Antioxidants prevent health-promoting effects of physical exercise in humans. Abstract: Exercise promotes longevity and ameliorates type 2 diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance. However, exercise also increases mitochondrial formation of presumably harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS). Antioxidants are widely used as supplements but whether they affect the health-promoting effects of exercise is unknown. We evaluated the […]
Effect of folic acid combined with fluoxetine in patients with major depression on plasma homocysteine and vitamin B12, and serotonin levels in lymphocytes. Abstract: OBJECTIVE(S): Folic acid, a micronutrient supporting the natural defense system, may elevate antidepressant responses, although the lymphocyte serotonergic system has not been explored in folate-supplemented depressed patients. METHODS: Twenty-seven patients were […]
Impact of selenium on mood and quality of life: a randomized, controlled trial. Abstract: BACKGROUND: Selenium is known to be important to the brain. Three small, published studies have suggested an effect of selenium supplementation or deprivation on mood in healthy volunteers. We investigated these findings on a much larger scale. METHODS: In this double-blind, […]
Mood disorders and complementary and alternative medicine: a literature review. Abstract: Mood disorders are a major public health problem and are associated with considerable burden of disease, suicides, physical comorbidities, high economic costs, and poor quality of life. Approximately 30%-40% of patients with major depression have only a partial response to available pharmacological and psychotherapeutic […]
Single-micronutrient and broad-spectrum micronutrient approaches for treating mood disorders in youth and adults Abstract: Several different vitamins and minerals appear to be effective augmenting agents for mood-modifying drugs, but are not potent monotherapies in themselves for treating psychiatric disorders. In contrast, broad-spectrum micronutrient interventions appear in early trials to be as effective as psychiatric medications […]
Efficacy of vitamin B6 and magnesium in the treatment of autism: a methodology review and summary of outcomes Abstract: Pauling’s orthomolecular hypothesis appeared in 1968, stating that some forms of mental illness and disease are related to biochemical errors in the body. Vitamin therapy is believed to be a means of compensating for such errors. […]
Orthomolecular Psychiatry: Varying the concentrations of substances normally present in the human body may control mental disease Abstract: The functioning of the brain is affected by the molecular concentrations of many substances that are normally present in the brain. The optimum concentrations of these substances for a person may differ greatly from the concentrations provided […]
A controlled trial of syanocobalamin (vitamin B12) in the treatment of winter seasonal affective disorder Abstract: To test the hypothesis that cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) is an effective treatment for winter seasonal affective disorder (SAD). 2 weeks of double-blind placebo washout, followed by random assignment to parallel treatments for 2 weeks with cyanocobalamin vs. placebo. Observations […]
In 2017, the American Psychiatric Association published a comprehensive textbook designed to be used as a handbook and reference guide for psychiatrists worldwide. Entitled Complementary and Integrative Treatments in Psychiatric Practice, the text contains cumulative resources highlighting research on integrative therapies with a focus on psychiatry. For many years, accepted first-line psychiatric treatments have been […]
Effect of zinc supplementation on antidepressant therapy in unipolar depression Abstract: A growing body of evidence implicates a derangement of zinc homeostasis in mood disorders. In general, unipolar depression is connected with low blood zinc levels that are increased by effective antidepressant therapy. A placebo-controlled, double blind pilot study of zinc supplementation in antidepressant therapy […]