The Food-Mood Solution: All-Natural Ways to Banish Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Stress, Overeating, and Alcohol and Drug Problems -- and Feel Good Again

By Jack Challem

Summarized with permission of Wiley (www.wiley.com). All rights reserved.

Skip to Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Essential Neuronutrients for Improving Mood and Behavior

Those taking prescription drugs for depression, anxiety, or another mood issue, need to work with their doctor before trying natural neuronutrients. Neuronutrients may amplify the drug's effects and medications may need to be reduced. People should not attempt to do this alone. People should not discontinue their medication without consulting their physician or psychiatrist.

A high-potency multivitamin can have a powerful and positive effect on mood. This type of supplement will contain most or all of the B-complex vitamins, as well as vitamins C and E and a few other nutrients. It's an ideal supplement for someone who does not want or need to take a lot of capsules or tablets.

B-Complex Vitamins Principal use: To reverse moodiness, irritability, impatience, tension, anger, and depression, as well as to increase energy and promote general well-being. Some people benefit from extra amounts of individual B vitamins. High doses of any single B vitamin should always be accompanied by either a B-complex supplement or a multivitamin because all of the B vitamins are interdependent.

Dosage: 50 mg each of vitamins Bl, B2, B3, and B6.

Vitamin B1 Principal use: To reverse fuzzy thinking and lack of energy. Eating large amounts of carbohydrates depletes vitamin Bl levels.

Dosage: 50 mg daily. Higher amounts may be recommended by a physician.

Vitamin B2 Principal use: For the prevention and reduction of migraine headaches.

Dosage: 400 mg daily, along with a B-complex supplement.

Vitamin B3 (niacin and niacinamide) Principal use: To relieve anxiety. Very large doses may be beneficial for anxiety and cases of acute schizophrenia. It is a powerful mood-enhancing nutrient, and it is involved in the chemical reactions that make serotonin. Jack Challem, the author of The Food Mood Solution, recommends against taking time-release niacin supplements. These supplements are more likely to raise liver enzyme levels, which may indicate problems with normal liver function.

Dosage: For schizophrenia, take 3,000 mg of vitamin B3 and 3,000 mg of vitamin C daily. For the cholesterol-lowering effect of niacin (not niacinamide), take 1,000 mg daily.

Vitamin B6 Principal use: To reduce irritability, anxiety, tension, depression, PMS, and a "climbing the walls" feeling. B6 works with folate, vitamin B12, and tryptophan to make serotonin. Not dreaming or not being able to remember dreams is a sign of vitamin B6 deficiency, and white spots on the fingernails are a sign of zinc deficiency.

Dosage: Take 50 to 250 mg daily, plus B-complex. For those who may take more than 100 mg of vitamin B6 daily for longer than six months, should ask their physician to measure both their vitamin B6 and their aspartate aminotransferase levels, an enzyme that depends on vitamin B6 (low levels indicate poor vitamin B6 activity).

Folate (Folic Acid) Principal use: Involved in serotonin production and will enhance the activity of antidepressant medications. Crucial in the production of neurotransmitters and brain cells.

Dosage: Take 400 mcg to 5 grams daily. Always take it with vitamin B12 (half that of the folic acid dose).

Vitamin B12 Principal use: To promote mental sharpness and clarity. Low intake of vitamin B12 is strongly associated with severe depression. Deficiencies of vitamin B12 can sometimes mimic symptoms of severe brain fog and Alzheimer's disease. Everyone who is suspected of having Alzheimer's or dementia should have their levels of vitamin B12 and methylmalonic acid tested. Approximately one-third of senior citizens suffer from atrophic gastritis, a condition of low stomach acid, which interferes with the absorption of vitamin B12. Like folic acid, vitamin B12 is involved in the production of DNA, which is needed to make new brain cells. Drugs such as omeprazole (Prilosec), antacids, antibiotics, oral contraceptives, and the use of nitrous oxide anesthesia during surgery can reduce B12 levels.

Dosage: Take 500 to 1,000 mcg daily.

Choline and Phosphatidylcholine Principal use: To improve memory. Choline is a B vitamin that plays a major role in mood and brain function. Animal experiments have shown that prenatal choline supplements improve the brain function of offsprings. Choline is also part of phosphatidylcholine, a type of fat needed by brain cells.

Dosage: Take 250 to 1,000 mg of choline or one heaping tablespoon of lecithin.

Inositol Principal use: For depression, anxiety, panic attacks and obsessive-compulsive disorder; boosts serotonin levels.

Dosage: Combine 3 to 4 grams of inositol with a high-potency B-complex supplement.

SAMe Principal use: To reduce depression and pain (especially osteoarthritis). SAMe is formed by chemical reactions involving folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12 and choline, and is involved in diverse molecule-building processes. The end products include DNA, neurotransmitters, and phospholipids -- specialized fats needed for normal brain function. Can help to regenerate joint cartilage and relieve joint pain.

Dosage: Take 400 to 800 mg twice daily.

Vitamin C Principal use: To ease irritability and fatigue. It may enhance the activity of anti-psychotic drugs. It is essential for the conversion of dopamine to norepinephrine, and it protects against toxicity from high levels of some neurotransmitters. Protects the brain against amphetamines.

Dosage: Take 1,000 to 10,000 mg daily.

