Hello and welcome to this
edition of "Wonderfully Made"
00:00:56.74\00:01:02.05
I'm Dr. Neil
Nedley, practicing physician
00:01:02.08\00:01:04.95
and author of the book,
"Depression, The Way Out"
00:01:04.98\00:01:08.61
And today, we're going to be
talking exactly about that...
00:01:08.64\00:01:12.05
How can we find the
way out of depression?
00:01:12.06\00:01:16.09
First of all, depression is,
according to the Surgeon General
00:01:16.12\00:01:19.46
of the United States, an
epidemic in America today.
00:01:19.49\00:01:23.02
It is occurring with increasing
frequency, and at younger ages.
00:01:23.03\00:01:28.26
The disease is more than just
a mental illness causing sadness
00:01:28.29\00:01:32.19
but it can actually
cause many physical symptoms
00:01:32.22\00:01:34.97
including headache...
and also can increase
00:01:35.00\00:01:37.52
the risk of the major
causes of death such as
00:01:37.55\00:01:40.16
heart disease and
cancer, and suicide.
00:01:40.19\00:01:43.72
Today, we are going to be
getting in to the intricacies of
00:01:43.75\00:01:48.00
why depression is
so common today...
00:01:48.03\00:01:51.05
And HOW you can find
out the underlying cause
00:01:51.08\00:01:55.03
in a loved one of yours,
or how you can actually find
00:01:55.04\00:01:58.74
the underlying cause if
you, yourself are depressed.
00:01:58.77\00:02:03.50
First of all, it's
important to recognize that
00:02:03.53\00:02:06.22
depression does NOT give
any indication as to the cause
00:02:06.23\00:02:11.30
of the disease.
00:02:11.33\00:02:12.72
In fact, even if you're
diagnosed by a psychiatrist
00:02:12.75\00:02:16.13
as having major depression,
THAT does NOT tell you
00:02:16.16\00:02:19.90
WHY you have the disease.
00:02:19.93\00:02:21.94
If we want to increase
the likelihood of a long-term
00:02:21.97\00:02:25.47
solution to this
problem, we will identify
00:02:25.50\00:02:28.70
the CAUSES of depression,
and systematically treat them
00:02:28.73\00:02:33.35
And that is not a
simple a process as just
00:02:33.38\00:02:36.83
prescribing a drug.
00:02:36.86\00:02:39.63
When someone comes
to the emergency room
00:02:39.64\00:02:41.84
with abdominal pain,
one of the things I tell the
00:02:41.87\00:02:46.33
emergency room physician
when they give me a call...
00:02:46.36\00:02:48.85
as an internal
medicine physician, I will say,
00:02:48.88\00:02:52.18
"Be sure and not give them
any pain medication until I
00:02:52.21\00:02:55.94
have a chance to see them. "
00:02:55.97\00:02:57.57
Now this may sound cruel,
because the individual sometimes
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can be writhing in pain,
as one just was 2 days ago
00:03:01.82\00:03:05.08
before I came here
for this presentation...
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and when I walked into the room,
the FIRST thing that she asked
00:03:10.01\00:03:12.54
me is... "Dr. Nedley, PLEASE can
you give me some pain medication
00:03:12.57\00:03:16.28
to get rid of this pain. "
00:03:16.29\00:03:18.21
"It is a tremendous pain
that I'm having," and I started
00:03:18.24\00:03:21.62
to ask her some
questions about her pain...
00:03:21.65\00:03:23.84
When it
started? Where it was at?
00:03:23.87\00:03:26.64
What other symptoms she
had with it, such as nausea
00:03:26.67\00:03:29.50
or vomiting, and then
I did the all-important
00:03:29.53\00:03:32.02
physical examination
and found out that she had
00:03:32.05\00:03:36.40
an acute abdomen.
00:03:36.43\00:03:37.79
An acute abdomen means
that there has been a ruptured
00:03:37.82\00:03:41.32
portion inside the abdomen that
if the patient does not go to
00:03:41.35\00:03:46.46
surgery, she will actually
die because of that rupture
00:03:46.49\00:03:50.62
and tremendous infection
will set in called "peritonitis"
00:03:50.65\00:03:53.96
If that patient would have
been given pain medication,
00:03:53.99\00:03:56.73
and THEN I saw her, chances are
we would have lost her life...
00:03:56.76\00:04:01.71
Because the pain would
have gone away, and meanwhile,
00:04:01.74\00:04:04.93
a life-threatening
condition was happening where
00:04:04.96\00:04:07.47
septic shock was
starting to ensue.
00:04:07.50\00:04:10.28
That really illustrates
the point in regards to
00:04:10.31\00:04:12.84
major depression... If we
just diagnosed the disease
00:04:12.85\00:04:15.83
and then try to cover
it up with a medication,
00:04:15.86\00:04:19.13
the patient can feel
better, but unfortunately,
00:04:19.16\00:04:22.49
although it may not cause
instant death like in the case
00:04:22.52\00:04:25.12
of acute abdominal pain,
00:04:25.15\00:04:26.69
it can cause an individual to
be dependent on that medication
00:04:26.72\00:04:30.12
for life simply
because they have not found the
00:04:30.15\00:04:33.10
underlying cause
of their disease.
