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Support a Healthy Nervous System With Inositol
Inositol is a member of the vitamin B complex family, being referred to as vitamin B8, but is not strictly a vitamin because it is biosynthesized in your body. Vitamins are essential substances that are not manufactured by your natural biochemistry, and must be taken in your diet. However, to all intents and purposes it works like a member of the vitamin B family.
The main function of myo-inositol (the commonest isomer of inositol) is in the health of cell membranes, particularly those that comprise the marrow, eyes, intestines and the brain. Without proper regulation of the cell membrane, the cell cannot function effectively. Some of its effects include healthy hair and controlling estrogen levels. It is also believed to help to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood.
A deficiency will result in hair loss, eczema, increased blood cholesterol levels and eye abnormalities. You might also suffer constipation, although this is not as serious a condition as those preceding. It is present at highest levels in the heart and brain, which indicates where it is mostly used, although it also helps the liver to break down fats and enables the nerves and muscles to operate as they should.
Those that are depressed are frequently found to have low inositol levels in their spinal fluid, so it is believed to play a part in that condition. It is known that the substance takes part in the function of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is known to play a part in depression, and initial signs are that its use in the treatment of depression could be effective. Neurotransmitters are responsible for passing messages across the gap (synapses) between nerve cells, their messages being decoded by the neuroreceptors. A healthy nervous system depends on healthy neurotransmitters.
For these reasons, inositol has also been tried on other conditions of the nervous system. These include bipolar disorder, bulimia, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and attention deficit disorder. So far, results have been inconclusive as to its effectiveness, but it is early days yet and field tests are continuing.
A test carried out in Beersheva, Israel, in 1997, found that treatment with inositol produced significant improvement in the depression of 28 patients after four weeks on the Hamilton Depression Scale1, and 21 patients tested with panic disorder (with and without agoraphobia) showed significant improvements in their condition, including agoraphobia. Results on 13 patients with obsessive compulsive disorder also showed significant improvement. These were all double-blind tests.
However, not all tests have been so conclusive, and a study on 42 people with sever depression who did not respond to conventional antidepressant, also failed to respond when inositol was added to their medication.2 Results are therefore not conclusive.
Four hundred people took part in a double-blind test that indicated a possible improvement in the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome when treated with inositol 3,4 and another that inositol treatment on patients taking lithium could help reduce the symptoms of psoriasis, a skin condition believed to be caused by a reaction of the immune system and nerves.5
The supplement has also been found to be just as effective as Luvox (fluvoxamine – similar to Prozac) after four weeks treatment. Although these results are good, they are inconclusive, and more data is need before any indisputable conclusions can be drawn. However, treatment with inositol might be worth considering if conventional treatment for these conditions has been unsuccessful.
The most common natural form of inositol is myo-inositol, an isomer of cyclohehexanehexol, a carbocyclic polyol that form the structural basis for secondary messengers in the cells of eukaryotes.
A secondary messenger system is one whereby a signaling molecule is released in response to a signal from a primary messenger such as a neuroreceptor, which then activates certain intracellular proteins known as effector proteins that exert a response from the cell. An example is cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate) that is a secondary messenger that activates protein kinases and allows them to phosphorylated proteins.
Eukaryotes are organisms that contain cells composed of complex components contained within a cellular membrane, and that also contain a nucleus. Examples are fungi, plants and all animals. Examples of non eukaryotes include the bacteria family.
It is frequently recommended that inositol is most effective when taken with an equal amount of choline, although this might be due to the fact that when inositol deficiency is detected, choline is also frequently deficient. Both are vitamin B family like, and both are lipotropic, in that they aid the breakdown of fats in the body. It is not clear whether this is true or not, but taking both would certainly not harm you, and might be of great benefit.
Inositol is not essential, because it can be obtained from beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, cantaloupe, brewer’s yeast, liver and vegetables. Bacteria in the gut also act on the phytic acid (inositol hexaphosphate) contained in citrus fruits to form inositol.
However, be careful if you drink a lot of coffee. It destroys inositol, and if you are taking the supplement medicinally, steer clear of coffee during your period of treatment because it will lose its effect. Excessive coffee drinking can also result in a general depletion of inositol from your diet, and hence a deficiency. In such a case you are advised to take a supplement, preferably along with choline that might also be deficient.
Although there have been no adverse side effects reported, no specific longer term safety studies have been carried out on inositol. Because of the way it works, inositol should be avoided by people with liver or kidney disease, and also by expectant or nursing women. It should be avoided by young children until safety tests have been carried out, and it is believed that it can cause manic effects in those suffering bipolar disorder.
Other than for these specific cases, trials with many times the average daily intake of the substance, it currently appears safe to take inositol as a long-term supplement. However, as with all such supplements intended for specific disorders, you should seek the advice of your physician.
