weeks, and again at the end,

researchers evaluated depression with three assessment tools: the

Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies

Depression Scale and the Derogatis Interview (to determine sexual

function). When scores from these evaluations were analyzed, the DHEA

group showed significant improvement in all three assessments. Every

subject in the DHEA group had a 50 percent or greater improvement in

the Hamilton scale, while only 13 subjects in the placebo group

improved on this scale.

 

In their conclusions the researchers wrote that DHEA was found to be

an effective treatment for mild to moderately severe midlife-onset

depression.

 

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Measure and monitor carefully

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Dr. Norman Shealy, Founder of American Holistic Medical Association

and an expert on DHEA research, calls DHEA, " a measure of life

force...the single most important hormone in the body. "

 

But while DHEA supplementation offers powerful health benefits, the

effects must be monitored by a medical professional. As HSI panelist

Martin Milner, N.D., explains, " Even at small doses, it's relatively

easy to overdose on DHEA if you don't actually have a deficiency. "

 

DHEA normally exists in a balance with other corticosteroid hormones

like cortisol. If your cortisol levels are already low (often the

result of constant or long-term stress), DHEA supplements can drive

them even lower, leading to increased inflammation, light-headedness,

and fatigue. Also, because DHEA can be converted into estrogen and

testosterone, over-supplementation with DHEA may lead to unpredictable

imbalances in sex hormone profiles. For men, this can increase the

risk of prostate cancer. For women, it can lead to a deepened voice,

excessive hair growth, and other masculinizing effects.

 

Levels of DHEA, along with cortisol and sex hormones, can be measured

with a simple saliva test to determine whether or not you would

benefit from DHEA supplementation and to monitor its effects on an

ongoing basis. Dr. Milner recommends that anyone using DHEA ask their

doctor to monitor salivary hormone levels at least once every six months.

 

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....and another thing

 

Remember Chocolate Covered Sugar Bombs?

 

You probably do if you ever read the comic strip Calvin & Hobbes.

Every morning, young Calvin would polish off a large bowl of CCSBs,

and then set out with his tiger, Hobbes, to wreak havoc on the

neighborhood.

 

There's not much question about what Calvin's opinion would be of the

latest " reduced sugar " trend in children's cereal. Just imagine the

front of a box of Chocolate Covered Sugar Bombs with a banner that

reads: " Now with reduced sugar! " Inconceivable.

 

On paper, less sugar looks like a good idea. Just about anything that

would reduce the sugar content of the average kid's diet would be a

step in the right direction. Unless, of course, it's all smoke and

mirrors.

 

The Associated Press recently asked a panel of nutrition scientists to

examine six major brands of cereal that now advertise reduced-sugar

versions of their products. The verdict: The new products have less

sugar content, but in terms of nutrition they're virtually the same

because the cereals contain more refined carbohydrates.

 

And why more carbs? Got to love this: To make the cereals crunchy.

 

If you're a child, that makes perfect sense. Ask any eight-year-old:

What's more important, fewer carbs or good crunch? Ninety-nine out of

100 third graders agree: Carbs, schmarbs - the Froot Loops have GOT to

crunch.

 

The line from the AP article that most impressed me was this one:

" Refined carbohydrates act exactly the same as sugar in the body. "

 

Considering all the hype we hear about carbohydrates these days, it's

amazing that you rarely see the basic problem with refined carbs

stated so clearly.

 

To Your Good Health,

 

Jenny Thompson

Health Sciences Institute

 

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Sources:

 

" Treating Depression Slows Seniors' Physical Decline " Reuters Health,

3/25/05, reutershealth.com

" Dehydroepiandrosterone Monotherapy in Midlife-Onset Major and Minor

Depression " Archives of General Psychiatry, Vol. 62, No. 2, February 2005,

" DHEA May Improve Midlife Depression " Natural Products Industry

Insider, 2/18/05, naturalproductsinsider.com

 

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