There are many shades of blue, from the mild low mood everyday “blues” to the black mood of severe depression. Too many people suffer this misery rather than seeking help as they either feel it is not severe enough to bother a doctor about or fear being put on a “mind altering “ drug. The Glasgow Solution from the mild blues to depression, is to tackle the underlying deficiency of omega 3 first with harmless supplements before looking for other treatments. Anti depressant medication can be a life saver but increasingly in this new medical age, more and more patients are seeking alternatives.
One of the most exciting findings in recent years has been that mood can be significantly improved by correcting omega imbalance. Supplementation with omega 3 has been shown to significantly improve mood in four studies, findings reflected in my own practice.
Not all depression is caused by lack of omega 3 but whether it low mood or black depression, it would be crazy not to tackle any omega imbalance first.
The brain consists mainly of fat so it perhaps not surprising that the concentration of different fats in the brain is vital for optimal function. Each brain cell is surrounded by a fatty layer and communication between brain cells involved chemicals, known as neurotransmitters, that are carried between the cells and “dock” on a receptor on the cell membrane of the neighbouring cell. The theory is that if the cell membrane is not consisting of the correct fatty acid, the shape of the receptor will be affected and the efficiency of the neurotransmitter will be reduced. Most anti depressants work by increasing the amount of neurotransmitter available to do these jobs but if the cell membranes are made up of the wrong material, it makes their job much harder. Although there is no research evidence yet, this is an emerging science; my experience is that those who do eventually require treatment with anti depressant have a far better result when their omega balance has also been treated.
The Essential Health Clinic answer to depression is not just to correct any omega 3 deficiency but also to use other natural methods of elevating mood such as exercise and meditation.
The Essential Health Clinics three steps to an improved mood!
For most people who have a low mood affecting their quality of life but not severe enough to bother a doctor or merit treatment with drugs following these three steps may be all you need.
- Omega balance – take the Omega Blood Test and find out how much omega 3 is required to get your omega balance
- Exercise – 20 minutes of strenuous exercise five times per week (assuming you have no serious medical contra indication)
- Meditation – spend 10 minutes each day in quiet contemplation.
These three steps will also give you tremendous physical improvements but if your mental health does not improve with these simple but powerful steps then it may be time to seek professional guidance. At least you will have prepared the ground for any other treatments and give them the best chance of success.
No one should have to put up with the misery of low mood or depression . Take the first steps and see how good you can feel.
Increasingly eminent psychiatrists are becoming convinced of the importance of this natural approach. In his book “Healing Depression Naturally with EPA” Prof Basant Puri states that he has yet to see a case fail to improve on omega 3 treatment. Dr Andrew Stoll was the first to study bipolar ( manic) depression treatment with omega 3. In his book “The Omega Connection” he describes the incredible improvements that he observed with omega 3 treatment in what is one of the most serious of all mental health conditions. Probably the most serious mental health disorder is schizophrenia and this is also the area most studied in omega treatment. The father of omega treatment in mental health, Dr David Horrobin recorded some of his startling work in his book “ The Madness of Adam and Eve”.
I have been so impressed by the efficacy of omega 3 in mental health that we now use EPA routinely in the three addiction projects in Glasgow that I provide medical cover for. Some of the results have been dramatic with great improvements in a variety of mental health conditions, even in some of the most difficult of circumstances.
In the future I am sure it will be unthinkable to treat mental health without restoring nutritional balance. |