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Like most chronic
diseases, depression IS
00:04:37.61\00:04:40.91
a multifactorial disease...
00:04:40.94\00:04:43.62
And that means that
it's not just one cause.
00:04:43.65\00:04:46.30
Heart disease, for instance,
can have more than one cause
00:04:46.33\00:04:49.57
such as high blood
pressure, or cigarette smoking,
00:04:49.60\00:04:52.34
or high blood
cholesterol, or family history.
00:04:52.37\00:04:55.14
And the same can be
true of depression...
00:04:55.15\00:04:57.50
There are
difference causes, of course,
00:04:57.53\00:04:59.32
but depression is often caused
by more than just one factor.
00:04:59.35\00:05:07.15
The most effective
approach is actually going to be
00:05:07.16\00:05:10.62
to identify each one
of the causes involved,
00:05:10.65\00:05:13.80
and then systematically TREAT
each one of those causes...
00:05:13.81\00:05:17.75
to come up with the solution
00:05:17.78\00:05:19.75
and the cure for
major depression.
00:05:19.78\00:05:23.07
Now I'd like to go over
with you, in this segment,
00:05:23.10\00:05:25.95
the 10 major hits
or drags on the brain
00:05:25.98\00:05:30.32
that can cause major depression.
00:05:30.35\00:05:33.27
Now, most people are
familiar with just 1 or 2,
00:05:33.30\00:05:36.48
or maybe at the
most, 3 of those hits.
00:05:36.51\00:05:39.19
In fact, even many
healthcare practitioners
00:05:39.22\00:05:42.41
who treat
depression, are just cognizant
00:05:42.44\00:05:45.12
of maybe 2 or 3 of these hits.
00:05:45.15\00:05:47.37
The REST of these hits that
I'm going to be talking about
00:05:47.40\00:05:50.21
or these drags on the
brain, or blows to the brain,
00:05:50.24\00:05:54.29
actually are very
well-documented in the
00:05:54.32\00:05:58.23
medical literature.
00:05:58.26\00:05:59.26
These hits occur...
they occur frequently,
00:05:59.29\00:06:02.20
and they are not just
obscure causes of the disease.
00:06:02.23\00:06:06.40
And if we can get to
these underlying causes,
00:06:06.43\00:06:10.78
and not just the 1 or 2
that most people think of,
00:06:10.81\00:06:13.39
but ALL of the
underlying causes,
00:06:13.42\00:06:15.19
then we have an excellent
chance to achieve a cure
00:06:15.22\00:06:19.03
in the patient who is depressed.
00:06:19.06\00:06:21.78
Well let's go
through those 10 causes now,
00:06:21.81\00:06:25.78
and I think you will see
those 10 causes on your screen
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as we mention
each one of those...
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The first cause is "genetic,"
and I'm just going to list
00:06:33.29\00:06:37.17
all 10 of them here
that are on your screen,
00:06:37.20\00:06:39.94
and then we'll talk
about each one individually.
00:06:39.97\00:06:43.35
Well, let's go through
each one of these in detail
00:07:18.79\00:07:21.67
but before we do, I would
just like to back up and mention
00:07:21.70\00:07:25.72
that's it's usually not just
one hit that causes depression.
00:07:25.75\00:07:29.06
Often... the brain is a
very resilient structure
00:07:29.09\00:07:34.36
First of all, it's a
very complex structure
00:07:34.39\00:07:36.72
and a very
BEAUTIFULLY created structure...
00:07:36.75\00:07:41.11
In fact, it's the
most complicated structure
00:07:41.14\00:07:43.60
ever investigated by science...
00:07:43.61\00:07:45.42
this human brain
that just weighs 2-1/2,
00:07:45.45\00:07:48.28
or at the most, 3 pounds...
00:07:48.31\00:07:49.65
is indeed a
tremendously complex structure.
00:07:49.68\00:07:53.43
But it's also a
very resilient structure.
00:07:53.46\00:07:55.62
When it's
something that complex,
00:07:55.65\00:07:57.13
there's no surprise,
really, when something that
00:07:57.14\00:08:00.25
complex can go awry,
and we can end up having
00:08:00.28\00:08:03.72
some mental disorder such as
00:08:03.75\00:08:05.27
depression or
schizophrenia, etcetera
00:08:05.30\00:08:07.64
But many people don't realize
how resilient the brain is.
00:08:07.67\00:08:11.49
The brain can take a
major hit and NEVER end up
00:08:11.52\00:08:15.40
with depression or any other
anxiety or mental disorder.
00:08:15.43\00:08:19.45
In fact, it can
take 2 major hits,
00:08:19.46\00:08:22.25
and not end up with
any problems at all.
00:08:22.28\00:08:24.47
The individual can function
normally, can work normally...