Chromium Principal use: To reverse depression, particularly when it involves overeating. It can lower and stabilize insulin and blood sugar levels, which may lessen mood swings. May increase levels of tryptophan and serotonin.

Dosage: Take 400 to 1,000 mcg daily. Take half the amount twice a day.

Magnesium Principal use: To reduce nervousness, anxiety, jittery feelings, agitation, twitchiness, and muscle spasms. It may have some benefits in post­traumatic depression and anxiety. Plays a role in more than three hundred enzymatic reactions in the body, influencing heart rate, muscle tone, bone density, labor, and the risk of headaches. Muscle spasms, charley horses, and restless legs syndrome are often signs of magnesium deficiency.

Dosage: Take 400 mg of magnesium citrate daily.

Omega-3 Oils Principal use: To relieve depression, bipolar disorder, poor memory, impulsiveness, hostility, and physical aggressiveness, and improve thinking processes. The omega-3s are among the most healthful of all dietary fats. They are needed for normal brain development in infants and children and for normal brain function in adults. Omega-3s are found in salad greens, flaxseed, grass-fed meats, and cold-water fish, such as salmon.

Dosage: Take 3 to 10 grams daily, either in capsule form (3 to 10 capsules) or by the tablespoon.

Phosphatidylserine Principal use: For memory, especially age-related memory decline. Has been found to blunt the release of Cortisol. In a study of young adults, taking 300 mg of phosphatidylserine daily for one month led to fewer feelings of stress, better moods, and less neurotic behavior.

Dosage: Take 100 mg of phosphatidylserine one to three times daily.

 

Skip to Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

This book summary may not be copied or distributed in any form without the permission from HealthBookSummaries.com. HealthBookSummaries.com assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Always work with a qualified health professional before making any changes to your diet, prescription drug use, lifestyle or exercise activities.

New Summaries

Browse All »

20 Things You Need to Know About Vitamin B12 Deficiency 18 Things You Need to Know About Vitamin D and Cancer The War on Bugs By Will Allen Mad Sheep: The True Story Behind the USDA's War on a Family Farm By Linda Faillace Spiritual Nutrition: Six Foundations for Spiritual Life and the Awakening of Kundalini By Gabriel Cousens, M.D. Cholesterol & The French Paradox By Frank Cooper The Complete Master Cleanse: A Step-by-Step Guide to Maximizing the Benefits of The Lemonade Diet By Raymond Francis with Kester Cotton Never Be Sick Again: Health is a Choice, Learn How to Choose It By Raymond Francis with Kester Cotton The Lost Language of Plants: The Ecological Importance of Plant Medicines for Life on Earth By Stephen Harrod Buhner The ADD and ADHD Cure: The Natural Way to Treat Hyperactivity and Refocus Your Child By Jay Gordon, M.D. The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush: A Powerful Do-It-Yourself Tool To Optimize Your Health And Wellbeing By Andreas Moritz The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved: Inside America's Underground Food Movements By Sandor Ellix Katz The Natural Hormone Makeover: 10 Steps to Rejuvenate Your Health and Rediscover Your Inner Glow By Phuli Cohan, M.D. The Cure: Heal Your Body, Save Your Life By Dr. Timothy Brantley Cancer is Not a Disease - It's a Survival Mechanism By Andreas Moritz Beyond Medicine: Exploring a New Way of Thinking By Dr. Keith Scott-Mumby Virtual Medicine: A new dimension in energy healing By Dr. Keith Scott-Mumby The Food Mood Solution By Jack Challem Perfect Health: The Natural Way By Mary-Ann Shearer The Anti-Aging Solution: 5 Simple Steps to Looking and Feeling Young By Vincent Giampapa, M.D, Ronald Pero, Ph.D. and Marcia Zimmerman, C.N. The Thrive Diet: The Whole Food Way to Lose Weight, Reduce Stress, and Stay Healthy for Life By Brendan Brazier Health Begins in the Colon: The Ultimate Guide for Cleansing Your Colon, Body, Mind & Home! By Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN Keep Your Brain Young: The Complete Guide to Physical and Emotional Health and Longevity By Guy McKhann, M.D., and Marilyn Albert, Ph.D. The Sunfood Diet Success System By David Wolfe Reverse Heart Disease Now: Stop Deadly Cardiovascular Plaque Before it's too Late By Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D. and James C. Roberts, M.D., with Martin Zucker Fight for Your Health: Exposing the FDA's Betrayal of America By Byron J. Richards, CCN JavaTrekker: Dispatches from the World of Fair Trade Coffee By Dean Cycon, Founder & Owner, Dean's Beans Organic Coffee The Vitamin D Cure By James E. Dowd, M.D. and Diane Stafford Shrink Yourself: Break Free from Emotional Eating Forever! By Roger Gould, M.D. Astaxantin - Natural Astaxanthin: King of the Carotenoids By Bob Capelli with Dr. Gerald Cysewski Green for Life By Victoria Boutenko The Genie in Your Genes:Epigenetic Medicine and the New Biology of Intention By Dawson Church Appetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines our Health and How to Fight Back By Michele Simon Selling Sickness: How the World's Biggest Pharmaceutical Companies Are Turning Us All into Patients By Ray Moynihan and Alan Cassels The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter and Miracles By Bruce H. Lipton, PH.D Natural Health Solutions: And the Conspiracy to Keep You From Knowing About Them By Mike Adams