References:
1. Levine J: Ministry of Health Mental Health Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev,Beersheva, Israel ur Neuropsychopharmacol, 1997 May, 7:2, 147-55
2. Nemets B, Mishory A, Levine J, et al. Inositol addition does not improve depression in SSRI treatment failures. J Neural Transm. 1999;106:795-798.
3. Gerli S, Mignosa M, Di Renzo GC. Effects of inositol on ovarian function and metabolic factors in women with PCOS: a randomized double blind placebo-controlled trial. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2003;7:151-9.
4. Gerli S, Papaleo E, Ferrari A, et al. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial: effects of myo-inositol on ovarian function and metabolic factors in women with PCOS. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2007;11:347-354.
5. Allan SJ, Kavanagh GM, Herd RM, et al. The effect of inositol supplements on the psoriasis of patients taking lithium: arandomized, placebo-controlled trial. Br J Dermatol. 2004;150:966-969.
Darrell Miller
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/support-a-healthy-nervous-system-with-inositol-696371.html
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Acidity and Diet Prevent Indigestion and Gerd
It’s surprising how many people are laid low by high acidity. Over the counter prescriptions may help but they sometimes leave behind a sensation of extreme discomfort. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD) is a condition in which stomach contents, including acid, back up (reflux) into the esophagus, causing inflammation and damage to the esophagus. Basically, acid is needed for digestion but some people secrete more than necessary. This irritates the duodenum and the stomach linings. It may even lead to ulcers in the stomach. The treatment of GERD is not clear cut but there are few things worth considering.
The symptoms of GERD are a burning pain in the chest behind the sternum or breastbone, a burning or aching pain in the upper abdomen usually accompanied by acid reflux. There are many causes for GERD. For some people there is a natural tendency for the stomach to produce more acid or because of a weakness in the normal sphincter mechanism. In this case it commonly occurs after eating, lifting weights or straining. GERD can also be exacerbatted by the consumption of foods with too much fat or spice, excess consumption of alcohol, coffee or tea, smoking and even over eating. Eating late or eating just before sleeping or sometimes even medication can cause acidity. The treatment of GERD in part, requires the correcting of bad dietary habits.
Since diet is major contributor to symptoms, changes in diet and behaviour associated with eating may help in the treatment of GERD. Try to eat regular small meals, and avoid eating until bloated and full. Keep liquids separate from meals time, to prevent over-filling the stomach. Try to avoid oily and spicy foods. Include plenty of fruits and vegetables however keep highly acidic varieties to a minimum (oranges, tomatoes, grapefruit). Try to cut down on processed and refined foods, especially carbohydrates – choose whole-grains instead. Some people find that reducing or eliminating alcohol and caffeine is beneficial in the treatment of GERD.
Try to avoid vigorous activity for an hour or so after you have eaten, do not carry out task that require you to bend over (gardening, changing beds). Avoid lying down immediately after eating and try to eat at least 3 hours before going to bed.
Some remedies off the kitchen shelf, such as drinking aniseed and water, cumin and water, and chewing on cloves or cardamom could relieve acidity. A long term cure, however, can come about only with a dietary change as well as perhaps, a lifestyle change.
Mitamins Team
http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/acidity-and-diet-prevent-indigestion-and-gerd-94294.html
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Vitamin B5 Deficiency, Alcoholism And Depression
Given the frequency and popularity of alcohol consumption around the world and the fact that alcohol depletes vitamin B5, deficiency of the vitamin may be a lot more common than we thought. In this article, SKinB5 takes a look at the correlation between alcohol consumption, vitamin B5 deficiency and depression.
Symptoms of vitamin B5 deficiency are fatigue, chronic stress, and depression. Vitamin B5 is needed for hormone formation and the uptake of amino acids and the brain chemical acetylcholine, which combine to prevent certain types of depression.
An important function of vitamin B5 is that it aids the body in alcohol detoxification. It is also needed to counteract stress and to maintain a healthy nervous system. A study showed that vitamin B5 speeds up liver detoxification of acetaldehyde after alcohol consumption. This is very important for those who consume excessive alcohol because acetaldehyde appears to be a major chemical in the toxic process that accompanies long term alcohol use. Vitamin B5 is required in increased amounts in liver disease and in those who use alcohol excessively.
Alcoholism and Depression
Biochemical depression has certain symptoms that distinguish it from the depression stemming from negative life events. Heavy drinking is a major contributor to biochemical depression. You are likely to be biologically depressed if:
- You have been depressed for a long time despite changes in your life
- Talk therapy has little or no effect; in fact, psychological probing
- You don’t react to good news
- You awaken very early in the morning and can’t get back to sleep
- You cannot trace the onset of your depression to any event in your life
- Your moods may swing between depression and elation over a period of months in a regular rhythm (this suggests bipolar, or manic-depressive, disorder)
- Heavy drinking makes your depression worse
Depression, like the other emotional problems, often has biochemical roots that stem from the destructive effect of alcohol on the chemistry of the brain. Research has verified the relationship between biochemistry and depression. Autopsies of people who have committed suicide have revealed biochemical disruptions that are unique to suicidal depression.