00:08:24.50\00:08:27.26
can analyze
things appropriately,
00:08:27.29\00:08:29.23
not have any
fatigue, or any sadness,
00:08:29.26\00:08:32.77
or empty feelings at all.
00:08:32.80\00:08:34.59
Actually 3 hits can
go against the brain,
00:08:34.62\00:08:39.42
3 blows to the
brain so to speak...
00:08:39.45\00:08:41.53
major blows and the individual
still not be depressed.
00:08:41.56\00:08:45.57
That's how
resilient the brain is.
00:08:45.60\00:08:48.02
But I have found that
once that 4th hit occurs,
00:08:48.05\00:08:51.05
THEN depression
will come about...
00:08:51.08\00:08:55.02
Or if not depression, anxiety,
00:08:55.05\00:08:58.01
or some other mental
disorder can come about.
00:08:58.04\00:09:01.98
And so, it is important to
recognize these hit categories
00:09:02.01\00:09:07.57
and the things that
can actually qualify you to
00:09:07.60\00:09:11.52
be involved in
those hit categories.
00:09:11.55\00:09:14.89
First of all, I would
like to talk about the genetic
00:09:14.92\00:09:17.70
hit category...
00:09:17.73\00:09:19.40
This is the one that
most psychiatrists and
00:09:19.43\00:09:22.66
psychologists and medical
doctors are VERY familiar with.
00:09:22.69\00:09:25.79
In fact, the lay person will
call it, "a chemical disorder"
00:09:25.82\00:09:30.39
Or, they might call it a
biological cause of depression.
00:09:30.42\00:09:34.25
And what they're
really talking about is the
00:09:34.28\00:09:36.03
genetic cause of depression.
00:09:36.06\00:09:37.92
Now, there are 5 genes
that are involved in depression.
00:09:37.95\00:09:43.78
Fortunately, most Americans
do not have any of those
00:09:43.81\00:09:47.25
abnormal genes, and
so they don't have the
00:09:47.28\00:09:50.65
genetic cause of
depression per se
00:09:50.68\00:09:53.03
One thing to recognize though,
00:09:53.06\00:09:54.98
if you do have one of
those genes, or even 2 or 3,
00:09:55.01\00:09:57.96
or... there are some people who
have had all 5 of those genes.
00:09:57.99\00:10:01.63
That's still NOT
enough to cause depression...
00:10:01.66\00:10:04.93
because that's
only one hit category.
00:10:04.96\00:10:07.36
As I mentioned, you
have to have 4 hit categories
00:10:07.39\00:10:09.86
to end up with depression.
00:10:09.89\00:10:11.20
But it does increase your
risk because you're on your way
00:10:11.23\00:10:14.41
of getting that 4th hit when
you have that genetic cause...
00:10:14.44\00:10:17.83
And unfortunately, because it's
genetic, it's not modifiable.
00:10:17.86\00:10:20.89
You can't go back
into your mother's womb,
00:10:20.90\00:10:23.46
and you can't
RESTRUCTURE your DNA
00:10:23.49\00:10:26.17
And so, if you
have that genetic hit,
00:10:26.20\00:10:28.16
you have it, but it's
not necessarily THE cause,
00:10:28.17\00:10:32.26
it's just ONE of
probably 4 causes that has
00:10:32.27\00:10:35.81
brought about depression.
00:10:35.84\00:10:37.89
Well, in about 5 years
from now, or maybe longer,
00:10:37.92\00:10:42.49
you'll be able to go
into a doctor's office
00:10:42.52\00:10:44.54
and have a blood test done,
00:10:44.57\00:10:46.11
and have your DNA analyzed,
and the doctor will say...
00:10:46.14\00:10:49.11
"You have the gene for
depression... here it is"
00:10:49.14\00:10:52.39
We're not to that
stage at this point...
00:10:52.42\00:10:54.58
These are just
research protocols as far as
00:10:54.61\00:10:56.74
looking at the DNA and
depression is concerned...
00:10:56.77\00:10:59.10
And so the best we can
do, as medical doctors today,
00:10:59.13\00:11:02.45
is say... "Do you have a
family history of depression"
00:11:02.48\00:11:05.15
"Is your mother
depressed, is your father?
00:11:05.18\00:11:07.24
"Are any of your
brothers or sisters depressed?"
00:11:07.27\00:11:10.21
And if they are, then
we chalk them up as having
00:11:10.24\00:11:12.89
a genetic cause of depression.
00:11:12.92\00:11:14.39
It doesn't necessarily mean
that they inherited the gene,
00:11:14.42\00:11:16.98
but that's just our
best way of determining it...
00:11:17.01\00:11:19.54
is just by asking the questions
in regard to family history.
00:11:19.57\00:11:24.82
Let's go into
the second cause now,
00:11:24.85\00:11:28.01
or the second major hit
or drag or blow to the head
00:11:28.04\00:11:31.25
that can cause depression...
