How to fight stress with supplements….
Today's post: Monday, 9-10-2007
The base article comes from a new weekly free email on health:
"This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise's Total Health Breakthroughs, offering alternative solutions for mind, body and soul.
For a complimentary subscription,
visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/ "
“Treat Heart Disease With Antidepressants? Let’s Get Real
By James LaValle
There is a significant correlation between chronic stress and heart disease. Low serotonin, a side effect of chronic stress, is seen in pre-heart disease conditions.
What does the medical community offer as a potential solution for low serotonin as a contributor to heart disease? A category of antidepressant drugs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s.)
The problem with SSRI’s is two-fold:
1. They do not increase brain levels of serotonin, but only attempt to get more activity from existing serotonin.
2. The side effects of SSRI’s could themselves contribute to heart disease. Insomnia, weight gain and sexual dysfunction are some of the side effects of SSRI’s. Insomnia and weight gain both can contribute to progression of heart disease.
Survey results have determined that 1 in 2 people are concerned about the level of stress in their lives. Some of the commonly felt effects of chronic stress and/or low seretonin are intense food cravings, mental fog, inability to concentrate, insomnia, headaches, tooth grinding and weight gain.
Reducing life stress can be difficult. A comprehensive approach to stress should not only help increase serotonin, but would also look at correcting other imbalances. The nutritional supplements listed below offer safe symptomatic relief, and can reduce the negative impact of stress on our health.
* Relora® -- an extract from magnolia and phellodendron that balances cortisol and stress hormone output, leading to more relaxed, less anxious responses to stressors. It also reduces stress-related food cravings.
* Theanine -- an amino acid from tea that reduces nervousness, helps calm the mind, improves immunity and has been reported to lower blood pressure.
* Rhodiola -- a well-studied plant extract that dampens the effects of norepinephrine on cardiovascular tissue and helps support adrenal function.
* 5 HTP -- an activated form of tryptophan, the amino acid that converts to serotonin, that shows effectiveness in treating depression and may improve sleep and reduce food cravings.
[Ed. Note: Jim LaValle is an educator, clinician and industry consultant in the field of integrative healthcare. He is a licensed pharmacist, board certified clinical nutritionist and doctor of naturopathic medicine with more than 20 years clinical practice experience in the field of natural therapeutics and functional medicine. Named one of the "50 Most Influential Druggists" by American Druggist for his work in natural medicine….]
*******
Comments by Focus on Your Health:
1. There are many other ways to protect your heart, to deal well with the stress we are all under, & to fight depression -- that also do NOT require these drugs & their side-effects.
It pay may you to find & do these also, not just take these few supplements alone.
2. His supplement list IS very interesting however.
The supplements he lists all have some antidepressive effects & help to lessen the impact on you of any stress you are under.
Theanine is an ingredient in green tea that calms you without sedating you. So, I’ve read you can take it, perhaps along with some green tea, when you need to stay awake & alert.
Rhodiola is also has energy boosting effects, according to Dr Andrew Weill. At worst, it too does NOT sedate you. So you can very likely take it also when you need to stay awake & alert.
Relora is new to me but is listed online as having good stress response softening effects.
I’m not familiar with whether it’s best taken at bedtime or OK during the day.
5HTP is a precursor & a building block of serotonin. But serotonin does tend to mellow you out enough, its best use may be to help you unwind just before bed.
In fact, all of these are likely to be OK when taken just before bedtime.
This can help ensure you sleep better when you are stressed. That way you will have more energy the following day.
(Vigorous strength training also has this effect.)
3. Stress relief & managing stress well in other ways is also essential. The good news is that there are now some new & more effective ways to do this besides supplements.
And, there are proven methods to do these things most overstressed people don’t know about or forget to do.
We are now working on an eBook to bring these to you.
When it’s ready we will announce it & list it here.
Today's post: Monday, 9-10-2007
The base article comes from a new weekly free email on health:
"This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise's Total Health Breakthroughs, offering alternative solutions for mind, body and soul.
For a complimentary subscription,
visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/ "
“Treat Heart Disease With Antidepressants? Let’s Get Real
By James LaValle
There is a significant correlation between chronic stress and heart disease. Low serotonin, a side effect of chronic stress, is seen in pre-heart disease conditions.
What does the medical community offer as a potential solution for low serotonin as a contributor to heart disease? A category of antidepressant drugs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s.)
The problem with SSRI’s is two-fold:
1. They do not increase brain levels of serotonin, but only attempt to get more activity from existing serotonin.
2. The side effects of SSRI’s could themselves contribute to heart disease. Insomnia, weight gain and sexual dysfunction are some of the side effects of SSRI’s. Insomnia and weight gain both can contribute to progression of heart disease.
Survey results have determined that 1 in 2 people are concerned about the level of stress in their lives. Some of the commonly felt effects of chronic stress and/or low seretonin are intense food cravings, mental fog, inability to concentrate, insomnia, headaches, tooth grinding and weight gain.
Reducing life stress can be difficult. A comprehensive approach to stress should not only help increase serotonin, but would also look at correcting other imbalances. The nutritional supplements listed below offer safe symptomatic relief, and can reduce the negative impact of stress on our health.
* Relora® -- an extract from magnolia and phellodendron that balances cortisol and stress hormone output, leading to more relaxed, less anxious responses to stressors. It also reduces stress-related food cravings.
* Theanine -- an amino acid from tea that reduces nervousness, helps calm the mind, improves immunity and has been reported to lower blood pressure.
* Rhodiola -- a well-studied plant extract that dampens the effects of norepinephrine on cardiovascular tissue and helps support adrenal function.
* 5 HTP -- an activated form of tryptophan, the amino acid that converts to serotonin, that shows effectiveness in treating depression and may improve sleep and reduce food cravings.
[Ed. Note: Jim LaValle is an educator, clinician and industry consultant in the field of integrative healthcare. He is a licensed pharmacist, board certified clinical nutritionist and doctor of naturopathic medicine with more than 20 years clinical practice experience in the field of natural therapeutics and functional medicine. Named one of the "50 Most Influential Druggists" by American Druggist for his work in natural medicine….]
*******
Comments by Focus on Your Health:
1. There are many other ways to protect your heart, to deal well with the stress we are all under, & to fight depression -- that also do NOT require these drugs & their side-effects.
It pay may you to find & do these also, not just take these few supplements alone.
2. His supplement list IS very interesting however.
The supplements he lists all have some antidepressive effects & help to lessen the impact on you of any stress you are under.
Theanine is an ingredient in green tea that calms you without sedating you. So, I’ve read you can take it, perhaps along with some green tea, when you need to stay awake & alert.
Rhodiola is also has energy boosting effects, according to Dr Andrew Weill. At worst, it too does NOT sedate you. So you can very likely take it also when you need to stay awake & alert.
Relora is new to me but is listed online as having good stress response softening effects.
I’m not familiar with whether it’s best taken at bedtime or OK during the day.
5HTP is a precursor & a building block of serotonin. But serotonin does tend to mellow you out enough, its best use may be to help you unwind just before bed.
In fact, all of these are likely to be OK when taken just before bedtime.
This can help ensure you sleep better when you are stressed. That way you will have more energy the following day.
(Vigorous strength training also has this effect.)
3. Stress relief & managing stress well in other ways is also essential. The good news is that there are now some new & more effective ways to do this besides supplements.
And, there are proven methods to do these things most overstressed people don’t know about or forget to do.
We are now working on an eBook to bring these to you.
When it’s ready we will announce it & list it here.
Labels: anxiety, depression, fight depression with supplements, health resources, heart health, stress relief
posted by David at 1:28 PM
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