Vitamin and Mineral Deficiency and Depression
The effect of nutritional deficiencies on brain chemistry can cause depression, anger, listlessness, and paranoia.
One of the most dramatic cases of vitamin and mineral deficiencies involved a man who had been arrested four times for drunken driving but continued to drink daily. He was thirty, divorced, and living alone. He rarely ate more than one meal a day, usually fast food or junk food. He lived on coffee, cigarettes, and beer. Paul confided that he was probably going to lose his sales job because he could no longer motivate himself. He blamed all of his troubles on depression. There were so many aspects of his lifestyle that suggested a real depletion of the natural chemicals he needed to recover from alcoholism and depression.
The man was diagnosed and given B-complex shots, and he remarked that his doctor must have injected him with an amphetamine! The effect of restoring these life-giving substances was dramatic. He also made many lifestyle changes that contributed to his recovery, but one of the most important was the replacement of certain key natural substances that helped relieve his depression.
Vitamin B5 (and B-Complex Vitamins)
Vitamin B5 and the B-complex vitamins are essential to mental and emotional well-being. They cannot be stored in our bodies, so we depend entirely on our daily diet to supply them. B vitamins, particularly vitamin B5 which are easily destroyed in cooking and modern food processing, are destroyed by alcohol, refined sugars, nicotine, and caffeine-the very substances that most alcoholics consume almost to the exclusion of everything else. Small wonder that deficiencies develop.
Here’s a rundown of recent findings about the relationship of B-complex vitamins to depression:
- Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): Symptoms of deficiency are fatigue, chronic stress, and depression. Vitamin B5 is needed for hormone formation and the uptake of amino acids and the brain chemical acetylcholine, which combine to prevent certain types of depression.
- Vitamin B (thiamine): Deficiencies trigger depression and irritability and can cause neurological and cardiac disorders among alcoholics.
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): In 1982 an article published in the British Journal of Psychiatry reported that every one of 172 successive patients admitted to a British psychiatric hospital for treatment of depression was deficient in B2.
- Vitamin B3 (niacin): Depletion causes anxiety, depression, apprehension, and fatigue.
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine): Deficiency can disrupt formation of neurotransmitters. Vitamin B6 is a coenzyme needed for conversion of tryptophan to serotonin and phenylalanine and tyrosine to norepinephrine. I have discussed the relationships of these neurotransmitters to depression earlier in this chapter.
- Vitamin B12: Deficiency will cause depression.
- Folic acid: Deficiency is a common cause of depression.
Vitamin C
Continuing vitamin C deficiency causes chronic depression, fatigue, and vague ill health.
Minerals
Deficiencies in a number of minerals can also cause depression.
- Zinc: Inadequacies result in apathy, lack of appetite, and lethargy. When zinc is low, copper in the body can increase to toxic levels, resulting in paranoia and fearfulness.
- Magnesium: Symptoms of deficiency include confusion, apathy, loss of appetite, weakness, and insomnia.
- Calcium: Depletion affects the central nervous system. Low levels of calcium cause nervousness, apprehension, irritability, and numbness.
- Iron: Depression is often a symptom of chronic iron deficiency. Other symptoms include general weakness, listlessness, exhaustion, lack of appetite, and headaches.
- Manganese: This metal is needed for proper use of the B-complex vitamins and vitamin C. Since it also plays a role in amino-acid formation, a deficiency may contribute to depression stemming from low levels of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine. Manganese also helps stabilize blood sugar and prevent hypoglycemic mood swings.
- Potassium: Depletion is frequently associated with depression, fearfulness, weakness, and fatigue. A 1981 study found that depressed patients were more likely than controls to have decreased intracellular potassium. Decreased brain levels of potassium have also been found on autopsies of suicides. You can boost your potassium intake by using one teaspoon of Morton’s Lite-Salt every day.
The Safety of Supplements
Vitamin C and the B-complex vitamins discussed above are all water soluble. This means that they can’t accumulate in your body or be stored for future use. Amounts above and beyond your current nutritional needs are dumped into your urine. As a result, there is no danger of overdose.
Unlike water soluble vitamins, minerals can be stored in your tissues. Therefore, please do not exceed the recommended therapeutic doses, since accumulation of minerals in the body can be dangerous.
SkinB5 contains vitamin B5 and zinc, so whilst treating your acne, it can help prevent alcohol related depression and support mental health.
Nick Bell
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/vitamin-b5-deficiency-alcoholism-and-depression-98725.html