00:11:31.28\00:11:32.59
And unfortunately, this second
cause is also NOT necessarily
00:11:32.62\00:11:36.40
a modifiable cause.
00:11:36.43\00:11:38.48
It's more
modifiable than the first...
00:11:38.51\00:11:41.31
if we raise our
children in the right manner...
00:11:41.34\00:11:45.23
But for people who
are already adults,
00:11:45.26\00:11:48.38
the way they have been
raised is already fixed.
00:11:48.41\00:11:51.22
And so #2 gets into
the developmental hit...
00:11:51.25\00:11:55.32
How would you know
whether you qualified as having
00:11:55.35\00:11:58.97
a developmental hit
or drag in depression?
00:11:59.00\00:12:02.26
#1... is if you were not raised
by both biological parents
00:12:02.29\00:12:08.16
...you actually have
the developmental hit
00:12:08.19\00:12:10.84
And unfortunately, this
is occurring with increasing
00:12:10.87\00:12:13.38
frequency in our society today.
00:12:13.39\00:12:16.09
Fully, 50% of marriages
eventually end up with a divorce
00:12:16.12\00:12:22.60
And sometimes, these
divorces occur over minutiae.
00:12:22.63\00:12:26.41
I work in a hospital
setting, and also in a clinic,
00:12:26.44\00:12:29.51
and so I'm around a lot of
people and a lot of employees
00:12:29.54\00:12:32.67
and I hear about a lot
of divorces taking place...
00:12:32.68\00:12:35.85
And then when I hear the
actual reasons for the divorce,
00:12:35.88\00:12:38.73
I would say the
majority of those reasons,
00:12:38.76\00:12:41.69
when you actually
hear them are minutiae.
00:12:41.72\00:12:45.08
And who is affected the most
by this... The children are.
00:12:45.11\00:12:48.98
And often, it's for
convenience sake that these
00:12:49.01\00:12:51.35
divorces take place, and
maybe a little irritation
00:12:51.38\00:12:54.65
...not just a
little, maybe a moderate,
00:12:54.68\00:12:57.80
or even a large amount of
irritation with the spouse
00:12:57.83\00:13:02.24
But when we take a look at
it from a global perspective,
00:13:02.27\00:13:06.90
and all things considered,
if the parents would recognize
00:13:06.93\00:13:11.62
what could
happen to their children
00:13:11.65\00:13:12.98
as a result of the divorce,
they would have a lot higher
00:13:13.01\00:13:16.15
motivation to try
to work things out...
00:13:16.18\00:13:18.62
Because if they are raised
by both biological parents,
00:13:18.65\00:13:21.56
that can SAVE them a
developmental hit that
00:13:21.59\00:13:24.38
many children are
experiencing today.
00:13:24.41\00:13:28.27
If an adolescent
person has depression,
00:13:28.30\00:13:32.36
that qualifies them as
having the developmental hit.
00:13:32.39\00:13:35.85
Depression does NOT
occur in adolescents unless
00:13:35.88\00:13:38.60
there are significant
problems with the upbringing...
00:13:38.63\00:13:43.24
And these aren't just social
problems with the upbringing
00:13:43.27\00:13:46.52
There can be other problems
with the upbringing as well...
00:13:46.55\00:13:50.02
And some of those
things are entirely overlooked.
00:13:50.05\00:13:55.40
One of the things that
most people are aware of
00:13:55.43\00:13:57.57
is severe sexual abuse.
00:13:57.60\00:13:59.43
If a person has
suffered severe sexual abuse
00:13:59.46\00:14:02.29
as part of their upbringing,
00:14:02.32\00:14:03.31
they do HAVE the
developmental hit,
00:14:03.34\00:14:06.07
and that means they are
at a major increased risk of
00:14:06.10\00:14:08.52
developing depression,
not ONLY in adolescence,
00:14:08.55\00:14:10.86
but also in adulthood.
00:14:10.89\00:14:12.40
Milder forms of sexual
abuse do NOT actually increase
00:14:12.43\00:14:17.33
the risk of
depression in adulthood.
00:14:17.36\00:14:19.76
And then probably the
most overlooked factor...
00:14:19.79\00:14:22.34
as far as depression is
concerned in regards to the
00:14:22.37\00:14:27.44
developmental hit, are
NUTRITIONAL developmental hits.
00:14:27.45\00:14:31.71
Now let me go into
that here a little bit...
00:14:31.72\00:14:35.43
on the nutritional aspect...
00:14:35.46\00:14:37.24
It actually has to do with a
setup that is very common today
00:14:37.27\00:14:42.84
and that setup is early puberty.
00:14:42.87\00:14:46.58
You might have seen
the "Time Magazine" issue
00:14:46.61\00:14:48.96
some months ago that had
featured the covered story
00:14:48.99\00:14:52.45
of an adolescent
girl, early in adolescence
00:14:52.48\00:14:55.55
who already is mature
as a woman 20 years old.
00:14:55.58\00:15:01.42
This is occurring
with increasing frequency
00:15:01.45\00:15:03.95
in our society today,
and there are several reasons
00:15:03.98\00:15:07.51
for it, but one of the major
reasons is being overlooked.
00:15:07.54\00:15:11.14
In fact girls, who by age 11
or younger, are at the middle
00:15:11.17\00:15:15.08
of their pubertal
phase of development,
00:15:15.11\00:15:17.25
and have begun to
have menstrual periods...
00:15:17.28\00:15:20.38
those girls are at a
MARKED increase risk of
00:15:20.41\00:15:24.49
suffering from depression
in their teenage years,
00:15:24.52\00:15:26.94
and also into adulthood...
and that's a SAD fact!
00:15:26.97\00:15:32.05
Now, some of these
girls might feel that they are
00:15:32.08\00:15:35.37
actually blessed by
this early development
00:15:35.40\00:15:40.27
but it is not a blessing
for these girls in the long run.
00:15:40.30\00:15:43.81
It not only increases
their risk of depression,
00:15:43.84\00:15:46.26
it also increases their
risk of panic disorder...
00:15:46.29\00:15:48.56
It also increases their
risk of eating disorders,
00:15:48.59\00:15:52.32
as well as increasing
their risk of breast cancer.
00:15:52.33\00:15:55.90
How can we help prevent
this early puberty that is
00:15:55.93\00:15:59.49
occurring so
rapidly in America today?
00:15:59.52\00:16:02.87
Actually, studies tell us
that the protein has a MAJOR
00:16:02.90\00:16:06.77
role to play in this event.
00:16:06.80\00:16:09.63
A few years ago... before
Western civilization invaded
00:16:09.64\00:16:13.12
Japan, the average age of
menstruation in a young girl
00:16:13.15\00:16:17.00
was age 17.
00:16:17.03\00:16:18.36
It is starting to drop...
but still not as low in America
00:16:18.39\00:16:22.66
In America, the average age
of beginning the menstrual cycle
00:16:22.69\00:16:26.06
in girls is 12 years old...
00:16:26.09\00:16:28.74
And of course, that not only
increases the risk of depression
00:16:28.77\00:16:31.61
later on, but also increases
the risk of having a baby
00:16:31.64\00:16:36.15
when they
themselves are still a child...
00:16:36.18\00:16:38.94
as well as increasing
the risk of all sorts of
00:16:38.97\00:16:41.09
sexual problems as well.
00:16:41.12\00:16:43.28
This initial study
showed that the protein intake
00:16:43.29\00:16:46.79
played a major role...
00:16:46.80\00:16:47.82
There was a higher protein
intake here in the United States
00:16:47.85\00:16:50.44
...a lower protein intake in
Japan, and this seemed to play
00:16:50.47\00:16:53.17
one of the major roles.
00:16:53.20\00:16:55.23
However, there was a
recent study performed
00:16:55.26\00:16:59.48
on whites... here in America.
00:16:59.51\00:17:03.58
They were from the
same geographical area...
00:17:03.61\00:17:05.78
There were all the same race,
00:17:05.81\00:17:07.08
so we got rid of
the geography concerns,
00:17:07.12\00:17:09.29
and the racial concerns that
the Japanese study looked at.
00:17:09.32\00:17:12.87
But the difference
was the protein intake,
00:17:12.90\00:17:16.95
and the TYPE of protein intake.
00:17:16.98\00:17:19.07
Girls that consume the
higher animal protein intake
00:17:19.10\00:17:22.55
at ages 3 to 5... now
those are young girls,
00:17:22.58\00:17:28.02
if they were consuming
higher amounts of protein intake
00:17:28.05\00:17:31.37
at ages 3-5, they had a MUCH
earlier onset of menstruation.
00:17:31.40\00:17:36.97
Girls that consume
higher vegetable protein,
00:17:36.98\00:17:39.80
at ages 3-5 had a much
LATER onset of menstruation.
00:17:39.83\00:17:44.19
So even what we're feeding
our children, at ages 3-5,
00:17:44.22\00:17:47.51
we may not think it's
important because they
00:17:47.54\00:17:49.26
look like healthy children,
00:17:49.29\00:17:50.57
but it can have a
VITAL impact in regards to
00:17:50.60\00:17:54.18
how they're going to develop,
00:17:54.21\00:17:56.08
and how early
they're going to develop...
00:17:56.12\00:17:58.45
And even the setup
for developmental hit
00:17:58.49\00:18:00.79
in major
depression later on in life.
00:18:00.82\00:18:05.01
And so, we need to be
cognizant of this fact
00:18:05.05\00:18:07.97
We need to really pay
attention to what our children
00:18:08.01\00:18:12.05
are eating because it can
also form habits for life.
00:18:12.08\00:18:16.09
Well the 3rd developmental
hit is the developmental hit
00:18:16.12\00:18:20.35
that has to do with nutrition.
00:18:20.38\00:18:22.47
Now there are
actually 10 developmental hits
00:18:22.50\00:18:24.47
as you've seen.
00:18:24.50\00:18:25.64
But there's a 3rd one
that I would like to go into
00:18:25.67\00:18:28.01
a lot of detail simply because
it's a neglected mental hit
00:18:28.04\00:18:32.91
in America today.
00:18:32.94\00:18:34.70
In that 3rd hit, is what
we call "the nutrition hit"
00:18:34.73\00:18:39.11
Now, when you come
to see a psychiatrist,
00:18:39.14\00:18:41.59
or you come to
see a medical doctor,
00:18:41.60\00:18:43.31
and you tell him
that you're depressed...
00:18:43.34\00:18:44.87
very few of them will ask
you about what you're eating.
00:18:44.90\00:18:48.35
They won't do a food inventory.
00:18:48.38\00:18:50.22
They won't check
blood levels as far as
00:18:50.25\00:18:52.04
nutritional
aspects are concerned.
00:18:52.07\00:18:54.62
And they may be
missing the major component
00:18:54.65\00:18:58.63
that is combined with
genetic and developmental
00:18:58.66\00:19:01.91
to bring about depression.
00:19:01.94\00:19:04.40
One of the things that's
very important in maintaining
00:19:04.43\00:19:08.06
normal mental health is getting
adequate tryptophan in the diet.
00:19:08.09\00:19:12.45
Now tryptophan is an amino acid.
00:19:12.48\00:19:15.22
It's a protein building block...
00:19:15.23\00:19:17.60
And tryptophan is turned in
to serotonin in the brain...
00:19:17.63\00:19:22.59
But in order to
make that serotonin,
00:19:22.62\00:19:24.70
we have to have tryptophan first
00:19:24.73\00:19:26.29
You might have
heard of serotonin...
00:19:26.32\00:19:27.57
It's a mood elevator.
00:19:27.60\00:19:28.85
It also helps with
frontal lobe function with
00:19:28.88\00:19:31.02
analytical ability,
and it certainly helps
00:19:31.05\00:19:35.12
with the quality of life
that we are living mentally.
00:19:35.15\00:19:38.37
We ALL need an abundance
of serotonin to be able
00:19:38.38\00:19:41.91
to live joyous and happy lives.
00:19:41.94\00:19:44.04
But if we're not
getting tryptophan,
00:19:44.07\00:19:45.91
we're not going to be
GETTING that serotonin
00:19:45.94\00:19:49.37
because that's how it's made.
00:19:49.40\00:19:51.59
Well, what foods
have serotonin in them?
00:19:51.62\00:19:54.71
Or tryptophan... no foods
really have serotonin, per se
00:19:54.74\00:19:57.88
...they have the building block.
00:19:57.89\00:19:59.24
When I was in medical
school, I was told that milk was
00:19:59.27\00:20:02.48
an excellent
source of tryptophan...
00:20:02.51\00:20:04.78
And it's true that
milk has 46 mg/100 grams
00:20:04.81\00:20:09.23
is a fair source of tryptophan,
00:20:09.26\00:20:10.84
but there are better
sources of tryptophan
00:20:10.87\00:20:13.64
as I will be reading to you here
00:20:13.67\00:20:16.55
Black-eyed peas are
a much better source...
00:20:16.58\00:20:19.64
In fact, it has 4
times the amount that
00:20:19.67\00:20:23.38
milk has per 100 grams.
00:20:23.41\00:20:25.31
Black walnuts are
even a higher source yet;
00:20:25.34\00:20:28.27
almonds higher yet;
00:20:28.30\00:20:30.24
sesame seeds are the
4th highest source as far as
00:20:30.27\00:20:34.59
concentrated
tryptophan is concerned.
00:20:34.62\00:20:37.04
You might be
familiar with tahini...
00:20:37.07\00:20:39.99
There are a lot of
people that enjoy it.
00:20:40.02\00:20:41.51
It's a sesame seed butter,
and it has an abundance of
00:20:41.54\00:20:46.82
tryptophan, as well as calcium,
00:20:46.85\00:20:48.38
and that's why it is
a pretty healthy food.
00:20:48.41\00:20:50.43
Gluten flour is
actually the 3rd highest source.
00:20:50.46\00:20:53.77
Second highest source
is roasted pumpkin seeds,
00:20:53.80\00:20:56.62
and then the highest source
is good old-fashioned tofu
00:20:56.65\00:21:01.32
And this may be an
additional reason why the Asians
00:21:01.35\00:21:06.13
have had less problems
as far as mental disorders
00:21:06.16\00:21:09.82
than some of the
European counterparts,
00:21:09.85\00:21:12.15
and it could simply be
due to the soy intake...
00:21:12.18\00:21:14.30
But tofu does have a very
concentrated form of tryptophan
00:21:14.33\00:21:19.35
and that tryptophan can
then be readily available
00:21:19.38\00:21:21.88
to be turned into
serotonin in the brain.
00:21:21.91\00:21:26.04
Another important
nutritional hit to consider,
00:21:26.05\00:21:30.55
and one that is probably a
more frequent nutritional hit,
00:21:30.58\00:21:33.97
is a low omega-3
fatty acid intake.
00:21:34.00\00:21:38.41
Now in omega-3 fatty
acid, we need to understand
00:21:38.44\00:21:42.89
that both
vegetarians, AND meat-eaters
00:21:42.92\00:21:46.28
can have low amounts
of omega-3 fatty acids.
00:21:46.31\00:21:48.97
In fact, I see it probably
just as common in vegetarians
00:21:49.00\00:21:53.98
as I do in those that are
on the average meat and potato
00:21:54.01\00:21:58.05
diet in America, and
that really should cause some
00:21:58.08\00:22:02.49
alertness in regards to
nutrition for all of us.
00:22:02.50\00:22:06.37
Now studies show that
it NOT only helps PREVENT
00:22:06.40\00:22:09.61
depression, but it can
ALSO help treat depression
00:22:09.64\00:22:13.10
and it can also help
treat bipolar disorder.
00:22:13.11\00:22:16.16
In fact, there is a
study that was published in the
00:22:16.19\00:22:19.75
"Archives of
Psychiatry" which is one of the
00:22:19.78\00:22:22.12
very prestigious
mental health journals that
00:22:22.15\00:22:26.88
go to physicians.
00:22:26.91\00:22:28.38
But this particular study showed
00:22:28.41\00:22:30.40
that it helped
with bipolar disorder.
00:22:30.43\00:22:32.58
In fact, the more omega-3
fatty acids consumed up to a
00:22:32.61\00:22:35.79
certain amount, the better the
bipolar disorder was controlled.
00:22:35.82\00:22:40.29
And it even was associated with
lowering the dose of medications
00:22:40.32\00:22:44.25
to control bipolar disorder.
00:22:44.28\00:22:46.11
I should mention,
bipolar disorder is a disorder
00:22:46.12\00:22:49.71
where you not
only have depression,
00:22:49.74\00:22:51.21
but you can go into
a form called "mania"
00:22:51.24\00:22:53.66
where you have pressured
speech, you don't sleep well,
00:22:53.69\00:22:56.76
very anxious, and a
person that's really
00:22:56.79\00:23:00.95
very difficult to control as
well.. is in that mania phase.
00:23:00.96\00:23:06.13
And the omega-3 not only helped
with the depression part of it,
00:23:06.16\00:23:08.98
but really helped to
control the thought patterns
00:23:09.01\00:23:12.14
where concentration could be
obtained on one particular item
00:23:12.17\00:23:16.31
where the bipolar mania patients
tend to race in their thoughts
00:23:16.32\00:23:20.82
from one side to another.
00:23:20.85\00:23:23.53
These omega-3 fatty
acids were SO potent
00:23:23.56\00:23:26.80
that the editor of the
magazine, who was from the
00:23:26.83\00:23:32.42
Case Western Reserve
University in Cleveland, Ohio,
00:23:32.43\00:23:36.92
called it a landmark
attempt in drug development
00:23:36.95\00:23:40.33
for bipolar disorder.
00:23:40.34\00:23:42.81
I thought it was
interesting, he used the term
00:23:42.84\00:23:44.78
"drug development"
because omega-2 fatty acids
00:23:44.81\00:23:47.59
are NOT drugs...
00:23:47.62\00:23:48.92
They're actually
nutritional supplements,
00:23:48.95\00:23:50.72
but that's how potent an
effect these omega-3 fatty acids
00:23:50.75\00:23:54.63
had in helping
the disease process.
00:23:54.66\00:23:58.66
Now, how do most people
get their omega-3 fatty acids?
00:23:58.69\00:24:02.10
Actually, they tend
to get them from fish.
00:24:02.13\00:24:05.26
Now, NOT all fish are
high in omega-3 fatty acids.
00:24:05.29\00:24:09.31
In fact, there are a lot
of fish that are quite low
00:24:09.34\00:24:11.56
in omega-3 fatty acids.
00:24:11.59\00:24:13.55
The type of fish that tend to be
high in it that are going to be
00:24:13.58\00:24:16.61
your cold-water ocean fish...
00:24:16.64\00:24:18.95
And, they don't
synthesize it themselves...
00:24:18.98\00:24:21.41
There are a lot of people
that think that fish somehow
00:24:21.44\00:24:24.83
make these omega-3 fatty
acids in their own bodies.
00:24:24.86\00:24:27.68
They get them from plant
foods and the cold-water ocean
00:24:27.71\00:24:31.65
seaweed is VERY high
in omega-3 fatty acids.
00:24:31.68\00:24:36.03
And as a result of
that, they get the EPA,
00:24:36.06\00:24:40.11
or eiscosapentanoic acid
directly from the seaweed itself
00:24:40.14\00:24:44.41
and then they can pass it on
00:24:44.44\00:24:46.11
to the individual
consuming the fish.
00:24:46.14\00:24:48.37
I have a problem, really,
with people getting their
00:24:48.40\00:24:52.05
omega-3 fatty acids that way,
00:24:52.08\00:24:53.74
particularly when they're
trying to get larger amounts
00:24:53.75\00:24:56.22
that can help
depression and bipolar disorder.
00:24:56.25\00:24:58.64
And the problem is, these
fish can be laden with toxins.
00:24:58.67\00:25:04.16
In fact, I'm going to
jump ahead for a minute,
00:25:04.19\00:25:06.59
to the 5th major hit category...
00:25:06.62\00:25:09.06
and those are toxic hits...
00:25:09.09\00:25:11.85
where an individual has too
much mercury in their system
00:25:11.88\00:25:14.46
or too much lead.
00:25:14.49\00:25:15.70
The #1 cause of mercury
poisoning in the United States
00:25:15.73\00:25:20.14
and too high mercury
levels is FISH consumption,
00:25:20.15\00:25:23.86
and so, we're
getting a trade off...
00:25:23.89\00:25:26.20
We may be getting omega-3
from it, but then we're also
00:25:26.23\00:25:28.69
getting toxins, and this is why
the Michigan Medical Association
00:25:28.70\00:25:32.17
and other medical associations
have gone on record saying
00:25:32.20\00:25:34.99
that if a woman is pregnant,
they should AVOID eating fish.
00:25:35.02\00:25:38.62
In fact, they even
limit their fish consumption
00:25:38.65\00:25:41.47
significantly during pregnancy
because of the mercury levels
00:25:41.50\00:25:45.64
and the toxins that are
so prevalent in fish today,
00:25:45.67\00:25:48.14
and it can actually cause
a developmental malformation
00:25:48.15\00:25:51.58
before the
individual is even born.
00:25:51.61\00:25:54.65
This is due to a process
that we call biomagnification.
00:25:54.68\00:25:58.79
Now to illustrate this
point, I'll reveal a study
00:25:58.82\00:26:03.29
that was done at
Clear Lake, California.
00:26:03.32\00:26:06.53
And, at that study, they
took a look at the lake water
00:26:06.56\00:26:10.68
and the amount of DDD in it.
00:26:10.71\00:26:13.11
DDD is an insecticide.
00:26:13.14\00:26:15.52
The lake water had only
0.02 parts per million of DDD
00:26:15.55\00:26:19.83
and that's a low amount, what
the FDA would call a safe amount
00:26:19.86\00:26:23.52
But the phytoplankton living
in the DDD contaminated water
00:26:23.55\00:26:27.36
had 5 parts per million.
00:26:27.37\00:26:29.32
And the herbivorous fish that
were eating the phytoplankton
00:26:29.35\00:26:33.34
had 40 to up to
300 parts per million,
00:26:33.35\00:26:36.65
and the carnivorous fish had
00:26:36.68\00:26:37.92
up to 2500 parts per million
of DDD, a very unsafe level.
00:26:37.95\00:26:42.26
And that is biomagnification...
00:26:42.29\00:26:44.69
where we take
whatever is in the water
00:26:44.72\00:26:47.21
in a toxic amount, even
though it's a low amount,
00:26:47.24\00:26:49.64
gets into a MAJOR amount
once we consume the fish.
00:26:49.67\00:26:55.41
And this is why I
think it's best to get your
00:26:55.44\00:26:58.04
omega-3
supplements from PLANT FOODS,
00:26:58.07\00:27:01.95
and fortunately, there ARE
plant foods that are quite high
00:27:01.98\00:27:05.42
in omega-3 supplements.
00:27:05.45\00:27:07.84
Almonds, spinach, green
soybeans, wheat germ oil,
00:27:07.85\00:27:12.22
walnuts are excellent sources...
00:27:12.25\00:27:13.86
and the 3 highest sources
are canola oil, and by the way,
00:27:13.89\00:27:16.98
don't believe that canola oil
is the cause of mad cow disease
00:27:17.01\00:27:19.99
like an internet scam said.
00:27:20.02\00:27:22.04
Canola oil is a very good oil.
00:27:22.07\00:27:24.29
Walnuts are the
second highest source,
00:27:24.32\00:27:26.67
and the HIGHEST
source is flaxseed.
00:27:26.70\00:27:29.86
It's very important for
depressed patients to get enough
00:27:29.89\00:27:33.05
omega-3 fatty
acids in their diet.
00:27:33.06\00:27:35.51
And I have found by putting
them on these plant sources
00:27:35.52\00:27:38.65
of omega-3, they can
REGAIN mental health,
00:27:38.68\00:27:41.30
and get rid of one of
the major hit categories
00:27:41.31\00:27:44.75
that caused depression.
00:27:44.78\00:27:46.48
We should not neglect
the impact that nutrition
00:27:46.51\00:27:49.51
has in causing this disease.
00:27:49.54\00:27:51.91
And we shouldn't neglect
00:27:51.94\00:27:53.21
the foundational
causes of depression.
00:27:53.24\00:27:56.03